Who Belongs Next to Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls' Mount Rushmore?
Michael Jordan is not only the historical face of the Chicago Bulls, but he is the face of the NBA in several respects. That much is obvious.
Jordan was the centerpiece of the Bulls' dynasty of the 1990s, still one of the mightiest and most dominant squads ever built, but he was far from the only player to establish the Bulls' fearsome nature that decade.
How does one go about building a Mount Rushmore for such a storied franchise?
One player from that Jordan-era run comes to mind, and is indisputable. For the sake of this list, the carvings of the legacy of this franchise will not include greats like Derrick Rose and Artis Gilmore.
Rose was the most electric player in basketball from 2009 to 2012, and his storied career was never the same after his first torn ACL in the playoffs, an injury he could not control. Gilmore will always be a legend, but the brevity of his time in Chicago (just seven seasons total) and overall strength of this list force him to be the short straw.
The Honorable Mentions
- Derrick Rose (2008-2016)
- Phil Jackson (six-time champion head coach; 1989-1998)
- Jerry Reinsdorf (six-time champion owner; 1985-present)
- Artis Gilmore (1976-1982, 1987-88)
- Bob Love (1968-1977)
- Jerry Sloan (1966-1976, head coach from 1979-1982)
4. Dennis Rodman (1995-1998)
While Rodman is typically known more for his time with the Detroit Pistons or his off-court hijinks, his time as one of the three main pieces of the Bulls' three-peat from 1996 to 1998 cannot be discounted.
Rodman found his stride on the notoriously stingy Pistons teams of the late 1980s that gave Jordan and head coach Phil Jackson fits, but was traded to the Bulls later in his career.
What a four years it was for Rodman, who won three rings and won the rebounding title all four years in Chicago (in addition to the three years prior to his trade from San Antonio).
For all his personal shenanigans, like his time wrestling with Hulk Hogan before Game 4 of the 1998 NBA Finals or his six-game suspension for head-butting a referee, Rodman had a tremendous impact on the Bulls' later dominance.
3. Horace Grant (1987-1994)
Grant was the 10th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft and became the starting power forward for Chicago by his second year. His last-second block on the Suns' Kevin Johnson was the linchpin for the Bulls' third ring, and he settled into his time with Chicago even further after Jordan left to play Minor League Baseball with the White Sox.
That season, Grant averaged career highs in points (15.1), rebounds (11.0), and assists (3.4) as he had his strongest season yet. Grant and Scottie Pippen were a tandem to be reckoned with, and Grant made All-Defensive teams each of his final two seasons with the Bulls.
2. Scottie Pippen (1987-1998)
One could argue there really isn't a Pippen without a Jordan, and vice versa. As Rodman put it, Pippen was the equator between Jordan's north and his south.
The steady force for the Bulls, Pippen was a fixture of the Bulls' dynastic 1990s teams, with a play style fusing the decisiveness of a point guard, aggressiveness of a power forward, and accuracy of a shooting guard.
A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and all six Bulls championship-winning teams during that legendary era, Pippen was a seven-time All-Star, made three All-NBA First Teams, two All-NBA Second Teams, and two NBA All-Defensive Second Teams. His No. 33 currently hangs in the rafters at United Center.
1. Michael Jordan (1984-1993, 1995-1998)
There could be no other player atop this list than Jordan, who is most often mentioned as not just the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time but the greatest NBA player of all time.
"His Airness," in addition to being the face of one of the most recognizable sneakers of all time and the star of Space Jam, was named second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athletes of the century.
After falling to the third pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, after the center-hungry Rockets and Trail Blazers went in a different direction, the Bulls pulled the trigger on Jordan, in what is arguably the best decision made by an NBA franchise in history.
The accolades could take up a whole chapter of a book. Six-time NBA champion, six-time Finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team, and 10-time NBA scoring champion. Oh, and he played professional baseball for a minute, at the Double-A level (more than us mortals).
Jordan reigns supreme in Bulls history, and no one may ever come close.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 5:48 AM.