Bill Wennington
A towering Canadian center who anchored the paint for the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat, becoming a beloved role player on a global sports dynasty.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Canadian basketball player·Birthday: April 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Montreal, Bill Wennington's basketball journey took him from St. John's University to the world stage, representing Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. His professional career began with stints in Italy and the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, but his legacy was cemented when he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1993. For five seasons, Wennington provided crucial minutes off the bench as a reliable big man with a soft shooting touch, contributing to championship victories in 1996, 1997, and 1998. His intelligent play and team-first attitude made him a perfect fit alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. After retiring, he remained a fixture in Chicago as a radio analyst, his voice and perspective forever linked to the Bulls' era of dominance.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bill was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three consecutive NBA championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls from 1996 to 1998.
- Represented Canada in men's basketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.
- Played a key role on the Canadian team that won gold at the 1983 World University Games.
Did You Know?
He wore jersey number 34 for the Chicago Bulls, a number later worn by another Bulls center, Pau Gasol.
Wennington is one of the few players to have his name engraved on the NBA championship trophy without being a starter.
He co-authored a book about his time with the Bulls titled 'Bill Wennington's Tales from the Bulls Hardwood'.
Before his NBA career, he played professionally for Virtus Roma in the Italian League.
“I was the guy setting the picks so Michael and Scottie could get open.”
