John Paxson tried to quit once before. As the Bulls were stumbling through the 2008-2009 season, one led by rookie point guard Derrick Rose and rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro, rumors swirled around the team that Paxson’s resignation was imminent.
At that point, Paxson had been the Bulls’ general manager for six seasons, leading Chicago out of the dark ages following Michael Jordan’s second retirement but consistently failing to trade for a superstar to take his rebuild to the next level. Paxson’s Bulls had flatlined, going from 49 wins to 49 losses the season prior, one that ultimately ended with the team winning the lottery for Rose.