Bill Wennington

From Hoopedia

William (Bill) Percey Wennington (born December 26, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian former National Basketball Association center who won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls: the 1996, 1997 and 1998 teams. He was also a member of two Canadian Olympic Basketball Teams (1984 and 1992) and the 1983 World University Games team that won gold against the USA. Wennington has been inducted into the Quebec Basketball Hall of Fame, Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame and Carey 306 Hall of Fame at St. John's University, in New York City.

Wennington attended Brookville, NY's Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School and St. John's University, playing on one NCAA Final Four team under legendary "St. John's Redmen" basketball coach, Lou Carnesecca. He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, where he played his first several seasons. Before joining the Chicago Bulls, he spent a few notable years in Italy playing for Virtus (Knorr) from Bologna.

In 1995, Chicago Bulls team mate Michael Jordan scored 55 points against the New York Knicks in his first game at Madison Square Garden since his first retirement. However, it was Wennington who scored the game-winning basket for his only two points of the game, leading him to quip, "Michael and I combined for 57 points."

While he was with the Bulls, he became famous around Chicago for a McDonald's sandwich called the Beef Wennington. It's defining characteristic was its Canadian Bacon, Canadian just like Bill Wennington. The sandwhich was so successful that it made him one of Chicago's leading icons during 1997.

Wennington authored the book Tales From The Bulls Hardwood. He now does color commentary for the Bulls on WCKG 105.9FM.