Logue Down basketball column: Kings import opens up on how Michael Jordan’s Bulls partied big

Why the Chicago Bulls partied as hard as they played, an exclusive chat with fan favourite Matisse Thybulle and a possible NBL Christmas Day game highlight this week’s Logue Down.

Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls partied as hard as they played during the franchise’s sixth championship campaign in 1997-98.

That’s the good oil from Sydney Kings import RJ Hunter, whose godfather Ron Harper was a member of the brilliant Bulls side that captivated a generation of hoops fans.

Chicago ended up winning a fiercely fought series over the Jazz 4-2.

The Bulls also defeated Utah 4-2 in the Finals the previous season — a series that included Michael Jordan’s infamous “Flu game” in Game 5, which Jordan later confirmed to be food poisoning following a dodgy pizza at 2am in the morning.

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RJ Hunter has revealed that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were forced to let their hair down to escape the madness of being swamped by fans.

“I just remember Ron talking about that Utah series in ’98 and how they were pretty active on the going out scene,” said Hunter, who has played 50 NBA games during stints with Boston, Houston and Chicago.

“They were having a good time the whole series.

“That was surprising to me because it seemed like such a hard-fought, energy draining battle of basketball, but it just shows you how good they were and how much confidence they had within themselves.”

Hunter said the Bulls were forced to let their hair down to escape the madness of being swamped by passionate supporters.

Jordan led the Bulls to a fiercely fought series win over the Jazz 4-2.

Hunter says the Bulls were having a good time the whole series.

“He said it was pretty much rock ‘n’ roll everywhere they went,” he said.

“I mean, you saw it in the (Last Dance) documentaries, and it was pretty much that. I can only keep it PG besides the things he told me, but he just said everywhere they went it was a little bit too much chaos.

“Every time they touched down 2 or 3 in the morning there were hundreds of people there.

“Whenever they decided to walk out of the hotel to get lunch, there were hundreds of people swarming.

“It was a little bit impossible to move at that time, so they were having to enjoy themselves when they could.”

You can hear more from Hunter on the first Logue Down podcast with NBL legend Chris Anstey on Thursday.

Matisse Thybulle is the latest Aussie NBA player to say he wants to finish off playing in the NBL.

Why Thybulle wants a piece of the NBL

Boomers fan favourite Matisse Thybulle has taken an increased interest in the Australian league and says he would consider a stint in the NBL when his NBA career is finished.

Thybulle is in the infancy of his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Sydney-raised small forward can see the appeal of playing in Australia post his time in America.

“If I wanted to continue playing that (the NBL) would definitely be my first option,” Thybulle said.

“I’m in the beginning of my third year in the NBA, so it is hard to say what I want to do when my career is over, but I talk to college teammates and even our development staff who played overseas and they all say they would love to play in Australia.

“They all mention the development of the league and how it is becoming a more enticing destination for professional players.

“So, in that sense I absolutely think it would be a fun thing at some point if the time called for me to leave the NBA.”

Thybulle regularly talks to his fellow Boomers teammates based in Australia, including Chris Goulding and Hawks big man Duop Reath.

“Now to get calls from Duop before he goes to practice with Illawarra, it is really exciting,” he said.

“I haven’t kept close taps on it (the NBL) until now.

“For me sports, and I think this goes for everyone, is more interesting when you’ve got someone you know playing. Someone you care about.”

Joe Ingles will have a difficult decision to make when he finally heads Down Under to end his career.

Ingles sweepstakes when he touches down

Aussie NBA star Joe Ingles recently reaffirmed his desire to play in Australia, particularly Melbourne, when his illustrious NBA career is over.

“I will 100 per cent be coming back home – and Melbourne is home for us,” Ingles said on the Basketball Show.

“As you know, I’ve said I have always wanted to come back and play in the NBL whenever I’m done (in the NBA).

“I still feel like I’ve got a few years left here, but I would love to play in front of family and friends.”

Ingles will be sought after when he opts to come home, with Melbourne’s two NBL teams battling it out for his signature.

South East Melbourne Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer has got in early with a cheeky pitch for the Boomers veteran.

“Between his close mate Dante Exum being a South East Melbourne co-owner and Kyle Adnam being his brother-in-law, you’d have to think that the Phoenix would feel like home,” Greer said.

