The Bulls, who formed the Iron Triangle twice and won the championship six times, why did they only retire Jordan Pippen s jersey?

In the 1990s, it was the most brilliant era in the NBA, and this era was dominated by the Bulls led by Michael Jordan, so this is also a major reason why Jordan is regarded as the number one person in NBA history. However, although he won three consecutive championships twice and maintained a 100% chance of winning the championship, it is somewhat surprising that this six-champion team has only retired the jerseys of Jordan and Scotty Pippen. No other champion members have been able to enjoy this treatment. It is obvious that other players have also made contributions, so why did they not retire the jerseys? Let's find out below!

1. The conditions for retired jerseys are harsh, with only five people reaching it in total.

First of all, one must be clear, that is, what are the standards for the Bulls to retire jerseys. Looking at the team's history, in addition to Jordan and Pippen, only three other players have been qualified to retire jerseys. Of course, we don’t need to go into details about Jordan and Pippen. One is the greatest player in NBA history, and the other is the second leader in NBA history. Let's focus on the other three players. The first one to receive the honor of retired jersey was Jerry Sloan, a veteran coach of the Bulls' long-rivaled rival, the Jazz. Coincidentally, the team he played for when he was a player was the Bulls. He wore the No. 4 jersey and was the first core of the team-building level in the team's history. Not only was he selected for the All-Star lineup many times, but he also laid the foundation for the team's heritage and culture, so he was treated as a retired jersey. Then there was Bob Love, who was in the same era as Sloan. His duo with Sloan was the backbone of the team in the 1960s and 1970s, and he was also selected into the All-Star lineup many times, but you should know that Love's jerseys were retired after many years, which shows how demanding the team is.

Let's talk about John Gilmore, this player is the greatest inside player in the history of the Bulls. During the ABA, he followed the Bulls and won the league's scoring and rebounding champion in the ABA. Later, he joined the NBA. Although his condition began to decline due to injuries and age, he still maintained a level of 15+8 output. Of course, the most important thing is that he completed the team's transition and perfectly handed over from the Sloan era to the Jordan era, so his importance is unparalleled. Of course, I have to add a bit of a breakdown, that is, Derek Ross will retire his No. 1 jersey next season. Although his career is a bit regrettable, he is the youngest MVP winner in NBA history after all. He has entered the All-Star lineup and has the status bonus of the Son of Wind City, so being retired is also expected.

2. Star players do not play for a long time and there are some contradictions.

Of course, some fans will have questions, that is, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman of the two-generation Iron Triangle, who are obviously All-Star players, and Grant is also a rookie selected by the Bulls back then, so why did he miss the retirement jersey? First, let’s talk about Grant. Indeed, he was second only to Jordan and Pippen at that time, but for most of his time in the team, he was just a blue-collar player with the highest average season data per game. He only had 15.1 points, 11 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks. Only that season was selected for the All-Star lineup. In addition, his biggest problem is that he only played for six seasons. In the summer of 1994, due to the conflict of contract renewal with the team, he eventually left Orlando. If he could continue to stay in the team like Jordan and Pippen and become a member of the second three-game championship, he would have the opportunity to retire.

Let's talk about Rodman, the fans' favorite. Indeed, Rodman is a very unique player. He was full of fighting spirit during the Bulls. He also made a lot of contributions in the team's three championship journeys. But like Grant, Rodman's playing time was too short, and he only played those three seasons in total. Although Rodman has won three rebounding champions in these three seasons and has been selected into the best defensive team many times, overall, his playing time is still unsatisfactory. Besides, don’t forget that Rodman was a completely "demon king" back then. He was so popular on the court and hated him off the court. If Jordan hadn’t been in charge of the team back then, there would probably be no player who could have suppressed him. This is why the team did not renew his contract with him after winning the championship in 1998.

3. Most of them are role players and there is no reason to retire.

Finally, let’s talk about another reason, that is, among these winning members, it is difficult to find some players worthy of retirement. Most of them are just role players, and if they weren't with the Bulls, they would probably have a very slim chance of continuing to play in the NBA in other teams. Although John Paxson, Steve Cole and others have all performed as the final result, they are unknown for most of the time they played for the Bulls. It is impossible for the Bulls to retire their jerseys just because of their occasional inspiration. Of course, the most disappointing thing is probably Tony Kukoc, the star of Croatia, was the Bulls' sixth best man of the year. In the Bulls' seven seasons, they averaged double-digit points per game, including 18.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in a single season. If he could play for the team, he would have the chance to retire his jersey, but he was sent to the 76ers in the 99-00 season, and he lost his chance. But later Kukoc was successfully inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, which can be regarded as making up for the regret.