San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Jordan series sparks fond memories
Twenty-two years later, the moment did not get edited.
Randy Brown walking into a room adjacent to the Chicago Bulls’ locker room. Michael Jordan, sitting at a table, doling out tickets to teammates for a playoff game during the 1997-98 season.
Jordan: “Does it matter where they are, man?” Or you want ‘em just in the building?”
Brown: “They could be in the locker room next to God.” Jordan: “Next to who?” Brown: “God.”
Jordan: “You just got one from
As the room erupts into laughter, Jordan looks at the camera and says, “Just kidding.”
“He’s not kidding,” Brown, a reserve guard, said as he walks off down a hallway. “Do not take that off the tape. Make sure y’all don’t edit that off.”
As the final episodes of “The Last Dance” — a 10-part documentary on the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and Jordan’s career — air Sunday evening on ESPN, Brown has taken a trip down memory lane. He’s had a handful of cameos in the nearly 10 hours of footage and interviews that went behind-the-scenes for the final run of one of the great dynasties in NBA history.
“It’s been quite amazing,” Brown, who began his collegiate career at the University of Houston, said in a telephone interview Friday. “At the same time, I’ve turned into a fan all over again.”
Back then, Jordan was the go-to person for tickets. Brown, a Chicago native, usually needed 20-25 tickets per game. When he couldn’t find tickets, Jordan always took care of him.
“Everybody on our team knew Michael had tickets, and he would always help his teammates out,” Brown said. “I always knew Michael had extra tickets for me. (The footage) was one of those real moments. It was a real friendship. It was good to see 22 years later.”
Brown spent 12 years in the NBA, including five with the Bulls. He was part of the team’s second three-peat from 1996-98, an incredible run that produced a 203-43 record.
And, for Brown, it almost did not happen.
A second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings in 1991, Brown spent four seasons with the team. Brown became a free agent in the summer of 1995 and had several visits set up, including with the Bulls.
“I almost screwed the thing up,” Brown said. “I remember telling my agent I didn’t think I was ready to play for the Bulls. Out of all that dreaming that I wanted to become a Bull, I just thought it would be stressful for me to play in front of my family and friends.”
One day, Brown was in a Chicago gym playing a pick-up game.
“Who walks in?” Brown said. “Michael Jordan.”
“He’s teasing me the whole three hours about me not signing with the Bulls,” Brown added. “So, as after we were done playing, I called my agent and said, ‘Look, we have to get this thing done.’ Within days I was a Chicago Bull. I was staying home. It was one of the best decisions I ever made in my career. It took a little nudge from Michael.”
During his time with the Bulls, Brown became known as the hype man, standing in the middle of the huddle and leading one of the team’s famed pregame rituals.
“What time is it?” Brown yelled. “Game time!” the Bulls responded.
“It was almost like an audition for that,” Brown said. “One game Michael was like, ‘RB, you’re up.’ I got in there and I did it. All my teammates looked at me. MJ was like, ‘The job is yours.’ For the next 300-something games for three years, that was my voice. I started getting creative with it, adding little stuff to loosen up my teammates. It became a staple my teammates appreciated.”
Before he would become a three-time NBA champion, Brown signed with UH in the spring of 1986. At the time, the program was going through the transition after Pat Foster replaced the retired Guy V. Lewis as coach.
“I never got to play for the great Guy V.,” Lewis said. “I arrived at the tail-end of Phi Slama Jama.”
Brown started 12 games as a freshman in 1986-87, helping the Cougars — who featured Rickie Winslow and Greg “Cadillac” Anderson — to an 18-12 record and spot in the NCAA Tournament. He became a full-time starter his sophomore season and led the team in assists and steals as the Cougars played in the National Invitation Tournament.
But after two seasons, UH was not the right fit. UH had moved from the fast-tempo Phi Slama Jama days to Foster’s half-court offense. Brown decided to move on, playing his final two seasons at New Mexico State.
“Being a part of UH to start my career, those are days that I will never forget,” Brown said. “I stayed there for two years because I’m not a quitter. I didn’t want to change. There was an opportunity for me to move on. New Mexico State reminded me of family. It was a great fit.”
After the Bulls, Brown spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics (2000-02) and retired after one season with the Phoenix Suns in 2003. He spent time in the Bulls’ front office as director of player development, special assistant to general manager Gar Forman for four seasons and assistant general manager for two seasons.
He was an assistant coach from 2015-18 until he resigned when Fred Hoiberg was fired as head coach in December 2018.
“I’m looking to go back into the front office, hopefully it’s with the Bulls again,” Brown said. “If it’s not with the Bulls, it’s OK. I’ll land with another organization sometime soon.”
In the meantime, Brown will watch Sunday’s final two episodes of “The Last Dance” and relive some of the best moments of his life. He calls that Bulls team “family for life.”
“I’m humble that I was even given an opportunity to even wear a Bulls uniform,” Brown added. “Do you know how many kids in inner-city Chicago dream of playing for the Bulls? And here I am wearing a uniform and at the same time playing with my idol. Michael was my idol.
“It was quite an honor to play in front of my friends, my family, and along the way I got to play with the greatest guy to ever pick up a ball. It was a special, special time.”
“It was quite an honor to play in front of my friends ... along the way, I got to play with the greatest guy to ever pick up a ball.”
Randy Brown, former University of Houston and Chicago Bulls player