Chicago Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf talks about the team's global brand, hopes for more overseas games
Chicago Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf is well aware of the rich history of his team and the enthusiasm it has helped generate around the world. From the glory days of Michael Jordan to the lull that came after his retirement. From the Derrick Rose era to the team's recent resurgence, the Bulls have been a global phenomenon. Reinsdorf was in attendance for the Bulls' game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, where he witnessed his team's continued popularity despite their last championship coming in 1998.
The first global franchise
Thanks to the talent and skill of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the rest of the Bulls' roster, Reinsdorf believes that his organization has been a pioneer in terms of making the league internationally popular. Jordan himself played for the Bulls' team that came to France in 1997 and won the McDonalds' Championship.
“As I’ve said before, I really do believe that the Chicago Bulls were the first global franchise in sports. So to have our first real regular-season game in Europe, it does get me excited, and I think the players are excited,” Reinsdorf said. “It doesn’t feel like your typical regular-season game in mid-January against the Pistons, that’s for sure.’’
Reinsdorf vividly remembers the last time the Bulls were in France. With Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman not joining the squad for that tournament, Jordan had to carry the team once again.
"My memory of the game is I was actually nervous. Scottie wasn’t playing. Dennis wasn’t playing. Toni (Kukoc) was injured; he had plantar fasciitis. So I just wanted to win the game, even though it was just a preseason game. You don’t want to be the NBA champions, win the NBA championship, and then lose the world championships," Reinsdorf added.
Continue to push forward
As incredible as the Bulls' past has been, Reinsdorf said he doesn't want to rest on their laurels. Rather, he wants his team to build on it.
“We don’t want to rest on what happened in the ‘90s. We want to win again. That obviously is our goal,” Reinsdorf continued. “But we can’t shy away from the fact back in the 90s, we won six championships in eight years, and we were one of the first global teams in sports. We have to embrace it, but we’d like to get back to the top of the mountain for sure.”
He added that he's hoping for more international ventures in the future, with more games and activities taking place in Europe and other parts of the world.
“We were talking about this on the way in. Could we do something where we had multiple games in different cities throughout the world? Or maybe in Paris, you had four teams playing instead of just one game. I think this is a great opportunity for the NBA,” Reinsdorf said. “This started out with the Dream Team in 1992, and the NBA is the second-most popular sport in the world and I think there’s a great opportunity for the NBA to play games all over the world.”
