The Chicago Bulls have fired general manager Gar Forman, the team confirmed Monday.
Forman had served in the Bulls organization for 22 years, first joining in 1998 as a scout. He advanced to the position of director of player personnel in 2004 and ultimately GM in 2009.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to work for the Chicago Bulls for more than two decades,” Forman said, via a press release. “There is no better ownership group in professional sports than the Reinsdorfs, and I want to thank Jerry and Michael for their support during my tenure. The Bulls organization will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Forman was named NBA Executive of the Year, along with Miami’s Pat Riley, in 2011. His Bulls made the post-season seven times during his front-office tenure.
“Gar Forman worked tirelessly for the Chicago Bulls organization, first as a scout and then as an executive. He made many significant contributions during his time here and helped to bring some of the brightest young basketball talent to our team, from Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson to Jimmy Butler and Coby White,” said Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, via a release.
“He has been a trusted advisor and friend to me over the years, and on behalf of everyone I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization. Gar will always be a part of our Bulls family.”
The front-office shakeup comes after the organization named Arturas Karnisovas as executive vice president of basketball operations, along with the reported addition of J.J. Polk as assistant general manager.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the list of candidates for the team’s next GM are expected to include assistant GMs from around the league like Denver’s Calvin Booth, Philadelphia’s Marc Eversley, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Mark Hughes and Orlando’s Matt Lloyd.
