Sam Smith is a writer for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the author of multiple books, including The New York Times bestseller, The Jordan Rules. Smith started his career at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel in Indiana, but quickly decided that if he wanted to write about politics he needed to be in Washington, D.C. So in 1976 he moved to D.C. and worked for the States News Service, eventually becoming press secretary to U.S. Senator from Connecticut, Lowell Weicker. He left Weicker’s staff in November 1979 to join the Chicago Tribune. Smith started at the Tribune as a political and general assignment writer, but moved to sports full-time in 1983 and started covering the Bulls full-time in 1987. He prides himself on having personally seen Jordan play more than just about anyone on the planet. As a result of his long and storied career writing for the Bulls, Smith received the lifetime achievement award from the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.