Reggie Theus says HE'S the reason Michael Jordan is what he is today ... and he's waiting on Bulls fans to finally respect that -- telling TMZ Sports, "I'm looking for a check actually."
The former NBA star was leaving LAX when he explained to us that if it weren't for him, the '90s Bulls might have never been a thing.
"I take a lot of credit for their success," Reggie says. "Because, if we weren't so bad, they would have never gotten Michael Jordan."
Theus laughs off the comment .