Bulls fans know the goggles. They know the championship pedigree. Now Horace Grant is inviting them into conversations with the men who shared the court, battled across it, and helped make those years unforgettable.
The four-time NBA champions new Chicago-filmed series, Legends in Session with Horace Grant, brings former teammates, opponents, and coaches together for hourlong conversations about the game and the people behind it. Launched Oct. 24 on Chicago Sports Network, the show opens with a guest who needs little introduction in Chicago: Charles Oakley.
Oakley helped guide Grant through his rookie season with the Bulls in 1987-88 before being traded to the New York Knicks. For fans who remember the physical basketball of that era, the chance to hear those two compare notes is a pretty good reason to keep watching after the final buzzer.
But Grant has more in mind than a trip through the highlight reel. The whole idea behind Legends in Session is to give my former teammates and opponents their flowers while theyre still here to receive them, Grant said in a statement. Weve been blessed to share the court, compete against one another, and be part of some incredible moments in basketball history.
The first-season lineup gives him plenty to work with. Phil Jackson, Toni Kukoc, Bill Cartwright, Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry, Kendall Gill, Harvey Grant, and the late Stacey King are among the guests. Baseball gets a seat at the table, too, with former White Sox slugger Ron Kittle and World Series champion and MVP Jose Rijo. Jacksons episode is scheduled for Nov. 4 following CHSNs Bulls postgame coverage. He and Grant won three championships together in Chicago and a fourth with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kukoc follows Nov. 16, bringing another connection to the Bulls teams that made Chicago required viewing for basketball fans around the world.
The format borrows from the game itself: pregame, tipoff, four quarters, halftime, and postgame. Within that structure, Grant makes room for the relationships, memories, and experiences that a box score could never capture. You know these guys as legends, but there are so many stories you haven't heard, Grant said in the announcement. I wanted to sit down with friends, teammates, and rivals and talk about what it took for them to become legends. You get the big moments, but you also get the personal side. That personal side carries particular weight in his conversation with King.
Stacey taped his episode just about a month before we lost him, and Im so grateful we had that opportunity to sit down, share stories, and celebrate the bond we had, Grant said in his statement. It's a reminder that we cant wait until someone is gone to tell them what they mean to us.
Each episode also includes Grant welcoming his guest into the shows Hall of Legends. Grant and his guests sign memorabilia for charity, with an item auctioned after each episode to benefit the guests chosen organization. A jersey collecting signatures throughout the season will be auctioned during the finale for a cause selected by Grant.
Filmed at Chicagos Urban Grind Studios, the series is executive produced by Wally Lockard III, founder of Urban Grind TV. New episodes are scheduled every other week after the first three installments, with encore presentations in between. Chicago-area viewers can watch through the CHSN app and CHSN.com. For Grant, the point is to make sure the men who helped create those basketball memories know what they mean to one another.
Thats what this series is all about, he said, showing love, giving people their flowers, and celebrating one another while we still have the chance.