Will Perdue

William Edward Perdue III was born on August 29, 1965. He attended Merritt Island High School in Merritt Island, Florida. For his college basketball career, Perdue played for the Vanderbilt Commodores, where his performance earned him recognition as a third-team All-American in 1988. In the same year, he was also named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and the SEC Male Athlete of the Year, acknowledging his significant contributions to the sport during his collegiate period.

Perdue was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA draft. He spent the initial part of his professional career with the Bulls, a period during which the team secured three NBA championships consecutively from 1991 to 1993. Initially serving as a backup center, Perdue transitioned into a regular starter for the 1994–95 NBA season, where he averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Following this season, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1995. With the Spurs, Perdue earned his fourth NBA championship in 1999, further solidifying his career achievements.

In August 1999, Perdue returned to the Chicago Bulls as a free agent, playing 67 games and starting 15 during the 1999–2000 season, with averages of 2.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. He concluded his 13-year NBA career after playing 13 games with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2000–01 season, where he averaged 1.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Over his entire career, Perdue maintained averages of 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. After retiring from playing, Perdue became a studio analyst for NBC Sports Chicago, providing commentary for Chicago Bulls broadcasts until the channel’s closure in 2024.