- Chicago Bulls
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This article is about the professional basketball team. For the professional American football team of the same name, see Chicago Bulls (AFL).
Chicago Bulls 
2011–12 Chicago Bulls season
Conference Eastern Conference Division Central Division Founded 1966 History Chicago Bulls
(1966–present)Arena United Center City Chicago, Illinois Team colors Red, black, white
Owner(s) Jerry Reinsdorf General manager Gar Forman Head coach Tom Thibodeau D-League affiliate Iowa Energy Championships 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) Conference titles 6 Eastern (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) Division titles 8 1 Midwest (1975); 7 Central (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2011) Official website bulls.com 
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AwayThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center. The team is well known for having one of the greatest dynasties in NBA and sports history during the 1990s, winning six championships in eight years with two three-peats. All six of those championship teams were led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The first three championship teams included the likes of Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, John Paxson and B.J. Armstrong, while the latter three championship teams had Luc Longley, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoč, and Dennis Rodman on the roster. The Bulls won an NBA record 72 games during the 1995–96 NBA season and are the only team in NBA history to win 70 games or better in a single season. During the 1990s, the Bulls helped spread the popularity of the NBA around the world. The 1998 NBA Finals, the Bulls' most recent championship appearance, was the most watched championship series in NBA history. The Bulls have never lost an NBA Finals in their six appearances.[1][2]
Franchise history
1966–84: Pre-Jordan
Chicago Stadium, "The Madhouse on Madison".
The Chicago Bulls are actually the third NBA team in Chicago, after the Packers–Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946–50). The Bulls' founder, Dick Klein, was the only owner to ever play professional basketball (for the Chicago Gears). He served as the Bulls' president and general manager for their formative years.
The team began play for the 1966–67 NBA season, and immediately posted the best record by an expansion team in NBA history. Coached by Chicagoan and former NBA star Johnny "Red" Kerr, and led by former NBA assist leader Guy Rodgers and forward Bob Boozer, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs.
In their first two seasons, the Bulls played a majority of their home games at the International Amphitheatre, before they moved to the Chicago Stadium. Over the next few years, the Bulls assembled the pieces to be competitive, though they never quite reached the top. During the 1970s, the Bulls were known as a tough, defensive-minded team, built around hard-nosed defender Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, point guard Norm Van Lier, and centers Clifford Ray and Tom Boerwinkle. Nevertheless, the team only won one division title and never made it to the Finals.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the team had hit the cellar of the league. The Bulls' fortunes would have been forever changed were it not for a simple coin flip. In 1979, the Bulls lost a coin flip for the right to pick first in the NBA draft (Rod Thorn, the Bulls General Manager, called "heads"). Had the Bulls won the toss, they would have selected the great Magic Johnson; instead, they selected David Greenwood with the second pick. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Johnson with the pick acquired from the New Orleans Jazz, who traded the selection for Gail Goodrich.
Artis Gilmore, acquired in the ABA dispersal draft in 1976, led a Bulls squad which included guard Reggie Theus, forward David Greenwood, and forward Orlando Woolridge. After Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for center Dave Corzine, the Bulls employed a high-powered offense centered around Theus, and which soon included guards Quintin Dailey and Ennis Whatley. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change directions, trading Theus to the Kansas City Kings during the 1983–84 season.
1984–90: Arrival of Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan was drafted third overall by the Bulls in 1984.In the summer of 1984 the team's fortunes changed forever when it received the third pick of the 1984 NBA Draft, after Houston and Portland. The Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon, the Blazers jumped on Sam Bowie, and the Bulls grabbed shooting guard Michael Jordan out of the University of North Carolina. The team, with new management in owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Jerry Krause, decided to rebuild around Jordan. Jordan set franchise records during his rookie campaign for scoring (3rd in the league) and steals (4th in the league), and led the Bulls back to the playoffs, for which he was rewarded with a selection to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
In the following offseason, the team acquired point guard John Paxson and on draft day traded with the Cavaliers for the rights to power forward Charles Oakley. Along with Jordan and center Dave Corzine, they provided much of the Bulls' offense for the next two years. After suffering a broken foot early in the 1985–86 season, Jordan finished second on the team to Woolridge in scoring. Jordan returned for the playoffs, and took the 8th-place Bulls up against the 67–15 Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird. Though the Bulls were swept, Jordan recorded a playoff single-game record 63 points in Game 2 (which still stands to this day), prompting Bird to call him 'God disguised as Michael Jordan.'
