Dwyane Wade makes his pick for best NBA player from Chicago
Before his final game at the United Center, Dwyane Wade was asked where he ranks on the list of NBA players who grew up in Chicago.
Near the top, certainly. But it's a tough list to sort out with so many strong candidates, and Wade didn't want to give it a try beyond his No. 1.
"When it comes to people who have asked me who I think the best player that was born and raised in Chicago, I always go with Isiah Thomas," Wade said. "I grew up watching him.
"I have a lot of friends who came though Chicago that were amazing. There's just so many guys. D-Rose was in seventh grade and everybody's like, 'Man, he's going to be someone.' You take a look at him and a couple years later, he's playing in the NBA against me. So many guys came through this city that I love to watch and I respect."
Thomas apparently saw Wade's quote and tweeted back that Wade is the true No. 1.
"I will be second to him any day!" Thomas' tweet read.
Carter ponders surgery:
There was no news on when Wendell Carter Jr.'s left thumb surgery will happen. It's conceivable Carter could opt to skip surgery, but it sounds like the Bulls expect it to happen relatively soon.
"He's meeting with his family and his representation and our medical staff, so we'll let you know when that gets figured out," coach Jim Boylen said before Saturday's game. "Obviously very disappointed for him and our team. My heart's broken for him.
"Forty-four games in, he's done everything that we've asked him to do from a competitive standpoint. That's a gut-wrencher, man."
Carter injured his thumb in a fall against the Lakers on Tuesday. He finished the game and an initial MRI revealed a sprain. But Carter saw a specialist after returning home, who recommended surgery, which will likely be season-ending.
Boylen knows Wade:
Jim Boylen has a pretty good history with Dwyane Wade, coaching against him in the Finals with San Antonio, in the Eastern Conference finals with Indiana, and coaching him as an assistant with the Bulls during the 2016-17 season.
"What I say about him, he is the ultimate competitor," Boylen said. "He is a warrior. He is a rugged guy. I love his physicality, his leadership. It was an honor to be around him here, to learn from him, to speak with him, to learn how he operated, how he functioned day-to-day, his professionalism.
"The league will miss him. … He's proven that you can be a successful, Hall of Fame guy and be a great person. I like that."
Bulls horns:
Shaq Harrison played in Saturday's game after coach Jim Boylen suggested the backup guard would need a few days off to get over an illness. "They changed his meds and he kind of came around," Boylen said. … The Bulls hosted their first Pride Night at the United Center during the Miami game.