CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 10: Coby White #0 of the Chicago Bulls passes around Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center on March 10, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 108-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls made a splash when they hired Marc Eversley as their new general manager.
“Becoming a General Manger in the NBA and joining the Chicago Bulls family is a dream come true,” Eversley said in a released statement earlier this month.
“I’m grateful to be working with someone like Arturas who shares my level of passion and commitment to winning basketball, and having both come from successful programs, we will put in the work and all it entails to become a sustainable and winning team. I want to thank Arturas, as well as Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf, for trusting in my leadership abilities to move this iconic franchise forward.”
With the hire, Eversley became the first Canadian-trained basketball player to become an NBA general manager, the first NBA general manager from the Greater Toronto Area and the first black person to be general manager of the Chicago Bulls.
LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 17: Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors (L) and Marc Eversley, the Raptors’ Director of Basketball Operations, attend the NBA All-Star Weekend Party hosted by GQ Magazine and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in the VBar at the Venetian Hotel on February 17, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Spatafore/Getty Images for GQ)
Million Dollar Question: What’s he like?
“He texted me not too long ago,” Bulls guard, Coby White told me during a Zenni Blockz Blue Light Glasses round table discussion with Bulls teammate, Ryan Arcidiacono before ‘The Last Dance’ Finale on Sunday evening.
“About a couple of weeks ago; just introducing himself, I introduced myself to him and I just got great vibes from him.”
Before the coronavirus pandemic halted play throughtout the NBA, the Bulls grasped a 22-43 record.
Led by Zach LaVine who averages 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per contest, the Bulls sit in third place in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division and in eleventh place overall in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings.
Coby White is averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game while also shooting 35.4% from downtown. On Sunday, White tells me that his new GM is ready to get started. “He just said he couldn’t wait to get to work,” White said of their text message exchange.
“You know, once this is all over he’s ready to get to work. That’s how I move. I’m the same way. I can’t wait to get back to Chicago and continue to grind.”
Before his new digs in the Windy City, Marc Eversley spent 14 years working in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
Before his time in the NBA, Eversley spent five years at Nike’s world headquarters in Oregon as its NBA Player Relationship Manager, which advanced his development in managing relationships with athletes, along with team and athlete brand management. He began in retail, managing Nike-owned stores in Ontario, before moving to Nike Canada’s corporate office where he oversaw the basketball assets. Eversley worked for six years with Nike Canada before moving to Oregon.