The first step into a complete organizational overhaul for the Chicago Bulls began when they secured Arturas Karnisovas as their new Vice President of Basketball Operations. He will be the primary man in charge of all things basketball moving forward. While the former Denver Nuggets GM has earned a ton of respect both in the U.S. and abroad, some weren't particularly happy with how the interview process played out.
Chicago came under criticism for not meeting with more minority candidates. All but one of the names they met with before securing Karnisovas were white. On top of that, the organization has never had a minority executive since the team's founding. This put heat on Jerry Reinsdorf for being racist. This despite hiring several prominent minority men into positions of power with his Chicago White Sox baseball team.
Luckily, it seems the Bulls are maneuvering to placate the critics according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
"The Chicago Bulls haven’t had a history of hiring high-ranking minority executives or front-facing figures, but the plan is to change that, sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Bulls are hiring Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to head their basketball operations, and Karnisovas plans to hire a person of color to be the franchise’s general manager, a league source told Yahoo Sports."
Chicago Bulls pushing to diversify more than ever before
This is a good thing on many fronts. It shows the Bulls are being proactive to give minority executives long-overdue opportunities in the NBA. It also means they are tapping into a potential talent pool that is drastically underutilized. Initially, the team tried to go even bigger by asking to interview Oklahoma City Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver. They were denied. Still, there are plenty of notable names they could pursue.
There is 76ers VP of player personnel Marc Eversley, Pistons assistant GM Malik Rose, Spurs assistant GM Brian Wright, or even Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth who Karnisovas knows well. The list of options is substantial and will be explored. It's a wise move by the Bulls as it will enable them to better connect with modern NBA players, something that was a constant issue during the Gar Forman and John Paxson era.
