"The year MJ retired, we had a pretty good season, winning 55 games" - Horace Grant looks back on leaving Chicago Bulls in 1994

Horace Grant was an integral member of the Chicago Bulls during their first three-peat of the 90s. Grant played seven years with the team that drafted him, averaging 12.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game across 546 appearances. He also made his only All-Star appearance during his stint with Chicago.

However, after hitting free agency in 1995, Grant left the Bulls to join rivals Orlando Magic. Grant wanted a better payday at the time. Joining a young team on the rise featuring Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway seemed a no-brainer for the former Bulls forward.

He reflected on his decision to leave Chicago during a recent AMA session on Reddit (via Fan Nation):

"It was one of the toughest, most difficult decisions I made in my life. After winning 3 championships, the year MJ retired, we had a pretty good season, winning 55 games and taking the Knicks to a Game 7. It was a pretty darn good year.

"I sat down with Scottie, and I said, ‘listen, I’ve got to look out for myself and my family.’ And he understood. We embraced, we talked a little bit more, and I wished him well, and he wished me well. It was tough."

Grant added:

“On the other hand, you look at a team with Shaq, Penny Hardaway... that was a great opportunity for me to go and lend my expertise to a young team with great talent.”

Grant's move turned out well in his first year with the Orlando Magic. He averaged 12.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Grant's contributions helped the team make the NBA Finals that year, which they lost to the Houston Rockets in four games.

Click here to read about Horace Grant's AMA session on Reddit.

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Horace Grant went through Chicago Bulls to make an NBA Finals appearance with Orlando Magic

Horace Grant's most important set of games against his former team, the Chicago Bulls, couldn't have come soon enough. In only his first year since departing the franchise, Grant was up against Michael Jordan and Co. in the 1995 NBA Playoffs.

Grant was a part of the only franchise in NBA history that eliminated a Bulls team in the playoffs with MJ on it. The Orlando Magic defeated the Bulls in six games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final en route to their NBA Finals appearance that season.

Horace Grant spent another four seasons of his career with the Magic. He later played for the Seattle Supersonics, LA Lakers (twice) and Orlando before hanging his boots in 2004. Grant won his fourth and final chip in LA in 2001 after reuniting with former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson.