John Paxson
The steady-handed guard whose clutch shooting sealed a championship for Michael Jordan's Bulls, then helped build their next era as an executive.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
John Paxson's story is one of quiet competence flourishing in the shadow of giants. The son of a college basketball star, he honed a fundamentally sound game at Notre Dame before entering the NBA. As the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls' first three-peat dynasty, Paxson was the essential complementary piece—a reliable outside shooter and smart defender who never demanded the spotlight. His moment of immortality came in the 1993 NBA Finals, when he coolly sank a championship-winning jumper. After retirement, he transitioned seamlessly to the front office, first as general manager and then as an executive, playing a pivotal role in constructing the roster that would bring a new generation of success to Chicago in the 2010s.
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.
John was born in 1960, 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 John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
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
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit the game-winning three-pointer in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals to clinch the Chicago Bulls' third consecutive championship.
- Won three NBA championships as the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993.
- Served as General Manager of the Chicago Bulls from 2003 to 2009, overseeing the team's rebuild that led to the Derrick Rose era.
Did You Know?
His brother, Jim Paxson, was also an NBA All-Star, and their father, Jim Sr., played in the NBA as well.
He shot an impressive 48.6% from the field over his 11-year NBA career, unusually high for a guard.
Paxson was known for his meticulous preparation, often studying game film long after his teammates had left the arena.
“The shot went up, and I was just hoping it would go in.”
