Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing gave Wizards assistant his dream Rolls-Royce as retirement gift: “I’m terribly happy and utterly surprised” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Though professional rivals on the court, Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing share a great relationship away from it — from the New York Knicks legend appearing in a cameo for Space Jam to the Chicago Bulls icon being present at Ewing’s jersey retirement ceremony.
When Jordan decided to play for the Washington Wizards in 2001, he even suggested Ewing as an assistant coach. A couple of years later, when he became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, MJ ensured the legendary big man was part of the coaching staff.
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But the two weren’t just a part of each other’s lives. They also tried to make an impact on those who helped them reach basketball greatness on the court and later in their post-playing careers.
One of those guys was Johnny Bach, Jordan’s assistant coach in Chicago and Ewing’s co-worker in Washington.
Bach finished his coaching run under Doug Collins with the Wizards, and Jordan and Ewing decided to give him the parting gift he had always dreamed of: a 1980s refurbished Rolls-Royce.
“I’m terribly happy and utterly surprised,” he said after the heartwarming gesture.
“Patrick said he had just bought a new motorcycle. That was the ruse. There it was — as only Michael and he can do. They can make things happen,” added Bach, who was an integral part of Phil Jackson’s staff during the Bulls’ first three-peat.
The architect of the “Doberman Defense”
Bach did not have much success as a player — he averaged 3.5 points during his 34 games with the Boston Celtics. But after his playing career, he became one of the youngest coaches for a collegiate team. Bach spent 18 years with the Fordham Rams and also coached at Penn State.
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After getting his first big NBA break with the Golden State Warriors, began as an assistant, Bach eventually transitioned into a head coaching role. In 1986, he returned as an assistant for the Bulls where he played a key role in getting Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant to play an aggressive and relentless style of defense, which became known as the “Doberman Defense.”
Five decades of service
As his stint with the Wizards came to an end in 2003, Bach reflected on his basketball journey, having nothing but gratitude towards the game.
“It’s been a long journey with a lot of turns in the road, a lot of wonderful memories, and a lot of wonderful people en route. I think I will carry to the grave my love of the game of basketball and a very deep feeling for people who have helped me along the way. People who essentially have the same liking for the game that Naismith invented,” said the veteran coach before offering advice for future generations.
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“The game we are playing is the same as it was; the basket is still ten feet high, the ball is about the same type of ball, and the three jump circles are still there. It is still a team game, and anyone who has tried to make it an individual game has really reached the summits. They may have gotten a lot of attention and acclaim, but talking about winning championships, that’s what awaits a team, not individuals,” he added.
Despite not achieving the success he aspired to as a player, Bach found his calling as a coach, grooming some of the finest talents into all-time greats. He passed away in his hometown of Chicago in 2016 at the age of 96.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.