John Paxson joining Bulls Ring of Honor after 4 decades with franchise: 'I'm proud of it. All of it.'

CHICAGO — Moments after offering John Paxson the job of a lifetime, Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf followed up with a warning.

He didn’t actually offer it to Paxson. Reinsdorf had come to Paxson’s home to finalize the details of hiring the former player to succeed Jerry Krause as general manager. Paxson’s then-teenaged sons, Ryan and Drew, were the sole witnesses to the deliberations as the pair talked through the future of the franchise — and it was to the boys that Reinsdorf turned to deliver a cryptic quip.

“You know, your dad’s always been liked by the fans,” Reinsdorf said with a wry grin. “He’s not going to be liked so much anymore.”

Two decades later, Paxson sometimes wonders what Reinsdorf knew when he issued that first word of caution.

His tenure with the Bulls encapsulates the best years of the franchise — winning three championships in the first round of Michael Jordan’s dominance, drafting Derrick Rose and watching the hometown star carry his team to the Eastern Conference finals. But there were hard times too. Those memories can be tougher to shake.

Still, as he prepares to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Saturday at the United Center, Paxson feels assured in the personal dedication that fueled his 40-year tenure as a player, assistant coach, broadcaster, executive and adviser for the Bulls.

“There’s so much truth in it — but you know, it’s OK,” Paxson told the Chicago Tribune. “I’m glad I didn’t take the easy way. I put my neck out there and tried to do what was best for the Bulls. I’m proud of it. All of it.”

Paxson will be inducted at halftime of the Bulls-Washington Wizards game along with Johnny Bach, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Neil Funk and Norm Van Lier. Bach and Van Lier are being induced posthumously.

Forty years ago, Paxson joined the Bulls at a distinct moment of transition. He signed as a free agent in October 1985, less than a year after Reinsdorf bought the team and several weeks into Michael Jordan’s second season in Chicago.

Chicago never felt like a guarantee for Paxson. The Bulls didn’t even have a roster spot available for him during summer free agency. He didn’t join the team until a week into the season — notably, on the same day Jordan broke his foot, causing him to greet the young star as a teammate for the first time as they passed in the lobby of the team hotel the morning after the injury.

Over the next nine seasons, Paxson felt it was always a battle to defend his place on the Bulls roster. He had to make sacrifices to operate in Phil Jackson’s grueling guard system, embracing roles as both a starter and a rotational player on championship rosters.

Paxson’s career pivoted in the fall of 1985, when the guard put his trust in then-general manager Jerry Krause’s vision for his role with the Bulls.

“I look back on that decision and where I am today 40 years later,” Paxson said. “If I had gone to Phoenix or Atlanta, none of this would have happened. I just feel so fortunate, so blessed that I’ve been a part of this thing.”

Paxson never sought a life outside of basketball — or outside of Chicago.

After retirement, he took a role on Jackson’s staff as an assistant coach but lasted only one season. He didn’t feel cut out for coaching — “I’m not a real patient guy,” Paxson said with a laugh — and missed his family desperately during the long hours in the office and on the road. But a year spent learning basketball under Jackson, Tex Winter and Bach built a foundation of appreciation for basketball that would ultimately support the rest of his career.

More than once, Paxson asked Reinsdorf why he was the one selected to start the next chapter of Bulls basketball after Krause. Reinsdorf always gave a simple reply. He had been interviewing Paxson for the position for years without his knowledge. And without his knowledge, Paxson had passed every test.

In his first season as GM, Paxson had no idea where to start. He leaned heavily on colleagues and mentors to wade through the trials of taking over the team — navigating difficult trades, parting ways with close friend Bill Cartwright as head coach.

But in his second season, Paxson felt he struck on something special. The Bulls acquired Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon and Luol Deng (via trade) on draft night, then signed Andrés Nocioni. After years of losing rosters, the executive was fixated on creating a tougher identity for the Bulls.

They lost the first nine games of the season, but that roster was undeterred. Despite the disastrous start, the 2004-05 team won 47 games and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, breaking a six-year playoff drought that had dated to Jordan’s last season with the team.

That wasn’t the most successful season of Paxson’s tenure — that came in 2010-11, when the Bulls won 62 games on the way to a conference finals run. But when he reflects on his career, Paxson still feels that season captured his vision for building the future of the franchise.

“Something clicked with that group,” Paxson said. “They played hard all the time. Sitting there watching that group, to me it validated how I wanted to see a team built. We all understand that you need great players to win at the highest level in this business. We all want that. But to put a team out in our city that was that competitive and tough? That was worth something too.”

Paxson doesn’t shy away from the less glamorous moments of his 17-year tenure as a top executive for the Bulls. He still lingers on his decision to draft Tyrus Thomas over future seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge in 2006. While Paxson acknowledges that was a miss — “That one was on me” — he also tries not to dwell on past decisions.

The existence of any executive, Paxson said, can easily become tangled up in unanswerable questions: If the Bulls had drafted Aldridge, would they have landed the No. 1 pick to draft Rose the following year? Were the rosters Paxson constructed around Rose strong enough to make it to the NBA Finals if he wasn’t injured?

But mistakes and missteps are inevitable in this industry. For Paxson, success is defined only by the consistency of how an executive shows up to lead the franchise.

“It’s so hard and there’s so many unknowns,” Paxson said. “You’re going to have hits and misses. But you’ve got to have a belief system. If you’re just throwing darts at the wall on talent all the time — some people have success, but I just couldn’t do it that way.”

Longevity is a rarity in the NBA. Players get traded. Coaches and executives get fired. Success is tenuous and failure is quickly punished. This isn’t a league or an industry that often rewards loyalty. In this landscape, Paxson’s 40 years with the Bulls stand out as a rarity.

And even now, Paxson’s relationship to the team is informed by his years as a player. Time passes. Rosters change. People too. But for Paxson, the Bulls are still that same team he fell in love with as a young point guard trying to carve out a place in the league.

“You invest so much,” Paxson said. “You invest your body as a player, you invest your time and your soul. I fell in love with the organization and the team. That Bulls jersey, it means a lot to me. When I see guys putting that on, to me it reflects something that I’ve known for 40 years. I don’t want anyone to take that for granted.”