There should have been a 'Norm Night'

This is no time for regrets, because only memories are relevant.

This is a sad time for the Bulls and their fans, losing two of the most beloved personalities in franchise history - Johnny "Red" Kerr and Norm Van Lier - on the same day.

And it's a good time to remember how sudden death doesn't necessarily mean an overtime loss.

The Bulls knew Kerr was in failing health and moved up the date of his halftime tribute to Feb. 10. The longtime Bulls broadcaster was able to attend and said a few words to an appreciative crowd. The ceremony was well-done and well-deserved, and it provided a satisfying conclusion to Kerr's life with the Bulls, as best the circumstances would allow.

Now I'm sure most Bulls fans would love to go back in time and schedule "Norm Van Lier Night" for halftime of the Feb. 12 game against Miami. Van Lier was in the Comcast SportsNet studio during the Kerr tribute and not on the United Center floor during the ceremony.

There is no need to place any blame. No one saw this coming. It's just a real shame that it ended the way it did.

"You never know. Lightning can strike real fast," Bulls legend Bob Love said while pondering the unexpected loss of Van Lier at 61. "We have to be thankful every day. Every day I'm kind of people, I always tell them I love them. There's no need to tell them you love them when they're gone."

Former teammate Artis Gilmore agreed that a tribute wouldn't be the same without Van Lier in attendance.

"It's nice to do it now, but if he had been there to enjoy it personally, that makes it even more special," Gilmore said.

Whether or not to retire Van Lier's No. 2 jersey is open to debate, and it would be easy to make a sentimental judgment today. But you also have to respect the Bulls' decision to reserve banners for only their best players (plus a coach and general manager). For the record, that list includes Love, Jerry Sloan, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Van Lier added plenty of defense and intangibles to his seven-year averages of 12.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds. But if the Bulls retire Van Lier's jersey, they'd have to also give strong consideration to Gilmore (19.3 points, 11.1 rebounds in seven seasons), Chet Walker (20.6 points, 6.1 rebounds in six seasons), Reggie Theus (18.8 points, 5.6 assists in six years), Horace Grant (12.6 points, 8.6 rebounds in seven seasons) and Toni Kukoc (14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists in seven seasons).

Even Kirk Hinrich (14.1. points, 6.3 assists in 51/2 seasons) isn't far from making a strong argument to join that group.

Here's what the Bulls should have done, and this was on my mind long before this week: Hosted a formal reunion and tribute for the 1974-75 team.

Technically, the only thing that group won was the Central Division title, since the Bulls couldn't finish off a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals against Golden State.

But that season capped a brilliant five-year run during which the Bulls averaged 52 wins. They simply had the misfortune of losing in the playoffs to the Wilt Chamberlain-Jerry West Lakers three times, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks once, then an unconscious Rick Barry and the Warriors in 1975.

Granted, a reunion would have been difficult to schedule since Sloan is still coaching in Utah. But I suspect any Bulls fan over 40 would enjoy seeing Van Lier, Sloan, Love, Walker and Tom Boerwinkle together at the United Center. Might as well include Bob Weiss, Clifford Ray and Rowland Garrett, if he's still around.

Too bad it is now too late to make that happen.