May 21, 2020
Few former Razorbacks have had as fascinating a pro career as Joe Kleine. After all, how did a kid from Slater, Mo., end up playing alongside guys like Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan over the course of a 15-year NBA career? As it turns out, his journey would intersect with Jordan’s multiple times—in the NBA, in the Olympics, and at Arkansas. How he got to Arkansas is a story in and of itself, but once he transferred in, he established himself as one of the best big men in Razorback history. He would go on to win a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, and was the No. 6 pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He would play for seven different teams, but most memorably, he had a front-row seat to “The Last Dance” as a member of the 1998 Chicago Bulls. So what was it like to play with Michael Jordan? How was Scottie Pippen? And what about the always-colorful Dennis Rodman? This is the story of one hell of a ride that led Joe Kleine to the last dance.