The greatest sixth man from each NBA team

Greatest sixth man in Chicago Bulls history: Steve Kerr

No NBA dynasty can stay in power without the support of a strong bench, and the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s were no exception. Because of their dominance, the players became well known, even more than just the stars, and a number of their bench players are familiar names to basketball fans.

Two such names should be familiar as sixth men for the second title run: Toni Kukoč and Steve Kerr. Kukoč won Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench in 1995-96, but he was an occasional starter who played less and less off the bench over that three-year span. By contrast, Kerr had the same role throughout his Chicago tenure — bench marksman.

Kerr spent five seasons with the Bulls, coming off the bench for all 456 games. In a league where 3-point shooting was relegated to a shooting specialist, Kerr filled that role beautifully for the Bulls. He shot 47.9 percent from long range over those five seasons as perhaps the league’s best shooter in the 90s.

One accomplishment often lauded is the “50-40-90” club, speaking to a scorer’s percentages. While Kerr never shot enough free throws to technically qualify he shattered that barrier in multiple seasons, including 1995-96 when he introduced the “50-50-90” club, a club he occupies alone. Kerr went on to play a similar role on multiple title teams in San Antonio, continuing the role he perfected in Chicago.