Actor/model/rapper Common reminisces about being a Bulls ballboy

With the Bulls holding the top seed in the East and cruising into the second round, all of Chicago has basketball fever. Finally, 13 seasons after Michael Jordan's retirement, The City That Works has a team that can win a championship. It's been an incredibly long wait, especially for a franchise that won six championships in eight seasons. I don't know how it weathered the storm.

It's an exciting team, with all manner of Chicago celebrities reminiscing about days gone by with their favorite franchise. One of those people is actor ("Terminator: Salvation"), model (GAP), and rapper (who even knows anymore) Common, born Lonnie Lynn, Jr. As a young man in the '80s, Common spent time with the Bulls as a ballboy and locker room go-fer. He spoke about the experience (and several other Chicago memories) with TimeOut Chicago:

"When I was 11, till maybe 13 [1983?85 seasons], I was a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls. I came in on a year when they weren't that great, but they had some cool players like Quintin Dailey, Ennis Whatley and Orlando Woolridge. But after a year, a man by the name of Michael Jordan came in. I will never forget seeing Jordan play a song in the locker room during the first exhibition game and the general manager, Rod Thorn, saying to him he can't play music, that's the rule. But after the second exhibition game they told him he could play whatever he wanted because he was that good. Just to be around that kind of transition, and getting to bond [with] and meet Michael Jordan and all those cats, was obviously one of the best experiences you could ever have in life."

Let this be a lesson to every NBA player: If you want control over locker-room music, you should probably be the best player of all time. Hopefully that serves as motivation for all the young hoop stars out there.

Common is a basketball fan and a decent player, as well, as he's shown in several All-Star Celebrity Games and his work in the hit film "Just Wright," in which he plays star point guard Scott McKnight, whose team somehow gets to the conference finals without him as he recovers from a terrible knee injury. If any famous Chicago fan is going to talk about the Bulls, he's the guy you'd most want to hear from.

Wait, except for George Wendt. You should always want to hear from George Wendt.

Patrick Ewing Walt Frazier George Gervin Hal Greer John Havlicek