Dennis Rodman, Tex Winter, Artis Gilmore gain Hall of Fame

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Monday was the Bulls’ greatest Hall of Fame day to date.

Former Bulls assistant coach Tex Winter and former players Dennis Rodman and Artis Gilmore were among the 10 members of the Class of 2011 who will be inducted during enshrinement ceremonies Aug. 11-13 in Springfield, Mass.

In the last three years, six former Bulls coaches and players have been honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Michael Jordan and Jerry Sloan were inducted in 2009. Scottie Pippen was inducted in 2010. Previously, Phil Jackson, who led the Bulls to six championships, was inducted as a coach, and Nate Thurmond, George Gervin and Robert Parish were inducted as players.

“It’s wonderful for the Bulls organization,” Bulls operations chief John Paxson said. “It says something about the people who preceded all of us.”

It also encourages the current team that has been playing the Bulls’ best basketball since the 1998 championship. Guard Derrick Rose also shows early Hall of Fame potential. He is the MVP front-runner after leading the Bulls (56-20) to the top of the Eastern Conference with the second-best record in the NBA.

Rodman was Noah’s hero

“It makes me that much prouder to wear a Bulls uniform,” center Joakim Noah said. “Dennis Rodman was my hero growing up, and coach Winter is a living legend.”

Reserve center Kurt Thomas, 38, the second-oldest player in the league, sees a broader perspective.

“It shows that this franchise has a rich legacy,” Thomas said. “It has been operating at high efficiency on and off the court for years.”

Other members of the 2011 class are Dream Team guard Chris Mullin, Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards, European and NBA star Arvydas Sabonis, all-time NCAA coaching wins leader Herb Magee, eight-time NBA champion forward Tom “Satch” Sanders and the late Reece “Goose” Tatum of the Harlem Globetrotters.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011 is a true global representation of the game of basketball,” Hall chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “These distinguished players and coaches . . . motivated, taught and inspired future generations to succeed both on and off the court.”

Phil on Tex: What took so long?

Jackson, who coaches the Los Angeles Lakers and used Winter’s triple-post offense to win an NBA-record 11 titles, was especially glad for Winter, who retired from coaching after suffering a serious stroke two years ago. But he was also critical.

“When Tex was verbally and cognizantly capable of receiving this award, I would have been much happier,” Jackson said. ‘‘The fact now that he’s had a stroke that’s impaired his capabilities, it kind of irritates me a little bit that this wasn’t done 10 years ago when he was still serving basketball in such a great capacity.”

Paxson called Winter “the ultimate teacher of basketball. I firmly believe this is a lost art because we don’t have the teachers we once had. Tex always approached practice like it was a classroom [where] he gave his knowledge and wisdom to you as a player. . . . He had a brilliant mind.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau agreed.

“[Tex] had great communications skills, great leadership skills and great teaching skills,” Thibodeau said. “He had it all.”

Meanwhile, for all his notorious and uproarious off-court antics, Rodman also is respected for more than five NBA championships, seven rebounding titles and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

“When Dennis came here, we were surprised at how smart of an offensive player he was,” Paxson said. “He never had great skill of being a shooter. But he understood what the triangle offense was all about. He understood the reads he had to make when he caught the ball in the post.”

As for Gilmore, whom Paxson called a “gentle giant”?

“Artis was one of the strongest guys I ever played against,” Bulls assistant coach Ed Pinckney said. “He almost broke my arm in two one time when I tried to block his dunk.”