Bulls After attending UNLV and having a successful college career, Theus was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 9th pick of the 1978 NBA draft. A 6'7" guard, Theus averaged 16.3 points per game during his first season and was the runner-up for the 1979 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He was second on the team in scoring behind Artis Gilmore, a future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. Paired in the backcourt with fellow UNLV alumnus Ricky Sobers, Theus followed his rookie campaign with a sophomore season in which he averaged 20.2 points and 6.3 assists for the 1979-1980 Bulls. He garnered the nickname "Rush Street Reggie" while playing in Chicago for owning an apartment on that street and having an active social life around that area, being frequently spotted at the city night spots. In 1981, Theus appeared in his first All-Star Game as the Bulls were 45-37 and made the 1981 NBA Playoffs . The Bulls won their first round series, defeating the New York Knicks 2 games to 0, with Theus scoring 37 points with 11 assists in the 115-114 Bulls win in the final game. The Bulls faced the Boston Celtics in the next round and were swept 4-0 as the Celtics went on to win the NBA Championship. Theus was the leading scorer in game 3 with 26 points, and he averaged 19.8 points and 6.3 assists over the six playoff games. In 1982-1983, Theus averaged a career high 23.8 points per game as the Bulls leading scorer, but the Bulls finished 28-54 . Newly hired Bulls coach Kevin Loughery decided to bench Theus for the first half of the 1983–1984 season. On February 14, 1984, Theus was traded to the Kansas City Kings for Steve Johnson and three second round draft picks, a move that saddened many Chicago fans who enjoyed Theus' enthusiasm and energy; however, this indirectly freed up a spot for a shooting guard on the Bulls, part of a series of events that eventually led to their drafting of Michael Jordan that off-season. The Bulls finished 27-55. Theus played for five coaches in five and a half seasons in Chicago: Jerry Sloan (1979-1982), Phil Johnson (1982), Rod Thorn (1982), Paul Westhead (1982-1983), and Kevin Loughery (1983-1984) . Theus averaged 18.8 points and 5.6 assists in 441 games in Chicago. Kansas City/Sacramento Kings Theus continued his impressive play