In the 1986–87 NBA season, Jordan continued his assault on the record books, leading the league in scoring with 37.1 points per game and becoming the first Bull named to the All-NBA First Team. Despite this, the Bulls could only muster a 40–42 win–loss record, which was good enough to qualify them for the playoffs. However, the Bulls were again swept by the Celtics in the playoffs. In the 1987 draft, to address their lack of depth Krause selected center Olden Polynice 8th overall and power forward Horace Grant 10th overall, then sent Polynice to Seattle in a draft-day trade for the 5th selection, small forward Scottie Pippen. With Paxson and Jordan in the backcourt, Brad Sellers and Oakley at the forward spots, Corzine anchoring center, and rookies Pippen and Grant coming off the bench, the Bulls made major noise in the 1987–88 season, winning 50 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they were beaten by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions Detroit Pistons in five games. However, for his efforts, Jordan was named NBA Most Valuable Player, an award he would win four more times over his career. The 1987–88 season would also mark the start of the Pistons-Bulls rivalry which was formed from 1988-1991.
The 1988–89 season marked a second straight year of major off-season moves. Popular power forward Charles Oakley, who had led the league in total rebounds in both '87 and '88, was traded on the eve of the 1988 draft to the New York Knicks along with a Round 1 draft pick used by the Knicks on Rod Strickland for center Bill Cartwright and a 1st round draft pick which the Bulls used to obtain center Will Perdue. In addition, the Bulls acquired three-point specialist Craig Hodges from Phoenix. The new starting lineup of Paxson, Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright took some time to mesh, winning fewer games than the previous season, but made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were subdued in six games by the eventual NBA champion Pistons.
In 1989–90, Jordan led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season, and was joined on the all-star squad for the first time by Scottie Pippen. There was also a major change on the sidelines, where head coach Doug Collins was replaced by assistant Phil Jackson. The Bulls also picked up rookie center Stacey King and rookie point guard B.J. Armstrong in the 1989 draft. With these additional players and the previous year's starting five, the Bulls again made it to the Conference Finals, and pushed the Pistons to seven games before being edged out for the third straight year, who would go on to repeat as NBA champions.
1991–93: First three-peat
By the 1990–91 season, the Bulls charged through the year with a mission. They recorded a then-franchise record 61 wins, and romped through the playoffs, where they swept the defending champion Pistons in the Conference Finals and won the Finals in 5 over the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers on June 12, 1991. Michael Jordan won regular season MVP and Finals MVP to go with his fifth straight scoring title.
The Bulls won their second straight title in 1992 after racking up another franchise record for wins with 67. They prevailed over the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler in six games. Jordan once again won regular season MVP and Finals MVP, to go with his sixth straight scoring title. During the Finals, Jordan broke the records for most points in a half with 35 and most 3-pointers in a half with 6. (Ray Allen broke the latter on June 6, 2010 with 7 3-pointers in a half). The Chicago Blackhawks played for the Stanley Cup at the same time the Bulls won this championship, but were swept by the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. 1992 was the only year that both the Bulls and Blackhawks played in their respective league's finals in the same year.
In 1992–93 the Bulls did what no team had done since the legendary Celtics of the '60s by chalking up the three-peat over regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, with John Paxson's 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left that gave them a 99–98 victory in Game 6 in Phoenix. Jordan was once again the Finals MVP after setting a Finals record for points per game with 41. He also tied Wilt Chamberlain by winning his seventh straight scoring title.
1993–94: Michael Jordan retires
During the fall of 1993, Jordan shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement, only months after learning of his father's murder. The Bulls were then led by Scottie Pippen, who established himself as one of the top players in the league by winning the 1994 All-Star MVP. He received help from Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong, who were named to their first all-star games. The three were assisted by Cartwright, Perdue, shooting guard Pete Myers, and Croatian rookie forward Toni Kukoč. Despite the Bulls' amazing run during the 1993–94 season, where they won 55 games, they were beaten in seven games by the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, after a controversial foul call by referee Hue Hollins in game 5 of that series. (The Knicks eventually reached the finals that year, but lost to the Houston Rockets.)
1994–95: The return of Michael Jordan
The Bulls opened the 1994–95 season by leaving their home of 27 years, Chicago Stadium, and moving into their current home, the United Center.
In 1994, the Bulls lost Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and Scott Williams to free agency, and John Paxson to retirement, but picked up shooting guard Ron Harper, the seeming heir-apparent to Michael Jordan in Assistant Coach Tex Winter's triple-post offense, and small-forward Jud Buechler. The Bulls sported the look of Armstrong and Harper in the backcourt, Pippen and Kukoc at the forward spots, and Perdue at center. They also had sharpshooter Steve Kerr, whom they acquired via free agency before the 1993–94 season, Myers, and centers Luc Longley (acquired via trade in 1994 from the Minnesota Timberwolves) and Bill Wennington. However, they were slumping during the season, when on March 17, 1995, they received the best possible news: Michael Jordan was coming out of retirement. He was soon among the best in the league again, scoring 55 points against the Knicks in only his fifth game back, and led the Bulls to the fifth seed in the playoffs, where they upset the Charlotte Hornets. However, Jordan was too rusty, and the Bulls were unable to overcome the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, which included Horace Grant, Anfernee Hardaway, and Shaquille O'Neal. When Jordan returned to the Bulls, he initially wore No. 45 (which was his number while playing for the Birmingham Barons, a minor-league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox). He chose the No. 45 because his older brother Larry wore that number in high school. Michael wanted to be half as good as his brother so he chose 23 which is half of 45 (22.5) rounded up. However, Jordan switched back to the familiar 23 before game 2 of the Orlando Magic series.
In the offseason, the Bulls lost B. J. Armstrong in the expansion draft, but Krause pulled off a masterful deal by trading Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for the aggressive and often controversial rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman, who had won the past four rebounding titles, and who had also been a member of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" squad that served as the Bulls' chief nemesis in the late 1980s.
1995–97: Repeat the three-peat
With a lineup of Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Kerr, Kukoc, Wennington, Buechler, and guard Randy Brown the Bulls posted one of the best single-season improvements in league history and the best single-season record, moving from 47–35 to 72–10,[3] which remains the best record in NBA history. Jordan won his eighth scoring title, and Rodman his fifth straight rebounding title, while Kerr finished second in the league in three-point shooting percentage. Jordan garnered the elusive triple crown with the regular season MVP, All-star Game MVP, and Finals MVP. Krause was named Executive of the Year, Jackson Coach of the Year, and Kukoc the Sixth Man of the Year. Both Pippen and Jordan made the All-NBA First Team, and Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman made the All-Defensive First Team, making the Bulls the only team in history with three players on the All-Defensive First Team.[4]
In addition, the 1995–96 squad holds several other records, including the best road record in a standard 41-road-game season (33–8), the all-time best start by a team (41–3), the longest home winning streak (44 games, 7 from previous season), and the best start at home (37–0). The Bulls also posted the second-best home record in history (39–2), behind only the 1985–86 Celtics 40–1 home mark, and the second-best point differential in history, trailing the 1972 Lakers by 3 points over the course of an entire season. The team triumphed over Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics for their fourth title. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in the history of basketball.[5]
In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13, and repeated their home dominance going 39–2 at the United Center.[6] The Bulls capped the season by winning their fifth NBA championship over John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. Jordan earned his second straight and ninth career scoring title, while Rodman earned his sixth straight rebounding title. Jordan and Pippen, along with Robert Parish, who was a member of the Bulls at the time, were also honored as members of the 50 greatest players of all-time with the NBA celebrating its 50th season.[7] Parish, whose single season with the Bulls would be his last year in the league, was nominated for his stellar career with the Boston Celtics.[8]
1997–99: The end of a dynasty
Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson 1997The 1997–98 season was one of turmoil for the NBA champion Bulls.[9] Many speculated this would be Michael Jordan's final season with the team.[9] Phil Jackson's future with the team was also questionable, as his relationship with team general manager Jerry Krause was one of growing tension. Scottie Pippen was looking for a significant contract extension that he thought he deserved, but was not getting from the organization. In spite of the turmoil that surrounded the Bulls, they still had a remarkable season, with a final regular-season record of 62–20. Michael Jordan would be named the league MVP for the fifth and final time, and the Bulls went into the playoffs as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
The first round of the playoffs for the Bulls was against the New Jersey Nets, a team led by Kendall Gill and Sam Cassell. The Bulls swept the Nets three to nothing in a best of five series. The conference semi-finals were more challenging with the Charlotte Hornets stealing game two from the Bulls at the United Center, and tying the series 1–1. But the Bulls easily defeated the Hornets in the next three games of the series. The Conference Finals was a challenge for the Bulls as they went up against the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers. Experts were of the opinion that the Pacers had the best chance to defeat the Bulls.[9] The Pacers gave the Bulls no road wins, winning games 3, 4, and 6, sending the series to a deciding game seven at the United Center. The Bulls prevailed and beat the Pacers 88–83, winning their 6th Eastern Conference Championship.
