Chet “The Jet” and the Expectations Met
Throughout the off-season, the team at Bulls Confidential is going to reveal our picks for the top 25 best players in Chicago Bulls franchise history. We are measuring overall impact on the organization, community, and how they impacted their team. Follow along on Twitter by searching #BC25.
25. Mickey Johnson
24. Guy Rodgers
23. Orlando Woolridge
22. Charles Oakley
21. Taj Gibson
20. Bob Boozer
19. Elton Brand
18. Ben Gordon
17. Tom Boerwinkle
16. Reggie Theus
15. Toni Kukoc
14. Horace Grant
13. Kirk Hinrich
12. Joakim Noah
11. Chet Walker
Chet “the Jet” Walker is one of the best Chicago Bulls of all-time. Walker came into the NBA out of Bradley University in 1962. He was a well-regarded prospect coming out of college for his enticing blend of speed and athleticism. A two-time first team All-American in college, Walker was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals. The Nationals shortly moved to Philadelphia and became the 76ers. Walker came into his prime of one of the greatest teams in NBA history: the 1966–67 World Champion 76ers. Walker played the perfect third-fiddle on a team featuring other Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer. After two more seasons in Philly, Walker was traded to Chicago to join a Bulls team that had just lost 49 games and missed the postseason.
In his first Bulls season, Walker scored a career-high 21.5 points per game. Called “the Jet” because of his speed and agility, Walker started to abuse defenders with his speed and get to the free throw line repeatedly. He attempted (another) career-high 7.3 free throws per game, and knocked down 85.9 percent of them. He was already an established scorer by the time he got to the Bulls, but in Chicago he became a startlingly consistent shooter from the charity stripe. For comparison, Walker shot 79.6 percent from the line during seven seasons in Syracuse and Philly. In his 6 Bulls seasons? 85.4 percent.
Walker originally joined the Bulls in a down year — expected to lead the team back to the postseason — and his arrival was indeed the beginning of six straight playoff appearances for Chicago. He was a four-time All-Star in Chicago, and his scoring numbers stayed relatively the same even as injuries started to play a major factor in his career.
Walker was the prototype for the athletic-slashing-small forward. He stayed happy throughout his career despite being a star player who often took on more complimentary roles. His Bulls career — as many do — ended somewhat unceremoniously.
NBA.com states that: “Walker’s six-year honeymoon in Chicago ended in 1975 when management rejected his $200,000-a-year salary demand. They also refused to trade or release him. So Walker went to court, suing the Bulls and the NBA for violation of federal antitrust laws. Walker lost the case. At age 35, coming off a season in which he averaged 19.2 ppg despite tendinitis-wracked knees, an embittered Walker was through. As for the Bulls, their win count plummeted by half in 1975–76, to 24 games.”
So, the Bulls cut ties with Walker. He tried to secure his last big contract as career winded down, but Bulls would not relent from their hard stance. The rest of the league agreed with Chicago that he was done. Walker finished his NBA career with 18,831 points. He is fourth in Bulls history in points per game (20.6), and top 10 in Bulls history in free throws attempted, free throws made, and free throw percentage. It is a shame Walker’s Bulls tenure didn’t get to continue, as he was still shooting a high percentage deep into those last seasons of his career. Chet “the Jet” Walker was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. And while many specifically remember him as part of Wilt Chamberlain’s first NBA title team, us here as Bulls Confidential wanted to make sure no one forgets that “the Jet” helped set the standard for Bulls basketball. Walker was an integral part of the last successful stretch of Chicago basketball that preceded the MJ-era, and for that he is one of the greatest Chicago Bulls of all-time.
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