Stormin’ Norm Van Lier
The defensive-minded point guard steered the Bulls through the 70s
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.
10. Dennis Rodman
9. Luol Deng
8. Jimmy Butler
7. Norm Van Lier
Agressive and defensive, Norm Van Lier was one of the Chicago Bulls brightest stars during the 1970s. Born on April 1, 1947 in East Liverpool Ohio to Helen and Norm Van Lier Sr., he grew up in Pennsylvania. Van Lier was part of the 1965 Midland High school Leopards, who went 28–0 including a State Championship victory.
Along with basketball, Van Lier also was the co-captain of the football team and received many scholarship opportunities to play safety. However, Norm was determined to be a quarterback. When he couldn’t find an opportunity to do so, he chose basketball instead.
After high school, Norm Van Lier attended and played basketball at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania after not receiving any interest from any major basketball schools.
Van Lier was initially drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the third round of the 1969 NBA draft. He was traded on draft night, however, to the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings). The Bulls wouldn’t reclaim Norm Van Lier until the 1971–1972 season. Van Lier had a career best season in Chicago during the 1974–1975 season, averaging 15 points and six assists. Van Lier made three All-Star teams while in Chicago, while making the NBA All-Defensive second Team a whopping five times.
Van Lier retired from the NBA in 1979 and found a new role for the Bulls: announcing the games on the radio. He even had roles in Ice Cube’s “Barbershop” films. Van Lier then served as the pre and post game analyst for 17 years, until Feb. 25, 2009 when Van Lier was absent from the broadcast. Van Lier was found dead in his apartment the next day at the age of 61, just hours before another Bulls Legend Johnny Red Kerr would pass. The Bulls then honored both of the fallen Bulls, wearing patches on their jerseys in their memory.
Although Van Lier was never a part of any of the dynasty teams that Chicago has had, he served a crucial part in Bulls history as both a player and a broadcaster.
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