Chicago Bulls are an American professional team based in Chicago. The history of the Bulls is one of the most captivating in the whole NBA. From being overlooked and forgotten, they became legendary only to fall into oblivion again. We hope that their story is yet to be fully written.
How It All Started
Before the Bulls, there were Stags and Zephyrs, but they were shut down or relocated, respectively. Chicago wasn’t considered the “Mecca of basketball” at that time. Furthermore, the whole NBA had its crises in popularity. The 50s and the 60s were dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Citizens of other towns just gave up on rooting for their favorite team since they knew they weren’t going to win anyway.
The Chicago Bulls were established in 1966 with Dick Klein as an owner and were allowed to draft players from already existing teams, as a part of the NBA Expansion Draft. At first, they were playing their home games at the International Amphitheatre but they moved to the Chicago Stadium.
Upon the emergence of the new franchise, the team was achieving small successes with Guy Rodgers, Jerry Sloan, and Bob Boozer, even qualifying to the playoffs in their debut year. Unfortunately, after four seasons, people started to turn their back on basketball. One day, the game was only attended by 891 fans, which was an incredible low.
The officials had to take immediate action and they revamped the team by hiring Pat Williams as their general manager, Dick Motta as their head coach, and acquiring a new small forward, Chet Walker. The efforts turned a profit as the attendance grew to 10 thousand fans per game.
The Wirtz Family
After several playoff appearances and even having a 50 win season, the Bulls were sold to the Wirtz Family, who weren’t interested in basketball and neglected the team. With budgets cut short, the team couldn’t advance on the court and outside of it. The family was considering moving the team outside of Chicago, but after the 1984-83 season, someone gave a glimmer of hope for the Chicago citizens.
The Michael Jordan Era
It’s safe to bet that the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers managers have cried in their pillows every day since 1984 when they didn’t pick Michael Jordan. As a 3rd overall draft pick, Jordan joined the dying franchise as the last chance to bring basketball back to Chicago.
God Disguised as Michael Jordan
Fast, strong, smooth, and incredibly talented, Michael Jordan was a star from the beginning. Jerry Reindsford and Jerry Krause made an executive decision to take a leap of faith and put everything on Michael Jordan’s broad shoulders. The result was sensational as Jordan earned the Rookie of the Year Title.
The Bulls went to the playoffs, where Jordan made 63 points in Game 2 and made the seasoned players appreciate him. Larry Bird famously said that it was “God disguised as Michael Jordan” when he commented on Jordan’s crazy playoff performance. The Bulls were out of the playoffs, but Michael was in the hearts of the public.
Building the Dynasty
In the 1986-87 season, history repeated itself, as the Bulls were swept by the Celtics in the playoffs. For the next season, the team had to be made stronger. NBA draft pick, Olden Polynice was traded for Scottie Pippen. As a rookie, Pippen was on and off the bench, but it was clear that they make a great duo with Michael. Bulls went on as far as the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they encountered a roadblock, Detroit Pistons. 1988 is marking the start of the Bulls and Pistons violent rivalry and is also the year when Michael became MVP for the first time.
During the offseason, Charles Oakley was traded to the New York Knicks. The new roster consisted of Jordan, Pippen, Grant, Paxson, and Cartwright. The team had a rough start but the markings of greatness became more visible as the season progressed. In the Eastern Conference Finals Bulls met up with defending champions, Pistons, again. And they lost again, this time, in six games, 4-2.
A New Head Coach
For the 1989-90 season, there were major changes implemented, making Phil Jackson a head coach instead of the assistant. Under his guidance, the team used the triangle offense strategy, which led Michael to have the fourth consecutive scoring title. He was joined as an All-Star by Pippen, who made his first All-Star appearance.
The Bulls lost to the Pistons in seven games which was still a great accomplishment because the Pistons were infamously violent and every game against them was an extreme risk of injury. And finally, the Bulls had enough.
Chicago Bulls Dynasty
The Bulls began the season with three defeats against the Boston Celtics. It was a significant moment in Jordan’s career, as he hadn’t lost three consecutive games since then until 1998 when he retired. This streak, which had never been done before and would never be done again in franchise history, is what set Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls apart.
The Chicago Bulls disposed of the New York Knicks in three straight games in the first round of the playoffs. The Miami Heat were beaten by them in four games in the conference finals. The Eastern Conference Finals saw the Bulls against defending champion Detroit Pistons. They absolutely destroyed their biggest enemy, sweeping them clean 4 to 0.
