The Chicago Bulls unveiled their newest player on Monday morning as they introduced guard Denzel Valentine to the media, but before he even sat down at the podium, the player made some waves.
That’s because of the uniform number that he will wear when he first steps on the floor at the United Center this fall. When Valentine is introduced, he will don the number “45,” which astute Bulls fans will surely recognize as having belonged, albeit briefly, to the greatest player to ever play for the organization.
When he came back from retirement in 1995, Michael Jordan opted not to bring down his iconic “23” from the rafters at the United Center, and instead wore the number “45,” a throwback to his high school days.
Eventually he did go back to the number 23, but his brief stint wearing 45 was certainly the most memorable one for a Bulls player donning that uniform. Others like Rasual Butler and Ed Nealy have worn it, but Valentine will hope to kick off a new era with the digits this season.
Aside from his choice of number, there was one other notable theme that emerged during the press conference introducing Valentine to the media: his versatility. As a 6-foot-4 guard, Valentine isn’t a traditional point guard, but the Bulls’ coaching staff is confident that he will adapt to whatever they ask him to do.
“You can use him in a lot of different ways,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He’s a downhill guy and get into the paint and make plays. He can shoot. Denzel attacks, and the more guys you can get into the paint the better. He’s a smart player. You don’t have to have a pure point guard if you have multiple ballhandlers, and that’s a role that Denzel can fill.”
During his four years at Michigan State, Valentine was coached by legendary bench boss Tom Izzo, and the winning culture that the Spartans have created was also praised by Hoiberg.
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“He’s going to go out there and he’s going to fight,” he said. “He’s been in so many high pressure games. For a guy who played in a Final Four and made big play after big play, that translates. He’s been part of a winning culture, and that’s huge. That will move onto his teammates.”
Above all else, there is one thing that Valentine prides himself on: playing through adversity and injury.
“Winning is key for me, and I hate letting my team down,” he said. “If I can play, I can play.”
