Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 244

Bulls Playoff 12 Section 8 Chicago Tribune, Tuesday, June 18, 1996 MBA CHAMPS Bill Wennington had a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds against Denver. Jud Buechler was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field in a November win over Cleveland. nun Moth? Mouth? Wennington speaks up Bill Wennington (A mMs phy to me. And he's to be commended for that But we all know who the real moth is." Let's let Haley settle this one. "Kerr won the media moth award, but it was presented to him by the king of media moths," Haley said.

"Bill is known for waiting for the media and just hanging around for any writers." And the writers appreciate his wit. After one practice this season, Wennington offered the following lines: Reporter "How did Michael Jordan look today?" Wennington: "He looked good. He was wearing a black Nike top with black shorts and low-cut sneakers." "How about Dennis?" "He looked good too. He's a handsome man." Sarcasm may not be Wennington's best friend, but it's certainly more than a long-lost cousin. "He's the man when it comes to pranks, but that's part of being a moth, because a lot is staged for the media," Kerr said.

"There have been some that haven't come out to the media, but not because Bill didn't try to get it out. "Part of being the moth is to let everybody know what he's doing, so that's Bill." By Teddy Greenstein Tribune Staff Writer The NBA Finals practice session at the Berto Center was coming to an end, and Bulls backup center Bill Wennington appeared to be finished shooting. He started walking off the court until he saw a swarm of 30 reporters following his every step. So Wennington reversed direction, grabbed a ball and took another shot He missed, which was understandable, since he was laughing when he put the shot up. Moments later, to no one's surprise, he relented and started answering questions.

"What's this like, Bill?" someone asked amid the crowd. "This has been a unique experience," he said. "It's been a lot of fun up until about 30 seconds ago. I'm a little claustrophobic. It is an impressive sight, though.

I could almost feel important or something." Wennington's role in the NBA Finals may not have been as enormous as his 7-foot frame, but the backup center still has been important. His highlight came when he sank two baskets in the final 1 Va minutes of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks. Besides his penchant for hitting 12-footers with the shot clock winding down, Wennington's other key roles are that of media darling and team prankster. Among his gags: Freezing Steve Kerr's underwear and tossing Randy Brown out of the locker room in nothing but his birthday suit His teammates got him back recently. "The other day, we cleaned out his locker and filled it with kids clothing," said reserve forward Jack Haley.

"So he had to come out and practice with these mini-shorts. Anything we can do to get to Bill, because you turn your back and he'll get you." Wennington admits to being the team's top practical joker, but he insists that Kerr is the media's No. 1 sweatheart. "We just gave Steve the 'Moth of the Year" award," said Wennington, a nine-year NBA veteran who also played two seasons in Italy. "It's a media-friendly award.

The camera lights go on and he flutters to them." Not so fast, said Kerr. "If it were left up to an impartial jury, there'd be no question," Kerr said. "In fact I kind of held an impartial poll and it was unanimous in support of Bill. He beat me to the punch and got the tro Position: Center. Heightweight 7-0260.

Bom: April 23, 1963, in Montreal. High school: Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. College: St John's. Drafted: Selected by Dallas Mavericks in first round 1 6st overall) in 1985. Acquired by Bulls: Signed as free agent on Sept.

23, 1993. 1995-96 regular season: Shot .493 from field and .860 from line in 7 1 games. Averaged 2.5 rpg- 1996 playoffs: In his seventh playoff appearance. every game. Sunday in Game 3 at Seattle tied 1 996 playoff-high six points (3-4 field goals) and one assist in 1 5 minutes.

playoff-high 1 4 points on May 7, 1 995, at Orlando. Averaged 2.7 ppg. and 9.3 minutes per game in Round 1 vs. Miami Averaged 3.4 2.6 rpg. and 12.8 minutes per game in the Eastern Conference semifinals vs.

New York. 3.0 ppg. and 8.8 minutes per game in Eastern Conference finals vs. Orlando. Tribune photo by Jim Pnsching Bill Wennington is a solid backup center, but is just as valuable keeping the team loose off the court and in the locker room.

