Charles Barkley made a bold claim when he said the Chicago Bulls were better with Horace Grant rather than with Dennis Rodman. Grant was part of the team during their first three-peat and once he left the squad, the Bulls had a void that nobody could fill until Dennis Rodman arrived from the San Antonio Spurs.
Rodman went to win three consecutive titles with the Bulls, too, creating one of the best trios in NBA history with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. However, Barkley, who faced the Bulls in the 1993 Finals, believes the trio of Jordan, Pippen and Grant was better. During a recent conversation with MLB legend Frank Thomas, Chuck had big praise for Grant and the great things he did in Chicago (6:16 mark).
“The Last Dance was really about the Dennis Rodman era, but I feel the team was better when they had Horace Grant because let me tell you something. Michael, Scottie, and Horace Grant are the three best defenders I’ve ever seen on a team in my life.”
Chuck has always made bold claims and hot takes and this is another one. Rodman is considered a key piece in the Bulls’ success during the end of the 90s. Perhaps his personality and everything that he meant for the team and the league outside the court made him more notorious than Grant but that’s not the case for Barkley. He’s convinced Grant was more valuable for the Bulls than Rodman ever was.
