“Got No Good Players”: Charles Barkley Takes a Dig at Billy Donovan for Rushing into Chicago Bulls Coaching Job

The Chicago Bulls are stepping into a new era, and now, they have a new head coach. The Bulls’ new VP Arturas Karnisovas is spearheading the team’s revamp, and they’ve hired former OKC coach Billy Donovan. While this must be exciting news for most Chicagoans, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley isn’t too happy with it. 

It has been three years since the Bulls were seen in the playoffs. Could all that change in the upcoming season? With the raw talent of Zach LaVine and Coby White, Billy Donovan could create miracles as the head coach. 

The Chicago Bulls luring in Billy Donovan is indeed impressive news considering their slump in the East. However, the team boasts a rich history and the new front office is looking to revive a championship-winning mentality in Chicago. 

Charles Barkley has been left unfazed by all this. The 1993 MVP thinks the Bulls are still down and out. He even took a dig at Donovan for rushing into the job. “Only two worse jobs than that [Head Coach of the Bulls] — the captain of the Titanic and my fitness coach,” Barkley said. When asked why he thought the Bulls HC job was a bad one, Barkley replied, “They ain’t got no good players … He could’ve waited for a better job.”

What makes Chuck slander the Bulls in this way? He might genuinely feel that they have no chance of resurrection, or this might come on the back of the fact that he ran into the mighty Bulls during the 1993 NBA finals that mauled his Phoenix Suns team.

Billy Donovan faces an uphill task of reviving the Chicago Bulls

If one was to talk about the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, there was no other team that could match their superiority. Michael Jordan carried the team on his back and won them six championships in eight years, a superhuman achievement indeed. But for the last three years, they’ve finished no less than 13th in the east. 

The Bulls have also never managed to reach the finals since their last conquest in 1998. It almost seemed like an end to the Bulls chapter, but there is still hope. Billy Donovan is one of the most revered college coaches, and not many have accomplished back-to-back NCAA titles like the 55-year-old has.

Donovan recorded a 60.8 win percentage in the regular-season as OKC’s head coach and is an inspiring figure and a proper motivator. He can undoubtedly do a better job with the Bulls than Jim Boylen. The latter’s sacking came based on his dismal 39-84 record. 

A lot of people’s hope are resting on Donovan’s shoulders, and he has a lot of work to do in the offseason. The Chicago Bulls now have a talented coach guiding their team, and can hope for better seasons moving forward.