In a much anticipated Finals, The Bulls faced the team they beat the previous year, the Utah Jazz. Led by Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz felt confident that they could defeat the Bulls, winning game one at Utah's Delta Center. Facing a potential two to nothing deficit, the Bulls won Game 2 at the Delta Center and tied the series. The Bulls returned to the United Center and, by winning the next two games, took a 3–1 series lead. The Jazz won Game 5 by two points, 83–81. Game 6 was a tough battle for both teams, as the Jazz had a lead late in the game. Down by three points to the Jazz, Michael Jordan led the Bulls to one final win. Jordan hit a driving layup to bring the Bulls within 1, then stole the ball from Karl Malone and hit the game winning shot with 5.2 seconds remaining on the clock. With a score of 87–86, John Stockton put up a three pointer, but missed, sealing the Bulls' sixth championship in eight years. Jordan would be named the Finals MVP for the sixth time in his career. He retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.
The summer of 1998 brought an abrupt end to the championship era.[10] Krause felt that the Bulls were on the verge of being too old and unable to compete. He decided that the team's only choices were to rebuild or endure a slow decline. His plan was to trade away the aging talent and acquire high draft picks while clearing salary cap space to make a run at several promising free agents in two years' time. After having been vetoed in a previous attempt by owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Krause traded Scottie Pippen for Roy Rogers (who was released in February 1999) and a conditional second-round draft pick from the Houston Rockets. He also decided not to re-sign Dennis Rodman, and traded Luc Longley and Steve Kerr for other draft picks. He hired a new coach, Tim Floyd, who had run a successful program at Iowa State University. Upon Phil Jackson's departure, Michael Jordan made his second retirement official. With a new starting lineup of point guard Randy Brown, shooting guard Ron Harper, newcomer Brent Barry at small forward, power forward Toni Kukoc, and center Bill Wennington, the team began the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. Kukoc led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists, but the team won only 13 of 50 games.
1999–2004: Five difficult years
The previous year's dismal finish came with one highlight: the team won the draft lottery and the rights to power forward Elton Brand. Since the team lost Harper, Wennington and Barry in the offseason, Brand and fellow rookie Ron Artest led the team throughout the year, especially after Kukoc missed most of the season due to injury and was then dealt for a draft pick at the trading deadline. Brand recorded the first 20–10 average for the Bulls since the days of Artis Gilmore. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes, while Artest led all rookies in steals and finished second on the team in scoring. For his efforts Brand was named 1999–2000 co-Rookie of the Year with Houston's Steve Francis, and to the all-rookie first team, while Artest was named to the all-rookie second team. However, the team established a franchise low at 17–65, second worst in the league.
After a summer in which the Bulls witnessed most major and minor free agents Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Eddie Jones and even Tim Thomas choose to stay with their teams (or go elsewhere) rather than sign with them, Krause signed free agent center Brad Miller and shooting guard Ron Mercer, and drafted power forward Marcus Fizer and traded draft pick Chris Mihm to Cleveland for the rights of guard Jamal Crawford. Brand again led the team in scoring and rebounds with another 20–10 season, but the new acquisitions failed to make a major impact, and they finished with the worst record in team history at 15–67.
Krause shocked Bulls fans on draft day in 2001 when he traded franchise player Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for the second pick in the draft, Tyson Chandler. He also selected Eddy Curry with the fourth pick. Since both Chandler and Curry came straight out of high school, neither was expected to make much of a contribution for several years, but they were seen as potential franchise players. The team floundered without veteran leadership. At mid-season, the Bulls traded their top three scorers—Mercer, Artest, and Miller along with Kevin Ollie—to the Indiana Pacers for veteran guard Jalen Rose, Travis Best and Norman Richardson. There was also a change in coaching, with Floyd being dismissed in favor of assistant coach and former Bulls co-captain Bill Cartwright, following a series of arguments with players and management. The Bulls improved from 15 to 21 wins, although they were still tied for last in the league.
