John Paxson
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Many consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball player to have ever lived. While his scoring accolades, defensive presence, and slam dunk highlights are certainly part of the reason why people believe this — it’s Jordan’s penchant for winning (namely his 6-0 record in the NBA Finals) that is the driving force for his place among the league’s greats.
While Jordan was undoubtedly the best player on those title-winning teams, it’s hard to dispute he was the only player responsible for all six of Chicago’s titles. For example, the Bulls may have not been able to secure the 1993 NBA championship without some late-game heroics from one John Paxson.
Paxson knocked down a three-pointer with less than five seconds remaining in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, which eventually ended up being the game-winning shot and the series-clincher. It was the third title Paxson won as a member of the Bulls, as his timely three-point shooting ability came in handy in countless moments.
Paxson segued his marksmanship to a front office role with the Bulls many years later. Though he was a hero during his playing days, Bulls fans now use Paxson as a sort of scapegoat for the team’s most recent woes. Paxson has served in Chicago’s front office for 17 years — six as general manager and 11 as vice president of basketball operations. He was recently demoted to senior advisor after the Bulls hired former Denver Nuggets executive Artūras Karnišovas to fill in for Paxson’s VP role.
