Jack Haley, NBA champion with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, died Tuesday.
Several past teammates have confirmed Haley’s passing, with former head coach Phil Jackson the first to report the sad news.
Jack Haley😞-member of Bulls 95-96 team of ages. RIP.
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) March 17, 2015
Scottie Pippen also expressed his condolences on Twitter.
Very sorry to hear my old teammate, Jack Haley, has passed away. Great guy who I stayed in touch with over the years. RIP
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 17, 2015
Haley played professional basketball for 11 seasons, including with the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and two teams in Europe. He appeared in the final regular season for the legendary 1995-96 Bulls team which set a record with 72 wins in the regular season and won the NBA championship.
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Knee tendinitis kept Haley from playing more that season, but gained a reputation as the most enthusiastic cheerer on the bench for Michael Jordan and company.
In 341 NBA appearances, including 54 starts, Haley averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Haley’s best season came in 1990 as a member of the Nets, where he averaged 5.6 points per game.
Haley stayed involved with the NBA following his retirement, spending time as an assistant coach for the Nets and an TV host for the Lakers.
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