Bulls news: Kevin Garnett reveals why he never wanted to play for Chicago

Future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who played his high school ball in Chicago, says he never wanted to play for the Chicago Bulls during his career.

Future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who played his high school ball in Chicago, says he never wanted to play for the Chicago Bulls during his NBA career.

Garnett cited how Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf treated Michael Jordan toward the end of his career as a main reason why he didn't want to play for Chicago.

Via Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune:

My question: Were you ever close to signing with the Bulls?

Garnett: “I was never close to signing with the Bulls. Ever.”

Silence.

Why?

Garnett: “I don’t really have a why. There was never an opportunity to, and I saw how Jerry (Reinsdorf), how they did Mike, you know, keeping it 100 (% truthful). And all players keep that in the back of their minds. If you treat the greatest like this … the greatest didn’t even have a chance to come back and have ownership. What he invested to build the Bulls, he didn’t even get a chance to come back and reap the benefits of that, so … players see that and remember that or put that in the back of their minds. At least I did.

“But I don’t know why in the hell the Bulls can’t sign any free agents. I don’t know.”

But you just said it.

“Yeah,” Garnett replied, “I just probably gave you the answer all in there.

“But who knows? Different times, though. (Shoutout) to Zach LaVine, he’s doing his thing. Let’s see if they keep that nucleus together.”

The Bulls have a history of failing to get big-time free agents. They missed out on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh during the summer of 2010 and wound up landing Carlos Boozer instead.

In 2014, the Bulls were close to getting Carmelo Anthony, but he ended up re-signing with the New York Knicks. Earlier this season, Anthony said someone was telling him behind closed doors to not sign with the Bulls because an important piece to the puzzle, whether it was Tom Thibodeau or Derrick Rose, wasn't going to be there for the long haul.

That person who spoke to Anthony was right, as Thibodeau was fired after the 2014-15 season, while the Bulls traded Rose to the Knicks in the summer of 2016.