Chicago Bulls: Unsung heroes from championship era

Horace Grant

The Bulls pulled off on the greatest draft-night heists in history when they acquired Pippen in exchange for Olden Polynice. But the Bulls weren’t done. With the No. 10 overall pick in that NBA draft, they selected Horace Grant from Clemson.

Already boasting a formidable duo in Jordan and Pippen, the Bulls needed a third cog and like Pippen, Grant began coming into his own during the 1991 playoffs. In the team’s first trip to the Finals Grant scored in double figures in four of the five games against the Los Angles Lakers on his way to averaging 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest.

Grant didn’t enjoy the same level of success in the 1992 NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers as he averaged 9.2 points and 7.8 boards per contest on 56.1 percent shooting from the field. In the ’93 Finals, Grant gave the Suns all they could handle through the first four games of that series, posting averages of 16.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per outing.

While he was all but a no-show in Games 5 and 6, scoring just one point in both of those games on a combined 0-for-9 shooting, Grant made a key play in the last sequence of the series finale.

Paxson’s 3-point shot gave the Bulls a one-point lead, but it was Grant’s defense that helped seal the win, enabling them to become the first team to win three consecutive titles in 27 years. And for those of us who may have questioned how valuable he was, look no further than the 1995 eastern conference semifinals series when he was a member of the Orlando Magic.

In that series between the Bulls and Magic, Grant compiled averages of 18 points and 11 rebounds per contest while posting four double-doubles in the six-game series.

As a result, the Orlando Magic are the last team to defeat the Bulls in a playoff series with Jordan and Pippen on the roster. Yes, Jordan and Pippen were one the deadliest one-two combo in the league. But as good as they were, the Bulls still needed another guy who was willing to do the dirty work and not necessarily get recognized for those efforts. For better or worse, Grant filled that role perfectly.