1990s baseball fans are getting an unexpected treat from the NBA this week.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Chicago Bulls are signing free agent big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. Charania adds that Lofton is getting a one-year deal and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp.
The news about Lofton, also sometimes known as “Kenny Lofton Jr.” led to everybody making the same joke on social media — that Chicago had landed another Kenny Lofton.
Things got good the last time a Chicago team brought in Kenny Lofton.
— Mike Blair (@MikeBlair78) August 16, 2024
Chicago is a fan of Kenny Lofton's
— Jimmy Trufant (@JimmyTrufant) August 16, 2024
Chicago got another Kenny Lofton. https://t.co/Knl8ehyIaN
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) August 16, 2024
https://t.co/LAC70NG22u pic.twitter.com/qIwkcpXymz
— Taco Trey Kerby (@treykerby) August 16, 2024
Kenny Lofton was a six-time MLB All-Star outfielder (and four-time Gold Glover) who played for both the Chicago White Sox (in 2002) and Chicago Cubs (2003). That Lofton peaked on the then-Cleveland Indians in the ’90s and was a bit past his prime by the time he got to Chicago. But this week’s news about the Bulls still made for a nice nod to the past regardless.
Lofton Jr., 22, is not actually related to the baseball-playing Lofton. But he is a strong low-post scorer at just 6-foot-7 who averaged 25.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the NBA G League last season. Now Lofton Jr. will try to increase the historical value of Loftons in Chicago.
