One of the best things about the Hall of Fame is the window of opportunity it brings to get to know the inductees on a different level.
Whether it's more intimate or just being able to revisit events long after they've passed, these moments now hold a grander meaning.
In a candid interview with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Bulls owner and soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer Jerry Reinsdorf expressed his thoughts on the departure of center Joakim Noah.
Reinsdorf said the Bulls will miss Noah's on-court leadership and his community service, but he's also happy that he got the $72 million contract from Knicks President Phil Jackson.
The 80-year-old owner admitted the Bulls didn't know if the Derrick Rose trade would be “the first step of a rebuild” or if the front office would engineer other moves to stay competitive.
“We felt Joakim wasn't going to be a frontline guy anymore,” said Reinsdorf. “I was pretty confident that Pau (Gasol) was going to leave. So it was important for us to get the center in (Robin) Lopez. Gar and Pax were high on the (Jerian) Grant kid. We thought that was the necessary first step no matter how we were going to go.”
Whether he knew it or not, Reinsdorf did the right thing by letting his front office people handle the situation, as they turned an initially hollowed-out roster into a possible challenger for this season's playoffs.
Somehow, the best owners are the ones who know their place in the business and act when they have to and let be when they have to — he's done so masterfully since 1985.
Reinsdorf, humble as ever, gave praise to others around him.
“I'm proud of the fact I was able to surround myself with great people who did great things,” he said. “It has resulted in the Bulls being a global brand and it has resulted in the Bulls winning championships and it has resulted in the Bulls being a factor in the community.
“I've said many times: The only real skill I have is finding good people. I'm proud of that. Otherwise, I'm not quite sure how to put it but these are great players. I'm just a business guy. I still don't quite understand why I'm going in. I really don't. But since they want to do it, I'm very happy to accept.”
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