Watch the Bulls induct Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and John Paxton into the Ring of Honor

on Saturday, Chicago Bulls played the Washington Wizards, but the game itself was largely unremarkable. What really got the buzz going was the second annual Ring of Honor ceremony, which they attended celebrated the achievements of six legendary figures.

They were Norm Van Lier, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, Neil Funk and Johnny Bach. Three of those six, Grant, Cartwright and Pakton, met with an extra amount of love for one obvious reason. Each was a significant factor in starting the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty, with the first triple-peat (1991-1993).

Good things come in threes 🏆🏆🏆

Bill Cartwright, John Paxson and Horace Grant officially join our ring of honor tonight. pic.twitter.com/kZ217g5lbk

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 22, 2025

All three came at the right moment. In 1985, Paxson came to Chicago from Notre Dame, the same year that marked Michael Jordan’s sophomore season. Two years later, Horace Grant arrived from Clemson, and Cartwright the following year was traded Bulls from the New York Knicks.

During those early years, the Bulls made the postseason, but couldn’t reach the Finals. All that changed in 1991, when these three, along with Jordan and Scottie Pippen, formed the starting five. Ultimately, it was when they won their first championship in franchise history in five games over the LA Lakers.

As everyone knows by now, the Bulls have won six games. The ceremony marked the second ring of honor ceremony hosts Taurus.

Why were Grant, Pack and Cartwright important?

The Bulls would not have won those first three titles without the contributions of Grant, Pack and Cartwright. Grant provided an intensity on the glass and on defense that the Bulls desperately needed at the time.

In other words, he was their energy spark. Pacton was a sharp, intense point guard who played without fear. In the 1991 Finals, Paxson lost Game 5 with his hot performance from beyond the arc. Of course, he was the one who hit the game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals against the Phoenix Suns to complete the first 3-pointer.

Then there was Cartwright, who dominated the paint with an awkward shot. He was also the glue that brought everyone together to focus on the task at hand.

All three have given Chicago their all, and that’s only fitting all love is given right back to them.