For the 2002–03 season, the Bulls came to play with much optimism. They picked up college phenom Jay Williams with the second pick in the draft. Williams teamed with Jalen Rose, Crawford, Fizer, newcomer Donyell Marshall, Curry, Chandler, and guard Trenton Hassell to form a young and exciting nucleus which improved to 30–52 in Bill Cartwright's first full season as head coach. Curry led the league in field goal percentage, becoming the first Bull since Jordan to lead the league in a major statistical category.
During the summer of 2003, long-time GM Jerry Krause retired, and former player and color commentator John Paxson was tabbed as his successor. Jay Williams, coming off a promising rookie campaign, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. His contract was bought out by the Bulls in February 2004 and he has yet to return to the game. Paxson selected point guard Kirk Hinrich with the seventh pick in the draft, and signed veteran free agent and former franchise player Scottie Pippen. With Pippen playing, Cartwright at the sidelines, and Paxson in the front office, the Bulls hoped that some of the championship magic from before would return.
However, the 2003–04 season was a resounding disappointment. Eddy Curry regressed, leading to questions about his conditioning and commitment. Tyson Chandler was plagued by a chronic back injury, missing more than thirty games. Pippen's ability to influence games was impaired by knee problems, and he openly contemplated retirement. Jamal Crawford remained inconsistent. Bill Cartwright was fired as head coach in December and replaced with former Phoenix coach Scott Skiles. A trade with the Toronto Raptors brought Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams in exchange for Rose and Marshall in what was seen as a major shift in team strategy from winning with athleticism to winning with hard work and defense. After struggling throughout the season, the Bulls finished with 23 wins and 59 losses, the second-worst record in the league. Fizer was not re-signed, and Crawford was re-signed and traded to the Knicks for expiring contracts. Hinrich provided the lone bright spot, becoming a fan favorite for his gritty determination and tenacious defense. He won a place on the All-Rookie first team.
2004–07: Returning to the playoffs
During the 2004 offseason, Paxson traded a 2005 draft pick to the Phoenix Suns in return for an additional pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He used the picks to select Connecticut guard Ben Gordon and Duke small forward Luol Deng in the first round, and Duke point guard Chris Duhon in the second. Paxson also signed free agent small forward Andrés Nocioni, who had recently won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the Argentine national team. After losing the first nine games of the season, the Bulls began to show signs of improvement behind their improved team defense and clutch fourth-quarter play from Gordon. The Bulls, who were 0–9 to start the season, finished the regular season 47–35, with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA playoffs for the first time since Jordan's departure. In the first round, the 4th-seeded Bulls played the Washington Wizards. The Bulls opened the series with two wins at home, but lost the next four games and the series. After the season, Ben Gordon became the first rookie to win the NBA Sixth Man Award and the first Bull to win the award since 1996 with Toni Kukoč.
During the 2005 offseason, the Bulls re-signed free agent Tyson Chandler. However, Curry showed possible symptoms of a heart disease resulting of a heart murmur during checkups, and Paxson would not clear him to play without extensive DNA testing. Ultimately, Curry refused to participate in the tests, and he was traded along with Antonio Davis to the New York Knicks for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and what became the second pick of the 2006 NBA Draft—as well as the right to swap picks with New York in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Without a significant post presence, the Bulls struggled for most of the 2005–06 season. However, a late-season 12–2 surge allowed them to finish 41–41 and qualify for the 2006 playoffs as the seventh seed. There, the Bulls faced the Miami Heat. After two close losses in Miami, the Bulls broke through with a blowout win in Game 3, and another win in Game 4. However, the Heat took the next two games to win the series and went on to win that year's championship. The Bulls' several young players nevertheless earned additional postseason experience, and Nocioni turned in a remarkable series of performances that far exceeded his season averages.
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Bulls were awarded forward-center LaMarcus Aldridge and immediately traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Tyrus Thomas and forward Viktor Khryapa. In a second draft-day trade, the Bulls selected Rodney Carney and traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for guard Thabo Sefolosha. Later that summer, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace signed with the Bulls for a reported four-year, $60 million contract. Following the signing of Wallace, the Bulls traded Tyson Chandler, the last remaining player of the Krause era, to the (then) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for veteran power forward P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith and salary cap space that was used to sign former Chicago co-captain Adrian Griffin.
