From having no plans on playing sports, to sharing the court with the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing, among others. On Monday, Seattle U confirmed the passing of their alum, Jawann Oldham, 68. He unknowingly played a massive role in the Chicago Bulls dynasty in the 90s. And after spending a decade in the league, he truly became an ambassador of the game and ran basketball academies across the globe.

“Seattle University Athletics mourns the passing of Jawaan Oldham, one of the most accomplished players in our men’s basketball history,” the school said in a statement Tuesday. “We extend our deepest condolences to Jawaan’s family, friends, teammates and all who were touched by his life. He will forever be a part of the Seattle University Athletics family.”

The University previously even inducted him into the school’s Hall of Fame for his dedication to the program. Despite scholarship offers from Louisville and Washington State, Oldham stayed home and played four years (1976-80) at Seattle U. He ranks second on the all-time rebounding list (965) behind Elgin Baylor and is 10th among career scorers (1,530 points). His efficiency in college was talked about as he averaged 14.8 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 52.4% on field goals in 102 games.

In 1980, the Denver Nuggets selected Oldham with the 18th pick in the second round (41st overall) of the NBA draft, which began a journeyman career in which he played for eight teams in the next decade (Denver, Houston, Chicago, New York Knicks, Sacramento, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, and Indiana). His efficiency continued despite limited starts.

Oldham averaged 4.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks while starting 69 of 329 games. He shot 47.9% from the field, 60.7% on free throws, and finished his career without attempting a three-pointer. It was his second and final season with the Bulls alongside Michael Jordan, where he achieved his career high. During the 1985-86 season, Oldham averaged a career-high in points (7.4) and rebounds (5.9) while ranking sixth in the league with 2.6 blocks per game. After that season, he grew discontent with his role on the team, and demanded a trade.

The Bulls traded him to the Knicks in 1987 for the No.8 pick in the 1987 Draft. The franchise was not high on the draft class, and they were just looking for a scorer to complement MJ. Enter Scottie Pippen.

Bulls GM Jerry Krause became so enamored by Pippen that he made it his priority to draft him. But he knew he wouldn’t last till the No.8 pick, so he made a deal with the Seattle Supersonics. The Supersonics agreed to take Pippen at No. 5 and swap him to the Bulls for No. 8, which would be used for the 6’11 Olden Polynice and a future second-round draft pick going to Seattle. Then, with their own pick (No.10), the Bulls selected Horace Grant. And that was the start of a dynasty. That’s how Oldham played a role in the Pippen landing in the Windy City.

After 10 years in the league, Oldham had other significant plans to contribute to basketball. In fact, he even lived most of the last 20 years in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where he ran basketball academies. That’s not all; the former Bulls player was also a pioneer in helping start the basketball leagues in Korea, China, and Japan.

Jawann Oldham began by building his own court, literally, just near the Shangri-La Hotel, off Sheikh Zayed Road, at the Canadian School. “I got a job as the school athletic director, took a hammer and went into what was the gym hall and cleaned it out and then built it up again from scratch,” Jawann said in 2014. Even though the media coverage remained limited, he never changed his course. It was very similar to his NBA career when he decided to cut ties with the Bulls.

Michael Jordan’s reaction to Jawann Oldham’s trade

Oldham languished off the bench with Denver and Houston before the Bulls signed him as a free agent before the 1983-84 season. Things didn’t change much during his tenure in Chicago. He was frustrated at being the bench cover for centers like Corzine, Steve Johnson, and Wallace Bryant. Oldham eased ahead of Corzine in 1985-86 after Jordan was injured and had his best season as a Bull. But that was the end of the tenure.

He signed a six-year, $1.92 million offer sheet from the Knicks on Sept. 25 and then expressed his displeasure when Chicago matched the offer by refusing to report for several days. When he finally did join the Bulls, he made no secret of his desire to leave, according to Michael Jordan.

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“Well, Jawann was ready to leave. He and the front office didn’t get along well, and sometimes that affects you mentally. So he really couldn’t get into the season or get with our team mentally. So, I think it helped him out a whole lot.” The then 29-year-old Oldham moved to New York, but even that move didn’t pan out well.

For the Knicks, he was playing behind Ewing, Cartwright, and even Pat Cummings, so he requested a trade. “I’m tired of being the fourth man on the totem pole. It’s like stacking three aircraft carriers in the harbor. I had a lot of fun running (in an open style game) with Michael Jordan and Orlando Woolridge.” Oldham then moved to the Kings, Magic, Lakers, and the Pacers before a professional goodbye with the CBA Chicago Rockers. Post this, he moved across the globe to create more opportunities and connect with other basketball enthusiasts.