The happy story of Alfonzo McKinnie

Seems like I was always lamenting to bartenders about good players the Bulls let get away. [READER]( I want to end what’s been a pretty crummy year by telling you the happy story of Alfonzo McKinnie. So here we go . . . Alfonzo McKinnie is from Chicago. He grew up on the west side. Graduated from Marshall High School—class of 2010. McKinnie was not a high school star—only averaged about 11 points in his senior year. The newspapers didn’t write about him. The top college teams didn’t recruit him. He went to Eastern Illinois. Transferred to Wisconsin-Green Bay. Tore his meniscus in his senior year. So, the pros also overlooked him. Undrafted by the NBA, he took another route. He played in a Mexican professional league. Then he got signed to play for the Bulls minor league team. This was in 2016, when the Bulls were mediocre. I remember thinking—this guy is good. A hometown guy. Sign him, Bulls, sign him. But, no. They let him get away. He signed with the Toronto Raptors—who waived him. In 2018, the Golden State Warriors signed him right before they played the Bulls. He killed the Bulls in that game. Scored a bunch of points. The Bulls got slaughtered. What else is new? The Warriors are always slaughtering the Bulls. I told the bartender in the bar where I watched the game—McKinnie used to play for the Bulls. They shoulda signed him. Why, oh, why didn’t they sign him? He played for the Warriors in the 2019 finals against the Raptors. Did a good job. I remember telling a bartender—maybe the same one—this guy used to play for the Bulls. Seems like I was always lamenting to bartenders about good players the Bulls let get away. Sort of like a guy who tells the bartender about his romantic woes. I thought for sure he’d sign a long-term contract with the Warriors. But no, they waive him. Wound up with Cleveland. Who traded him to the Lakers. Who cut him. He might have quit from all the disappointment. I know I would have been tempted to quit. But, instead, he returned to a minor league team in Mexico City. Which is where he was last week when the Bulls—finally—came calling. Ten Bulls had come down with COVID. They didn't have enough healthy players to fill a roster. In desperation, they turned to McKinnie, the guy they should have signed years ago. And on Monday he scored 16 points as the Bulls beat the Rockets. I watched the game at my daughter’s house. I was jumping up and down and telling everyone in the room—I told you they should have signed him. After the game McKinnie told reporters . . . “Man, to be honest, it’s the biggest dream come true. I’m a west-side kid. I grew up like ten, 15 minutes down the way. Watched the Bulls growing up. So just being able to compete on the highest stage in my hometown, on my favorite side of the city, the west side, it’s been surreal to be honest. Just putting that jersey on has been everything for me.” So there you go, folks. No disrespect to the Bulls players who got COVID, but thanks to the pandemic, Alfonzo McKinnie, the kid from the west side, got his chance with the Bulls. Finally! May he be an inspiration for all of us. And may his story be a positive omen for 2022. And, please, Bulls, please—don’t mess this up and let him get away. Again . . . [Veera Hiranandani’s novel]( How to Find What You’re Not Looking For. I don’t read a lot of YA books, but this one was captivating. A coming-of-age book set in the 60s [Ben Joravsky]( on why2021 is the year of the mogul [Charles Ellison]( on John Coltrane [Miles Kampf-Lassin]( on the learned helplessness of Democrats [Sergio Vicente]( on Logan and Jake Paul [The Ben Joravsky Show]( [Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show]( To continue bringing you the stories and perspectives of the community and neighbors that matter, we need your help. [Your investment in the future of independent media is an investment in the future of our city.]( [DONATE TODAY!]( We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. We’ve pulled some of our most read stories of 2021 to highlight as we wrap up this year of the beloved Daily Reader newsletter! [“I’ve always considered myself an outsider"]( Bobcat Goldthwait talks new doc, Joy Ride, ahead of Music Box screening. by [Matthew Sigur]( [Issue of Dec 23, 2021 - Jan 5, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2021 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616