The Bulls trainer told Wood he didn’t have to abide by MJ’s wishes.
Michael Jordan was the biggest basketball star during his heyday, with most guys wanting to join him on his quest for NBA championships. And while it was a privilege to be on the same team as “His Airness,” sharing a locker room with the Chicago Bulls legend wasn’t easy.
One player who experienced this firsthand was David Wood. The Nevada product went undrafted but got to play for the Bulls in 1988.
The MJ Experience
During his appearance on Sports Bytes Philippines, the 6’9″ forward talked about his experience with the Bulls that year. That included going through the rookie initiations, the most famous of which was carrying the bags of top veteran stars.
Wood narrated how most vets wanted to make him their rookie. But of all people, he got to be Jordan’s.
“So, on the first road trip, of all people, Michael Jordan goes: ‘Hey, Wood. When we get to the airport, you’re going to carry my bags,” David shared.
At that point, David was wondering if he had to carry the bags of the resident stars. He approached the team trainer and verified if he had to do that.
“I was kind of worried about it, so I talked to the trainer, and I said, ‘Hey, do I have to carry their bags?’ He goes, ‘No, you don’t. In what business does the first-year businessman have to carry a second or third… you don’t have to carry their bags,'” the trainer told Wood.
Having been told that, Wood gained enough courage and knew what to tell MJ on the team bus. The team was set to make its first road trip at the time.
“I said, ‘Excuse me, Mr. Jordan, but someone from the organization told me I don’t have to carry your bags,'” Wood allegedly told Michael.
“What? I am the organization!” Jordan responded.
Wood’s NBA run
David admitted he was blessed to be part of that 1988 Bulls squad. Unfortunately, he played in only two games that season and hardly got the chance to showcase his talent.
Chicago reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced the Detroit Pistons. Despite being confident about beating the “Bad Boys,” they had no answer for their physicality, ultimately losing the series in six games.
Wood spent the next year in Spain before returning to the NBA to play for the Houston Rockets. After another season playing overseas, he joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1992 and spent the next five years bouncing from team to team. Wood retired in 1997 with career averages of 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.