Muller: Four NBA Championships? Let's Just Focus On Winning One
By Shawn Muller--
The thing I have appreciated most about this Chicago Bulls team is the humility the players and coaches have shown. All season long, the Bulls have managed to stay humble and even-keeled, both on and off the court. They don't panic after a tough loss, and they don't get too high after a big win.
Chicago knows they have a job to do and when the work is done, they leave it all at the office.
At the beginning of the season, I think the majority of Bulls fans were cautiously-optimistic. Provided this team could stay healthy, a lot of us felt that Chicago could make some noise in the Eastern Conference, and maybe…just maybe…win an NBA championship.
Staying healthy is one thing the Bulls could not manage to do….but winning has been constant. It has been hashed upon and rehashed time and time again around Chicago, but I don't think it can—nor should—be undersold. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, two of the biggest pieces to the Bulls championship puzzle, have combined to miss over forty games thus far. That is half the season without two of your best players together on the floor. No team has had to deal with the injury bug the way Chicago has….yet here we are, with just nineteen games remaining on the regular season schedule, and Chicago is sitting just one and a half games behind the Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
I don't care how many times this subject continues to be brought up….that is simply impressive.
What I am not impressed with, however, is the sudden gum flapping by Bulls Chairman, Jerry Reinsdorf regarding his team.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Reinsdorf said, "We have an outstanding coach, an outstanding bunch of players, the team is deep, and if we stay healthy we have an awfully good chance of winning at least four championships."
Come again, Mr. Reinsdorf? Yes, you have an outstanding coach. Yes, you have an outstanding bunch of players. Yes, your team is deep…..but four championships?
Let's not put the proverbial cart before the horse here, Jerry.
I understand you are happy with the product you have put out on to the United Center floor, but where is the same humility that your players and coaches exude? How about you just focus on having your team get past the second round of the playoffs first before you start talking about four more championships?
Sure, four fingers on your hands are probably feeling a little left out because the other six are completely covered in gold and diamonds, but do you really think this was the best thing to say right now? We understand that Chicago has not won an NBA title in twelve years, but let's just concentrate on winning another ONE, before we start looking at another FOUR.
When the Miami Heat introduced LeBron James and his minions to a packed house at American Airlines Arena during the off-season, James told the crowd that the team wasn't focused on winning one championship….they were thinking about four…five…six…seven at least (that is about right, huh LeBron?). Right now, it looks like Miami should be worried about making it past the first round. Obviously the Heat are fully capable of turning things around and winning the title this season—and I fully expect them to do so, but the point is…nothing good can come from making bold claims, such as those by LeBron, and now Jerry Reinsdorf.
What Reinsdorf said was unwarranted and unfair to his players and coaches, and could easily become a potential distraction for Chicago heading into the playoffs this season… and in seasons to come.
James set his Heat teammates and the Miami franchise up for more scrutiny than they were already under because he wrote a check that can't be cashed. Reinsdorf potentially did the same thing.
One championship at a time Jerry….one championship at a time.
Do you agree with Shawn? Post your comments below.
Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser" every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24.