The Bulls qualified to the NBA Finals, where they faced Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. And finally, the King was crowned. The Chicago Bulls won their first championship in franchise history.
Championship Three-Peat
It certainly wasn’t luck as the Bulls multiplied their championship wins. They won the second title in 1992 and the third in 1993. Offcourt the team was battling tensions, especially between Michael and general manager Jerry Krause.
The Time the Bulls Lost
In 1993 Michael Jordan’s father was murdered and the star player announced his retirement. Scottie Pippen became the leader of the Bulls. The team tried to save their reigning title by acquiring a Croatian player Toni Kukoc. Their efforts to keep the crown were visible but insufficient. They were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. After the loss, the Bulls abandoned their home of 27 years, Chicago Stadium, and moved into their current facility, the United Center.
I’m Back
For the next Jordan-less season, the team undergoes major changes, with Paxson retiring and the arrival of Steve Kerr. The team was struggling. In March, Jordan announced his comeback by sending a fax to the press with a simple “I’m back”.
They managed to go to the fifth seed of the playoffs but were stopped by Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic. The team needed further adjustments and did so by adding Dennis Rodman to the mix. Rodman was an expert rebounder with a big reputation. He previously was part of Detroit Piston’s “Bad Boys Club”, the most hated team in the whole NBA.
The Best NBA Season
The Chicago Bulls won three more consecutive championships. The 1995-1998 squad is considered the best team in NBA history.
Starting with the 1995-96 season, the Bulls made one of the greatest improvements in league history, going from 47-35 to 72-10, becoming the first league team to achieve 70 victories in one season. Jordan won three MVP Awards: NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and NBA Finals MVP.
He also got his 8th scoring title. Rodman claimed his fifth straight rebounding crown, while Kerr finished second in the league in three-point accuracy. Krause and Jackson were appreciated for their input into the team winning NBA Executive of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
The second consecutive win came with ease, as the Bulls recorded 69-13 and were showered with awards once again. The third-round win was in question as the information of internal struggles hit the media.
The tensions did not reflect in the gameplay but after winning the 1998 NBA Champions title the dynasty was over. Pippen was traded, Rodman didn’t have his contract extended and coach Phil Jackson was let go. Jordan retired seconds after Jackson was fired. And just like that, the golden days of the Chicago Bulls were over.
Damaging Consequences
As Jerry Krause willingly shot himself in the foot, the Bulls’ winning times were over. Only Kukoc stayed and had to face the bleakness of the future. On April 10, the Bulls set an NBA record for the fewest points in a game under the shot-clock era with 49 against the Miami Heat. It was like they were cursed.
No player wanted to join the infamous Bulls. The only spark of sunshine during these cloudy days was when the Bulls won the NBA Draft and managed to secure Elton Brand, who became a Rookie of the Year. But Krause made the same mistake again in 2001, trading Brand for a first-round draft pick. The misery wouldn’t end until Krause retired in 2003.
Scottie Pippen’s Comeback
John Paxson tried to repair what was destroyed and signed Scottie Pippen. His veteran presence didn’t contribute much because of his medical problems. For the 2004-05 season the squad was completely changed. Often changes became an embarrassing pattern for the forsaken team.
Finally, in 2006, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs just to be eliminated by the Miami Heat. The next season, the situation was similar, this time with a different outcome. The Bulls managed to win over the Heat which was their first playoff win since 1998. As history likes to go full circle, the Detroit Pistons stopped the Bulls’ run to the finals.
After this defeat, the Bulls didn’t manage to go even as far as the playoffs. In 2008 the Bulls hired a new coach, Vinny Del Negro, and two seasoned assistants in hopes that the 10-year struggle will be over.
Derrick Rose
Miraculously, the Bulls won the 2008 NBA Draft which was unprecedented as they had a 1,7% chance of winning. They drafted Derrick Rose, a Chicago citizen, who went on to break Krause’s spell. The Bulls managed to get themselves into the 2009 playoffs where Rose debuted with 36 points and 11 assists.
The Bulls faced the Boston Celtics and the fight was so fierce that it lasted 7 games and 7 overtimes. This broke the NBA record for the most overtimes played during the playoffs. The Celtics got out of this alive but the performance was enough to light the fire in the Bulls fans’ hearts once again.
