Six years ago, the Chicago Bulls tried to make a run at an NBA championship by stacking up veteran stars. They got Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade next to Jimmy Butler, and the fans were excited.
Even though they were both seemingly in the backend of their primes, Rondo and Wade gave the team a big veteran boost. Nonetheless, they still fell in the first round of the playoffs.
Looking back, Rondo believes Wade’s and Butler’s attitude was the main reason why they couldn’t beat the Boston Celtics, as they ostracized themselves from the rest of the team.
Rondo Blames Butler And Wade For Bulls’ Shortcomings
“Chemistry, it wasn’t there. Like I mentioned earlier, Jimmy and D-Wade, they kind of were on their own. As far as I guess even in practice, even off the court,” Rondo said on the Old Man And The Three.
“Like again, every team is different, there’s nothing wrong with that,” he continued. “But there wasn’t really a connect between the old guys and the young. And that was why it was so much friction throughout the year.“
Bulls’ young players seemed to agree, and it didn’t take long before the pair of stars left the Windy City. That’s not the kind of veteran leadership one would expect from players of their caliber, and they simply didn’t stand a chance to get past that.