The NCAA Tournament may be long over, but Sister Jean Mania continues in the city of Chicago.
During his exit interview on Thursday, Chicago Bulls executive vice president John Paxson responded to a suggestion from Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that Sister Jean represent the team at the NBA Draft lottery in June. Paxson replied that the Bulls actually asked if she could, but it was against the rules.
Me: Have you decided who'll rep the team at the lottery?
Pax: We have not. Do you have a suggestion.
Me: Yeah. Sister Jean.
Pax: Funny. We asked. It's against the rules.#Bulls #BullsNation
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) April 12, 2018
The reason? The representative must be affiliated with the organization.
Must be representative of the organization.
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) April 12, 2018
The 98-year-old Sister Jean, Loyola Chicago’s team chaplain, became an international hit this past month during the Ramblers’ Cinderella run to the Final Four. While she may not be able to serve as the Bulls’ good luck charm and intercede for the ping pong balls to bounce in their favor, her newfound fame has earned her plenty of other opportunities in the pro basketball realm.