2011 MVP
In the next season, the Bulls made the playoffs once again, but their performance wasn’t as captivating as in the previous year. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers which was followed by letting go of Vinny Del Negro. Under a new coach Tom Thibodeau, Derrick Rose became the first Bull to win the MVP Award in 2011. He also became the youngest player to receive these honors. The Bulls managed to go to the Eastern Conference Finals but again were beaten by the Miami Heat.
Bulls Defeated by the Injuries
In 2011 Derrick Rose was selected as an All-Star starter for the second consecutive year and Luol Deng was also chosen as a reserve for the Eastern Conference. This was the first time since 1997 that the Bulls had two All-stars on their squad. Unfortunately, Rose missed most of the season because of his various injuries. When he was getting better, he was injured again and again.
Rose missed the whole 2012-13 season, but despite this, the Bulls ended up 45-37, second in the Central Division. During the season, the Bulls ended Miami’s 27-game winning streak and New York’s 13-game winning run, making them the second team in NBA history to break two streaks of 13 games or more in a season.
In the first 10 games of the 2013-14 season, Derrick Rose was injured again. He declared he would miss the remainder of the season. The team wasn’t doing well without him.
Getting Back Into the Game
Derrick Rose was back for the 2014-15 season. A new talent started to emerge, Jimmy Butler. Jimmy started dominating in scoring and his growth was visible from everyone, as he was awarded Most Improved Player of the season. The Bulls’ second half of the year was beset with unevenness and dissatisfaction.
The growing tension between management and Tom Thibodeau and it was clear that the whole franchise isn’t on the same page. The Bulls headed to the playoffs to again face LeBron James’ Miami Heat. The Bulls gave an inconsistent performance, on some occasions giving heat to Miami and on some getting slapped by the opposite team. After a nerve-wracking battle, the Bulls were out again.
Big Changes
The management finally made the decision to fire Tom Thibodeau. Despite these constant changes, for the Bulls, nothing changed. Fred Holberg guided the team not further than the previous coach. It was the first time in 8 years that they didn’t make the playoffs. Next season Derrick Rose was traded, and he was followed by Jimmy Butler a year after that.
The Bulls have officially hit the rock bottom. For four years they didn’t even make the playoff appearance. The atmosphere surrounding the dying franchise was so gloomy that it caused fight outbreaks between the players. Constant changes didn’t help because the teammates didn’t even have a chance to try out each other before they were swapped.
Rumor has it that shadows of Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman still lurk in the corners of the United Center and weep every time the Bulls lose a game. At this point, they probably don’t have tears left to fall. But as mentioned before, history loves to round its circle. Maybe, in times of such despair, a new Michael Jordan will emerge.
Who did the Bulls beat for their 6 championships?
The Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Phoenix Suns, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Utah Jazz all met defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls during their championship runs in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998 respectively. Each team had its own story leading up to and during their matchup with the Bulls, but they all ultimately fell short of hoisting the NBA Finals trophy.
The Lakers were led by future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and James Worthy, but they were no match for Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
The Trail Blazers had dethroned the two-time defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but they were unable to get past the Bulls in the NBA Finals.
The Suns were led by All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson, but they too fell victim to Jordan’s dominance.
The Super Sonics were led by All-Stars Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, but they were unable to stop Jordan from winning his fourth championship.
And finally, the Jazz was led by future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton, but they too were unable to get past the Bulls. In each instance, the better team won. The Bulls are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history, and their six championships are a testament to that fact.
Did the Bulls win after Jordan left?
The Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA in the 1990s, winning six championships with Michael Jordan as their star player. However, the team quickly fell apart after Jordan retired in 1998. The Bulls struggled to replace Jordan’s production and failed to make the playoffs for four straight seasons. In 2006, they finally returned to the playoffs but were promptly swept in the first round. The following year, they missed the playoffs again and posted a dismal 33-49 record. It was clear that the Bulls were no longer a championship-caliber team.
Why did Jordan leave the Bulls?
In his retirement press conference, Jordan cited several reasons for his decision. First and foremost, he said that he had simply lost the drive and desire that was necessary to compete at such a high level. After years of intense competition, Jordan was burned out and ready for a break. In addition, Jordan mentioned that he wanted to spend more time with his family. With his parents getting older and his children just entering school, Jordan felt like it was finally time to slow down and enjoy life outside of basketball.
