In Chicago, the morning after Easter was much more comparable to the morning after Christmas. The day when that toy you’ve coveted for oh so long is finally officially yours. There were hints, there were promises but after years of asking and not receiving, there was skepticism of whether your parents would deliver. But this year they did! It’s shiny, it’s new and it replaces that old toy you received back in 2003 which is now falling apart, missing a couple limbs, still has the chew marks from when the dog got to it and stopped being cool after 2011.
The Chicago Bulls’ shiny new toy is Arturas Karnisova. The former Denver Nuggets GM was announced by the organization as the new executive vice president of basketball operations, a job that was previously held by John Paxson since 2003. Karnisova shares in the excitement Bulls fans are feeling right now, as he shared in a statement.
“I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls. They represented American basketball and the NBA to a kid from Lithuania. I’ve always had a love for this franchise and to be a part of it and influence its revival is a privilege. I want to thank Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf and the entire Bulls organization for presenting me with this opportunity and welcoming me and my family to Chicago.”
The Karnisova hiring means structural changes are imminent which includes two of Chicago’s most polarizing sports figures, Paxson and Gar Forman. Paxson will remain with the team in a new role as the senior advisor of basketball operations. After 22 years, Forman will no longer be with the team as he was fired from his general manager position. Karnisova sited different philosophies as the reason for the move.
“Gar Forman worked tirelessly for the Chicago Bulls organization, first as a scout and then as an executive,” team owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He made many significant contributions during his time here and helped to bring some of the brightest young basketball talent to our team, from Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson to Jimmy Butler and Coby White. He has been a trusted advisor and friend to me over the years, and on behalf of everyone I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization. Gar will always be a part of our Bulls family.”
The moves announced today bring an end to the regime that oversaw too many head scratching (or head-banging-against-the-table) moves which resulted in more years of NBA mediocrity or below than years of relevance and contention. While the result of this move is yet to be known, it was time for a change as the result of the previous Bulls brass was less than satisfactory. Next on the docket is to find a new general manager and to figure out what to do with Jim Boylen.