Buechler looks toward a return engagement I A By Terry Armour Tribune Staff Writer Jud Buechler could barely enjoy himself before the question came up. The Bulls had just swept the Orlando Magic to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, when they won the last of their three straight titles. Buechler, in his second season with the Bulls, was experiencing the bliss for the first time in his six-year career. He didn't really want to talk about next season. That seems so far away.

"This is great," Buechler said. "You try to enjoy it for as long as you can because you never know when it's going to happen again. I hope I'll be in Chicago next year but I really don't know." That, in a nutshell, sums up Buechler's two years as a Bulls reserve. He showed up in each of his two seasons with a non-guaranteed contract and a chance to make the team. Each season, Buechler sweated it out before making the cut then sweated it out to see if he would be a part of the playoff roster.

Now, after snaring his first championship ring, Buechler is left pondering his future again. His summer should get quite interesting. "From a free-agent standpoint, I don't know what's going to happen," Buechler said. "There are so many top free agents. Obviously, I'm way down the totem pole in terms of that.

I love Chicago; I really feel at home there. That's going to be my first choice, all the way. I'm looking forward to seeing what they offer me and, hopefully, Tribune file photo by Jim Pnsching 4 Congratulations III Tt airline oman Jud Buechler hopes to grab on to a Bulls contract. The team says the feeling is mutual. I don't have to come in unguaranteed again." His teammates love him, especially Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman.

It goes beyond Buechler's statistics. He averaged 3.8 points and a handful of rebounds in 74 games off the bench, but the 6-foot-6-inch Buechler does the little things: He hits the key three-pointer (he shot 44 from beyond the arc this season), he gets key rebounds, he plays solid defense. He also brings energy off the bench, especially with his high-flying dunks. Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause said the Bulls first noticed Buechler when he was at Arizona. "He's been outstanding all year and he understands what we do," Krause said.

"He has the athleticism to do what we do and he's such a great person." Krause said he tried to sign Buechler during the 1991-92 season when the San Antonio Spurs released him. Buechler, who had a broken wrist at the time, ended up going to the Golden State Warriors. But Krause eventually invited Buechler to camp and Buechler made the team in each of the last two seasons. Krause said that along with signing Bulls coach Phil Jackson, Rodman and Jor- dan, re-signing Buechler is an offseason priority. His teammates hope he sticks around.

"Buch has a lot of things that he does very well," Ron Harper said. "He's a role player with size that comes in and does a fine job for our team." Buechler wants to stay, but Jud Buechler that; tor the last ears, has also been soaring above the heights. Position: Guardforward. Heightweight 6-6220. Bom: June 1 9, 1 968, in San Diego.

High school: Poway, Poway, Calif. College: Arizona. Drafted: Selected by Seattle SuperSonics in first round (38th overall) in 1990. Acquired by Bulls: Signed as free agent Sept. 29, 1 994.

1995-96 regular season: Shot .463 from field and .636 from the line, grabbed 1 1 1 rebounds and had 34 steals in 74 games this season. 1996 playoffs: In his third playoff appearance Played exclusively off the bench. DNP-CDinGame 1 vs. New York Sunday in Game 3 at Seattle scored two points 1 -2 field goals) and one steal in eight minutes. 1996 playoff-high seven points in Game 3 at Miami playoff-high eight points May 5 at Orlando averaged 4.3 ppg.

and 1 1 .3 minutes per game in Round 1 vs. Miami. 3.3 ppg. and 5.3 minutes per game in the Eastern Conference semifinals vs. New York.

4.0 ppg. and 19.8 minutes per game in the Eastern Conference finals vs. Orlando. nnnpr riifFprpnt rirniimctannoQ itrrM a j. i 3 xiic in jl vou vvaa uiuuu.

liv AMERICAN TRANS AIR ON ATA YOU'RE ON VACATION ing Ul a hotel for three months and not knowing what was going to happen," Buechler said. 'This year, I felt I would be here all year. "But still, I was always thinking I could be cut and back home with no job or anything. I've adjusted to that lifestyle of possibly being cut. That's why I work hard.

There's always that fear of being cut That's something that's help me be ready and focused all year.".