CHICAGO — It’s been more than 41 years since Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made it clear there would be no tanking involved in the 1985-86 season.

“That’s losing, and I don’t like losing on purpose,” Reinsdorf said in December 1985. “I don’t ever want to be party to losing on purpose. Losing breeds losing, and pretty soon you’re losing respect for yourself.”

Times change, and after going nowhere once again in 2026, the Bulls decided to go the tanking route in February for a shot at a better draft pick next summer, trading their few real assets for a collection of journeymen and former top prospects who never panned out, including social media ranter Jaden Ivey.

But even someone as patient as Reinsdorf couldn’t stomach watching this Bulls team, and apparently neither could his son, president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf. After the Ivey debacle and a series of drubbings, Michael finally pulled the trigger Monday and fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and his stealthy sidekick, general manager Marc Eversley.

In a statement, Michael Reinsdorf declared he wanted fans to know, “I hear you and understand your frustration. I feel it as well. I know this will take time and I am fully committed to getting this right.”

Notice he left out his pops, the guy who gave him the keys to a team and told him not to crash it.

If that “I understand your frustration” mantra sounds familiar, that’s because his dad basically said the same thing to White Sox fans in the summer of 2024 when he promoted Chris Getz to general manager shortly after firing another executive duo, vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn.

“If I were a fan, I’d be pissed, I’d be angry,” Jerry said of the Sox.

At least they’re consistent. Like father, like son.

So we’ve finally established that the Reinsdorfs can actually hear what Chicago fans are saying about their two professional teams and the shoddy management decisions that got them into their current predicament. (It should be noted that one of those bad decisions was Jerry’s insistence that Tony La Russa become manager in 2021, which both Williams and Hahn were firmly against.)

What we’re still trying to find out is whether Michael will be able to hire the right person to do something about the Bulls’ mess after being convinced that A.K. was the perfect choice.

Karnišovas turned out to be an epic swing-and-miss from the nepo executive, not only for his bad decision-making and single playoff season that ended in the first round, but also for his nonexistent communication skills. It’s mind-boggling that the Bulls would waive Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team” without the bosses saying a single word about it, forcing coach Billy Donovan to be the spokesperson for the organization once again. It was the right call, but the unwillingness to explain the decision to Bulls fans was downright arrogant.

A leader takes the heat and moves on. Karnišovas hid in the kitchen with oven mitts on both hands.

As for Eversley, we still aren’t sure what he did. Never has a GM in Chicago been so invisible to fans and the media alike. Jed Hoyer used to joke that he was a “potted plant” as Cubs GM when president Theo Epstein was on stage with him, but at least Hoyer presented the team’s outlook at times and took blame for his own mistakes, including the decision to non-tender Kyle Schwarber after becoming president.

What was Eversley’s role, other than having a nice title for his resume?

As much as Michael wants to prove he’s his own man, he’s almost a carbon copy of his father when it comes to loyalty to his people. Only when the franchise has hit rock bottom do they finally throw up their hands and make a decision, and then preface the firings by saying what great people they were. Jerry said Williams was “like a son” to him. Michael said Karnišovas and Eversley “led with deep commitment” to the organization.

Like his dad, he’s also reluctant to speak to the media on the record. Instead of a statement, he should be out front talking about what went wrong and how he will fix things.

So now we’ll wait and see whether Michael will conduct a speed-dating search for the next vice president of basketball operations, as Jerry did after replacing Hahn with Getz to allegedly speed up the process of winning again.

How has that worked out?

Getz certainly deserves an opportunity to prove he was the right man for the job, though the Sox made only incremental improvements in 2025 from being one of the worst teams in baseball history. Getz is hamstrung by a lack of resources from Reinsdorf, so it’s not entirely his fault that the rebuild is moving along slowly. This year will tell a lot.

He did make the biggest Sox trade in years when he began his job, and we’ll have to wait a little longer to see whether outfield prospect Braden Montgomery and catcher Kyle Teel, the keys to a four-player deal with Boston for All-Star Garrett Crochet, become future All-Stars themselves.

Teel is currently on the IL after a promising rookie season, and Montgomery is still at Double-A Birmingham, hoping for a call-up in 2026. There are no can’t-miss prospects to watch in the Sox system, and everyone is simply waiting for the arrival of UCLA star shortstop Roch Cholowsky, whom the Sox are expected to select with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Whoever Michael picks as the next Bulls’ boss will be in a similar situation as Getz, with nothing much on the roster to work with other than Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. The tank job from the trades of Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White and Nikola Vučević came too late to ensure a high draft pick this year, and no prominent free agent is going to tell his agent to get him to Chicago.

So it could be another long rebuild, just like the one on the South Side.

But at least the Reinsdorfs have admitted a mistake was made and it’s time to move on.

The first step is always the hardest.

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