John Paxson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Paxson attended Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, and was named to the 1979 McDonald's All-American Team. He played collegiate basketball at Notre Dame, leading the Fighting Irish in assists in 1980–81 and earning All-America recognition in 1981–82 and 1982–83. He graduated in 1983 with a degree in Business Administration and a 3.71 GPA, and was a two-time Academic All-American. He was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame on June 6, 2005.

In Their Own Story

After retiring in 1995, Paxson briefly served as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson during the 1995-96 season but resigned to prioritize his family, famously stating he missed his wife and kids too much. He returned to the organization in April 2003 as General Manager following Jerry Krause's resignation. His early tenure was turbulent; after signing Scottie Pippen, the team stumbled to a 23-59 record in his first season. Paxson reshaped the roster by trading Jalen Rose for Antonio Davis and firing coach Bill Cartwright. A pivotal moment came when he took a cautious approach with center Eddy Curry's potential heart condition, eventually trading him to the New York Knicks for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and draft picks that yielded Tyrus Thomas. Despite a 24-game improvement in 2005 and three consecutive playoff appearances under coach Scott Skiles, the team struggled without size. Paxson fired Skiles in December 2007 after a poor start, leading to an interim stint for Jim Boylan. The Bulls won the draft lottery with only a 1.7% chance, selecting Derrick Rose first overall in 2008. Relationships soured later with coach Vinny Del Negro, culminating in a physical altercation on March 30, 2010, over Joakim Noah's minutes. Paxson was promoted to Vice President of Basketball Operations in May 2009 and reassigned as senior advisor in April 2020.

Reader's Guide

Paxson was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 19th overall pick of the 1983 NBA draft. After two seasons with the Spurs, he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls. He is best known for his championship-winning three-point shot in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals. After retiring, he served as an assistant coach for the Bulls in 1995–96, then joined radio broadcasts. He became general manager of the Bulls in April 2003 and vice president of basketball operations from 2009 to 2020.

Did You Know?

• Paxson's younger brother Jim also played in the NBA, for the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Paxson was a .526 shooter from the field in his college career at Notre Dame.
• He won three NBA championships as a player with the Chicago Bulls.
• Paxson declined a head coaching offer from Michael Jordan when Jordan joined the Washington Wizards.