“He was about to be on track to be in the Jordan conversation” – Jalen Rose mentions Ron Harper as the reason second 3-peat Bulls are the best team ever originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Over the years, NBA fans have debated which team deserves the title of the greatest of all time. Was it the Golden State Warriors’ superteam, led by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala? Or the early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers led by the tandem of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant?
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For Jalen Rose, the answer is clear — it’s neither.
The retired forward believes the second three-peat Chicago Bulls group is still the greatest team in the history of the NBA. And it’s not only because they had Michael Jordan on the roster.
Second 3-peat Bulls
After Chicago struggled in the 1994-95 campaign, winning just 47 games and getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, the front office decided to bring in Dennis Rodman. At that point, the squad was complete.
Rodman’s arrival gave the Bulls a defensive and rebounding edge, which, combined with Pippen’s two-way brilliance, Toni Kukoc’s ability to be an all-around threat off the bench, and Jordan’s unstoppable scoring abilities, made the team unstoppable.
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Rose witnessed that firsthand when his Indiana Pacers lost to the Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals.
It’s been almost three decades since that series, and the retired forward still hasn’t seen a better basketball team.
“That’s the greatest team of all time. They had Toni Kukoc — The Waiter — whose 16 dribble pass and shoot, make threes — a Hall of Famer. Then, Dennis Rodman, the greatest defender and rebounder that’s not a center ever. Scottie Pippen, one of the top 50 players of all time. One of the greatest defenders of all time,” Rose said. “And they got the GOAT — Michael Jordan.”
What about Ron Harper?
Still, the Bulls’ greatness goes beyond their superstar duo and two best role players. That’s why Rose brought up one more name: Ron Harper.
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“I gotta throw a name out there that people keep sleeping on. Ya’ll folks better google Ron Harper, please,” Rose added. “Before Harp got hurt, he played with the Cavs. He hurt his knee; he was about to be on track to be in the Jordan conversation.”
Harper was incredible in his rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 22.9 points per game. In his third season with the team, he shot a career-high field goal percentage (51.1 percent) and appeared in all 82 regular season games.
Then, the knee injury happened.
Harper was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1989 but only played 28 games with his new team. He was still putting up numbers, averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his four years in L.A. Still, it didn’t seem like the role of a star player fit him anymore.
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As a result, Harper signed with the Bulls in 1994 to play alongside Jordan and Pippen. He became a crucial part of their second 3-peat with his defense and veteran leadership.
What if he stayed healthy? This is a guy who claims to have beaten Jordan one-on-one multiple times — that’s how talented he was.
It’s safe to assume Harper would’ve probably had a much better individual career if it weren’t for injuries. But he still had a great NBA run and was a crucial part of one of the best teams ever — the best, if you ask Rose.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.