NEWSLETTER
I got incredibly lucky, but I have officially won my fantasy football matchup this weekend. After two very disappointing weeks, we have bounced back strong and moved to 2-2. The team is still a work in progress, but things are coming together thanks to a sturdy front office. Speaking of which, if Arturas Karnisovas needs any help, he might want to hit me up.
• On this day in 1993, Michael Jordan said “I’m out.”
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1313456854102614016?s=20
• All things considered, I think The Last Dance covered this topic well. While we want to believe there is some greater meaning behind Jordan’s decision to leave the game, there isn’t one. Jordan was not only going through a rough spot in his life, but he felt he achieved everything he could. The guy won three straight finals, and he probably knew he’d just keep winning more. The challenge wasn’t there anymore, so the competitive Jordan moved on to try something else. Simple as that.
27 years after Michael Jordan's first retirement, conspiracies still abound.
No, I don't believe this was anything other than a legit retirement, of MJ's own doing. Let me explain why.
A thread.#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/Z4CKKa4Vmw
— Jack M Silverstein (@readjack) May 11, 2020
• Now, I do kind of want to believe that (subconsciously) Jordan knew it would make for one hell of a GOAT story if he retired only to come back and win three more championships. I mean, come on, that shows complete and utter dominance. In fact, I’d say it’s arguably more impressive than winning multiple championships with multiple teams *cough* LeBron James *cough.*
• Actually, let’s talk about that for a minute. I feel like anyone who wants to make the case for James as the GOAT uses that point as a foundational piece to their argument. Perhaps I’m missing something, but why is winning a ring in several cities arguably more impressive than winning six in one? No, seriously, can someone explain it to me? If anything, when James moved destinations it allowed for a quicker path to a better team. When he went to Miami, he had them blow up the roster to sign two fellow HOFers. When he went to Los Angeles, he had the franchise trade away basically its whole team for Anthony Davis. I’ll give him full credit for the Cleveland ring because that was truly an impressive feat, but it’s not like James moving teams a couple of times hasn’t helped his cause. When you stay with one organization, it could be harder to keep winning, and the Golden State Warriors reminded us of this recently. To control egos, to have a consistently competitive drive, and to maintain a championship-level roster is a massive challenge. What Jordan did with the Bulls, with the alpha-dog role he played season after season, is unmatched.
• Anyway, this sums it up.
How it started How it ended pic.twitter.com/2VOkLEGJd3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 6, 2020
• Me likely. Me likey a lot.
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1313486673708228610?s=20
• Wendell Carter Jr. shot 29 3-point attempts last season, and I think we can expect that number to take a big jump next season. With how I have to imagine Billy Donovan will use him next season, he should get plenty of more opportunities to work along the perimeter. With his smooth jumper, solid ball-handling, and quality passing, I expect to see Carter Jr. playing the role of floor-manager several times down the road. It’s time to throw a breakout party.
• The Bulls will wrap up their group workouts this week, and it’s unclear when the team will be able to reconvene. In the meantime, I imagine certain players will continue individual workouts at the Advocate Center over the coming weeks, while the front office puts all their effort into draft research. For more on how the last couple of weeks came together, though, I recommend giving Jamal Collier’s latest with the Chicago Tribune a read.
Go inside the Chicago Bulls bubble, from daily COVID-19 testing to "cheating" at golf to a piano serenade https://t.co/EKSC6iBRYg
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) October 6, 2020
• I wish there was footage of this game.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1313208164536528896?s=20
