This week, the Chicago Bulls are introducing a Ring of Honor ceremony for 13 inductees into their inaugural class. Here's everything you need to know about the ceremony, inductees and the Ring of Honor.
What is the Ring of Honor?
The Bulls Ring of Honor will celebrate and recognize players, coaches and management leaders who have made invaluable contributions to the organization in its history.
Who is inducted into the first class?
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
There are 13 players, coaches and managers made the inaugural Ring of Honor class for the Bulls. The criteria for the first class included induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame or a banner in the United Center rafters.
Artis Gilmore, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker, Tex Winter, and the 1995-96 team, which went 72-10 and won the 1996 NBA Championship.
The Bulls will review and honor inductees every two years. The next Ring of Honor class will be inducted in 2026.
What are the criteria to be selected for future Bulls Ring of Honor?
Here are the criteria to be selected for a Bulls Ring of Honor in the future. As aforementioned, this year's class required a Naismith Hall of Fame induction or a banner in the United Center rafters.
- Players must have spent at least three seasons with the Chicago Bulls
- Players must have retired from basketball for at least three years
- Staff must have made significant contributions to the Chicago Bulls
- Staff must have made an impact on championships or league awards
- All honorees must have significant achievements with the Bulls, made a meaningful contribution to team success, or hold records that have been sustained throughout team history
- All honorees must have demonstrated high character and integrity both on and off the court and throughout their playing career and retirement
What's the Ring of Honor experience? When is it?
The Bulls set up a Ring of Honor experience in the East Atrium of the United Center. The experience includes custom lockers of all 13 inductees, which include memorabilia and artifacts from their contributions and time with the Bulls.
Time was allotted on Wednesday and Thursday for the general public to visit the experience. On Friday, it'll be open again from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., then 5:30 p.m. until the end of the Bulls-Warriors game.
The 13 inductees will also be honored and celebrated with a special halftime presentation. Each member will receive a special trophy designed by Victor Solomon, the artist who crafted the updates to the Larry O'Brien trophy and five other postseason trophies.
How did Barack Obama, Eddie Vedder and others get involved?
The Bulls recruited several A-list figures to help celebrate the honorees. Barack Obama, Eddie Vedder and several other Chicago-tied celebrities will pen essays about the inductees.
Here are all the authors and the Bulls legends they will write about:
---Barack Obama on Michael Jordan
---Eddie Vedder on Dennis Rodman
---Jerry Colangelo on original Bulls owner Dick Klein
---Doug Collins on Chet Walker
---Neil Funk on Johnny "Red" Kerr
---Pau Gasol on Toni Kukoc
---Phil Jackson on Tex Winter
---Magic Johnson on Scottie Pippen
---Pete Nordstrom on Bob Love
---Gregg Popovich on Jerry Sloan
---Jerry Reinsdorf on Jerry Krause
---Bill Wilton on Artis Gilmore
---Michael Wilbon on Phil Jackson
For more information about the Bulls Ring of Honor experience and ceremony, visit Bulls.com/RingofHonor.