Testing the water: NBL open to Christmas cheer

The NBL contacted all 10 clubs at the start of the season about the prospect of playing on Christmas Day and there was zero interest.

It seems the Sydney Kings have changed their stance after this week announcing their desire to become the first team in Australian professional sports to host a game on December 25.

NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger says the league will consider a Christmas Day game.

“We offered all clubs the opportunity to host a Christmas Day game earlier this year and didn’t receive any interest at that time,” Loeliger said.

“If a club, or multiple clubs, were interested in hosting Christmas Day games in the future, it is definitely an opportunity we would look to support.”

Checkmate: Duop Reath it seems doubles as a very handy chess player.

Reath knows all the right chess moves

Illawarra’s Boomers recruit Duop Reath is a big man standing at 6’9 and weighing in at 111 kilos, but he also likes to use his mind.

I’m told away from basketball, Reath is an avid chess player.

Jason Cadee is a big fan of teams having the chance to challenge calls.

‘Game-changer’: Cadee supports coach’s challenge

Bullets guard Jason Cadee has backed the NBL’s decision to introduce a coach’s challenge system during the season, hailing it a “game-changer”.

The concept, which was trialled during last year’s NBL Cup in Melbourne, will return for the entire regular season.

Each team will be entitled to one coach’s challenge per game and retain it until a challenge is unsuccessful.

A coach can only challenge a personal foul called on their team, or an out of bounds at any stage of the game.

All other events, including non-calls, fouls by the opposition team, violations, act of shooting stations, unsportsmanlike fouls, technical fouls, or situations already covered by the replay system, cannot be challenged.

If a challenge is unsuccessful, the coach can no longer challenge for the rest of the game.

Cadee is a big fan of teams having the chance to challenge calls.

“I really liked the coach’s challenge in the hub, especially the idea that you get to keep your challenge if it is successful,” Cadee said.

“It can eliminate all the doubt if they genuinely believe a call was wrong. It can also become tactical when you use your challenge, either early or in the latter stages of a game.

“It isn’t a rule that could change a game completely, but it is a rule that can change moments in a game, and I think that is a good thing.

“It also keeps refs accountable, which is great for everyone.”

A challenge can also be carried into overtime if not used in regulation time.

To request a challenge, a coach must have an available time-out.

Joe Ingles signed his Utah Jazz singlet and gave it to fellow Aussie Josh Giddey when the pair clashed.

LIKE

Joe Ingles signing his Utah Jazz singlet and giving it to fellow Aussie Josh Giddey after the pair clashed in the NBA last week.

Ingles’ Jazz proved too good on the day, winning 110-104, but his admiration and respect for Giddey was clear to see.

The rising Boomers guard continued his stellar rookie NBA season with 19 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

Giddey joins fellow NBL Next Star product LaMelo Ball and the great LeBron James as the only teenagers in NBA history to average 100 assists, and 100 rebounds in their first 20 games.

DISLIKE

The Illawarra Hawks have been cleared to train ahead of Sunday’s away clash against Adelaide following a false positive test result, but the club is understandably frustrated with the process.

The Hawks’ game versus the 36ers appeared in doubt after a close contact in the camp reportedly tested positive, which also forced the cancellation of Saturday’s pre-season match against Sydney.

Despite recording a positive before a negative test result, the Hawks were asked to isolate for seven days.

It meant they couldn’t train throughout the entire seven-day period, placing next Sunday’s away season-opener against the 36ers under a cloud as they’d have less than 24 hours to prepare for the clash.

This changed on Sunday when it’s understood the team received clearance to train following another negative test and the confirmation of the original being a false positive test result.

The consensus in NBL clubland is that all states need to catch up to Victoria’s no isolation stance if a person is vaccinated and has a negative result.

Fully vaccinated close contacts in NSW still having to isolate for seven days even after negative tests is a nightmare for all teams, especially when they have to cancel games.

On the plus side, I’m hearing state officials are seriously considering changing the current seven-day isolation protocol.

SHOOSH

Which NBL import has sent the league rumour mill into overdrive that he won’t last the season? It’s a shock because there are big things expected of the player in question.

Originally published as Logue Down basketball column: Kings import opens up on how Michael Jordan’s Bulls partied big