On Saturday, the Chicago Bulls played the Washington Wizards, but the game itself was largely inconsequential. What really got the buzz was the second annual Ring of Honor ceremony, where they celebrated the accomplishments of six legendary figures.

They were Norm Van Lier, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, Neil Funk, and Johnny Bach. Three of those six, Grant, Cartwright, and Paxton, were met with an extra amount of love for one apparent reason. They were each significant factors in launching the Bulls' 1990s dynasty, with the first three-peat (1991-1993). 

All three of them came at the right moment. In 1985, Paxson came to Chicago from Notre Dame, the same year that marked Michael Jordan's second season. Two years later, Horace Grant arrived from Clemson, and the following year, Cartwright was traded to the Bulls from the New York Knicks. 

During those early years, the Bulls made the postseason but couldn't reach the Finals. That all changed in 1991, when these three, along with Jordan and Scottie Pippen, formed the starting five. Ultimately, that was when they won their first championship in franchise history in five games over the LA Lakers. 

As everyone knows by now, the Bulls went on to win six. The ceremony marked the second Ring of Honor ceremony hosted by the Bulls. 

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Why Grant, Pax, and Cartwright mattered?

The Bulls wouldn't have won those first three titles if not for the contributions of Grant, Pax, and Cartwright. Grant provided an intensity on the glass and on defense that the Bulls sorely needed at that time.

In other words, he was their energy spark. Paxton was the sharp-shooting, intense point guard who played without fear. In the 1991 Finals, Paxson put Game 5 away with his hot performance from beyond the arc. Of course, it was him who hit the game-winning three-pointer in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals against the Phoenix Suns to complete the first three-peat. 

Then there was Cartwright, who was the commanding presence in the paint with the awkward shot. He was also the glue that got everyone together to focus on the task at hand. 

All three gave their all to Chicago, and it is only fitting that all the love was given right back to them.