In 2006–07, the Bulls overcame a 3–9 season start to finish 49–33, the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, the Bulls again faced Miami, the defending NBA champions. The Bulls narrowly won Game 1 at home, then followed it with a blowout victory in Game 2. In Miami, the Bulls rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to win Game 3 and then posted another comeback win in Game 4. The Bulls' four-game sweep of the defending champions stunned many NBA observers. It was Chicago's first playoff series victory since 1998, Jordan's last season with the team.
The Bulls then advanced to face the Detroit Pistons, marking the first time the Central Division rivals had met in the playoffs since 1991. The Pistons won the first three games including a big comeback in Game 3. No NBA team had ever come back from a 0–3 deficit to win the series, but the Bulls avoided a sweep by winning Game 4 by 10 points. The Bulls then easily won Game 5 in Detroit, and had a chance to make NBA history. But they lost at home in game 6 by 10, and the Pistons won the series 4–2 on May 17.
2007–08: Missing the playoffs
During the off season, the Bulls signed forward Joe Smith and guard Adrian Griffin, and drafted center Joakim Noah. However, distractions began when Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turned down contract extensions, never citing reasons. Then rumors surfaced that the Bulls were pursuing stars like Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, and most notably, Kobe Bryant. None of these deals happened, and general manager John Paxson denied a deal was ever imminent.
The Bulls started the 2007–08 NBA season by losing 10 of their first 12 games and on December 24, 2007, after a 9–16 start, the Bulls fired head coach Scott Skiles. Jim Boylan was named the interim head coach on December 27, 2007.
On February 21, 2008, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Adrian Griffin and the Bulls' 2009 2nd round draft pick[11] were exchanged for Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, Larry Hughes and Shannon Brown in a three-team trade deal involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Seattle SuperSonics.[12] Boylan was not retained on April 17 at the conclusion of the 2007–08 season after compiling a 24–32 record with the Bulls. The Bulls ended the 2007–08 campaign with a 33–49 record, a complete reversal of last year's record.
After Jim Boylan's interim tenure expired, the Bulls began the process of selecting a new head coach. They were in talks with former Phoenix head coach Mike D'Antoni, but on May 10, 2008 he signed with the New York Knicks. Other possible options included former Dallas head coach Avery Johnson and former Bulls head coach Doug Collins. Collins resigned from the coaching list on June 4, 2008, reporting that he did not want to ruin his friendship with Jerry Reinsdorf.
On June 10, 2008, the Chicago Bulls G.M. John Paxson hired Vinny Del Negro, with no coaching experience, to coach the young Bulls. On July 3, 2008, the Chicago Tribune reported that Delmer Harris agreed to become an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls along with former Charlotte Bobcats head coach Bernie Bickerstaff and longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka. Along with Bickerstaff and Ociepka, Harris helped establish a veteran presence on the coaching staff and helped rookie head coach Del Negro.
2008–present: The Derrick Rose era
With a slim 1.7% chance of winning the rights to draft number 1, the Bulls won the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery and selected first overall. With this, the Bulls became the team with the lowest chance of winning to ever win the lottery since it was modified for the 1994 NBA Draft, and second lowest ever. On June 26, 2008, the Bulls drafted Chicago native Derrick Rose as the Number 1 draft pick. At pick Number 39 they selected Sonny Weems. The Bulls later traded Weems to the Denver Nuggets for Denver's 2009 regular second-round draft pick. The Bulls then acquired Omer Asik from the Portland Trail Blazers (selected with the 36th pick) for Denver's 2009 regular second-round draft pick, New York's 2009 regular second-round draft pick, and the Bulls' 2010 regular second-round draft pick. The Bulls re-signed Luol Deng to a six-year $71 million contract on July 30, 2008. He was later plagued with an injury keeping him from action for most of the 2008–2009 season. Ben Gordon signed a one-year contract on October 2, 2008.
