The legendary Bulls announcer was fired after defying the team’s strict rule when Wizards-era Michael Jordan first returned to Chicago.

Ray Clay is a legend in Chicago.

Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are intrinsically linked to the dynastic Chicago Bulls of the 1990s, but Clay was also an ever-present during their six NBA championships.

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Clay was a public address announcer who spent nearly thirteen years with the franchise.

He was also the brains – and voice – behind the iconic Bulls and MJ intros that echoed around United Center amid the Alan Parsons Project instrumental “Sirius.”

Clay’s trademark “Aaaaand now…the starting lineup…for your…Chicago Bulls!” and “Frooom North Carolina…at guard…6ft 6in…Michael Jordan” became synonymous with the Bulls’ championship years and made every pregame introduction must-see TV.

MJ retired for the second time after a second three-peat with the Bulls in 1998.

But in 2001, he announced his decision not to retire and play for the Washington Wizards.

As Jordan’s return to the place he once called home called to him, fans wondered if Clay would herald the franchise legend the same way he always did.

Clay admitted he wasn’t sure at first, but he figured most of those in attendance would want to hear Mike announced in the same iconic way.

“A print reporter asked me how I planned to introduce Michael Jordan when he returned to the United Center,” Clay recalled.

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“I was honest when I said that no one from the organization had spoken to me and told me how they would like me to present it. I said my feeling would be that everyone in the building wanted to hear Michael Jordan introduced as I have introduced him many times before with the full introduction of Michael Jordan.

Clay also reportedly told Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti that he wanted to give his familiar pitch to Jordan, but was ordered by team management to introduce Jordan as he would any other player. opponent.

Jordan returned to the Bulls arena on January 19, 2002 as a member of the Wizards.

The fans greeted him like a hero as he took the field and Clay began introducing him.

SportsCenter later shared footage of the announcement and reported: “As you heard, it was clearly a watered down version of what Clay wanted to do and it was essentially the same introduction he gave to Jordan during those title years with the Bulls.

“Management was reluctant to order him to tone it down, which was the beginning of Clay’s demise.”

Clay was reportedly fired in May 2002.

However, the organization gave no official reason and Clay assumed he was fired due to his disagreement with team management regarding Jordan’s introduction.

Former ESPN analyst Darren Rovell tweeted in 2021: “The Bulls let go of PA announcer Ray Clay, whose familiar voice introduced the Bulls’ lineup for each title year, after the 2002 season, due to what Clay says was an argument over how to introduce MJ to Chicago as a Wizards player.

“Clay wanted his usual intro. The team didn’t do it.”

Luckily for Clay, he got a pretty happy ending after the Philadelphia 76ers invited him to announce Jordan’s final NBA game as a Wizard.

Clay would continue to be closely associated with the city of Chicago, and in 2006 he was hired by the WNBA franchise Chicago Sky to be their announcer.

He retired from Sky games announcing in 2019 after 12 years with the team.