Fansided

5 players you forgot won a ring with Michael Jordan

By Brad Berreman

27 Dec 1997: Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls confers with an official during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
27 Dec 1997: Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls confers with an official during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /
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3. Craig Hodges

Craig Hodges is best remembered for winning three straight 3-Point Shootouts at All-Star Weekend (1990-92), as he was also one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA at that time, along with being a well-respected Bulls teammate.

Hodges was part of Chicago’s first two championship teams in 1991 and 1992. The Bulls released him after that second title run, and he never resurfaced. It didn’t seem to be a question of especially diminished skill or aging out, as Hodges was not yet 32 years old.

In the wake of Colin Kaepernick’s situation, FanSided’s Mark Carman did a video piece shining a light on Hodges back in 2017.

Here’s a snippet of what Carman wrote:

“Hodges traces the end to October 1991. President George H. Bush had invited the Bulls to the White House to celebrate their first NBA championship. Hodges wore a dashiki and wrote a letter highlighting the challenges facing the African-American community, which he personally delivered to the White House press secretary. In Hodges’ view, it was the dashiki that had the biggest impact on his fate. NBA teams decided his talent wasn’t enough to justify the distraction he might cause.”

So Hodges was there at the start of the Bulls dynasty, then he was just gone. Even back then I remember wondering what happened to him so suddenly, and now, thankfully, it’s better known.

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