Horace Grant’s wife at the time was pregnant and needed to go to the doctor. But accompanying her there would require missing a practice, so he called then-Bulls assistant Johnny Bach.
Grant remembered telling Bach he would have to miss practice, and Bach was incredulous. Missing practice wasn’t an option on a Bulls team striving to win a championship.
‘‘He was like, ‘No, son, put her in a cab,’ ’’ Grant recounted Friday to the Sun-Times. ‘‘That’s the understanding I had of coach Bach’s mentality. . . . [It was about] getting the job done. You come [to practice] and you work hard and you get the job done. There were no excuses with him.’’
Bach will be inducted Saturday in the second class of the Bulls’ Ring of Honor, alongside Grant, Bill Cartwright, Neil Funk, John Paxson and Norm Van Lier. Bach was an assistant with the Bulls in 1986-94 and rejoined them in 2003. He was known as one of the smartest basketball minds in the industry and was instrumental in the Bulls’ first three-peat (1991-93).
When discussing the Bulls’ championship era, Michael Jordan is the first name mentioned, followed by Scottie Pippen. Among the coaches, it’s Phil Jackson followed by assistant Tex Winter, the architect of the Bulls’ famed triangle offense.
Bach, who died in 2016 at 91, was a somewhat under-the-radar member of those title-winning teams, but he was the head of the Bulls’ defense, which engulfed opponents with its length and athleticism.
The Bulls’ relentless defensive mentality stemmed from Bach’s personality and coaching style. He served in World War II and incorporated many of the principles he learned in the Army into his coaching philosophy.
‘‘He instilled into MJ, Scottie, myself and Cartwright that when you’re in the foxhole, you’ve got to have your guys’ back,’’ Grant said.
And though Bach could be stern in his approach, he genuinely appreciated and cared for the players. He took pride in teaching them.
‘‘He knew what he was looking for,’’ former Bulls assistant Jim Cleamons told the Sun-Times. ‘‘He was a very thorough and detailed person, and that carried over into his professional life as being a very good teacher and someone who loved to explore basketball. I think he enjoyed the success that we had.’’
Grant said there was no way the Bulls would have succeeded without Bach’s guidance. But it was outside basketball that Grant and Bach’s relationship truly developed. Bach was the best man at Grant’s wedding, and the two continued to keep in touch long after their time with the Bulls.
‘‘It means the world to me,’’ Grant said of Bach being recognized by the organization. ‘‘It absolutely means the world to me that we as a Bulls family did not forget what he did for the organization.’’
Injury updates
Guard Coby White missed the game against the Heat as he continues to work his way back from a strained calf. Head coach Billy Donovan said he likely will play Saturday against the Wizards.
Guard Tre Jones (ankle impingement) returned on a minutes restriction.
Essengue assigned to G League
The Bulls assigned rookie forward Noa Essengue, their first-round pick in the draft in June, to the Windy City Bulls of the G League. It’s part of their plan to get him as many live reps as possible.