On February 18, 2009, the Bulls made their first of several trades, sending Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Michael Ruffin to the Sacramento Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons.[13] Then on February 19, 2009, the NBA trade deadline, the Bulls traded Larry Hughes to the New York Knicks for Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson.[14] Later that day the Bulls made the third trade in a span of less than 24 hours by sending swingman Thabo Sefolosha to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2009 first-round pick.[15] The trades brought a late-season push for the Bulls, which finally clinched a playoff berth on April 10, 2009, their fourth in the last five years. They finished the season with a 41–41 record. Their record was good enough to secure a No. 7 seed in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, playing a tough series against the Boston Celtics. In Game 1, Derrick Rose scored 36 points, along with 11 assists, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most points scored by a rookie in a playoff debut. After breaking the record for most overtimes played in a NBA Playoffs Series, the Boston Celtics managed to overcome the Bulls after 7 games and 7 overtimes played.[16]
The Bulls had two 1st round picks in the 2009 NBA Draft and decided to take Wake Forest stand out forward James Johnson and athletic USC forward Taj Gibson.[17] In the 2009 NBA off-season the Bulls lost their leading scorer, Ben Gordon, when he signed with their divisional rival, the Detroit Pistons. On February 18, 2010, John Salmons was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick. Meanwhile, Tyrus Thomas was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Acie Law, Flip Murray and a future protected first round pick. On April 14, 2010, the Bulls clinched the playoffs with the number 8 seed; the fifth time in six years that they have made the playoffs. Unlike the previous year, however, the Bulls' playoff run was shorter and less dramatic as they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. On May 4, 2010, the Bulls officially fired head coach Vinny Del Negro.[18]
In early June 2010, Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau accepted a three-year contract to fill the Bulls' head coaching vacancy.[19] He was officially introduced on June 23, 2010.[20] On July 7, 2010 it was revealed that Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz had verbally agreed to an $80 million, five year contract. Afterwards, the Bulls traded veteran point guard Kirk Hinrich to the Washington Wizards to create more cap space. The Bulls also signed former 76er and Jazz guard Kyle Korver to a 3 year, $15 million contract. The same day that the Chicago Bulls signed Kyle Korver, they signed Turkish All-Star Ömer Aşık. After being matched by the Orlando Magic for J.J. Redick they signed their third free agent from the Jazz in the off-season in shooting guard Ronnie Brewer, traded for former Warrior point guard C.J. Watson, and signed former Bucks power forward Kurt Thomas as well as former Spurs player Keith Bogans and former Celtics player Brian Scalabrine. Chicago finished the regular season with an NBA league-best 62–20 record and clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1998. The Bulls entered the playoffs, and defeated the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks in five and six games, respectively. They then reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998, and faced the Miami Heat. After winning the first game of the series by a substantial amount, they lost the next four games to Miami, ending their 2010–2011 season.
Traditions
Starting lineup introductions
During the Bulls' run of dominance, the player introductions became world famous. Longtime announcer Tommy Edwards was the first to use "Sirius", "On The Run" and other songs in game presentation in the NBA. When Edwards moved to Boston for employment with CBS Radio, he was replaced by Ray Clay in 1990, and Clay continued many of the traditional aspects of the Bulls introductions, including the music, The Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius", for all six championship runs. The lights are first dimmed during the visiting team introduction, accompanied by "The Imperial March" from Star Wars composed by John Williams, or "On the Run" by Pink Floyd. Then virtually all lights in the stadium are shut off for the Bulls introduction, and a spotlight illuminates each player as he is introduced and runs onto the court; the spotlight is also focused on the Bulls logo prior to the introductions. Since the move to the United Center, lasers and fireworks have been added, and with improvements to the arena's White Way video screen, computer graphics on the stadium monitors have been added. These graphics feature the 3D-animated 'Running of the Bulls' en route to the United Center, along the way smashing a bus featuring the opposing team's logo. Coincidentally, Alan Parsons wrote "Sirius" for his own band and was the sound engineer for "On the Run" from Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon.
Traditionally, the players have been introduced in the following order: small forward, power forward, center, point guard, shooting guard. Thus during the championship era, Scottie Pippen was usually the first (or second) Bulls player introduced, and Michael Jordan the last. (Pippen and Jordan are the only players to play on all six Bulls championship teams.) More recently with Derrick Rose's arrival, the guards have been reversed in order, making the Chicago-bred point guard the last player introduced. Although internal disputes eventually led to the dismissal of Clay, the Bulls in 2006 announced the return of Tommy Edwards as the announcer.[21]
As part of Edwards' return, the introductions changed as a new introduction was developed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, Ethan Stoller and Jamie Poindexter, all from Chicago. The introduction also included a newly composed remix of the traditional Sirius theme.
Black shoes and socks
The Bulls have an unofficial tradition of wearing black shoes (regardless of being home or away) during the playoffs, which dates all the way back to 1989 when they debuted the tradition.[22] For the 1996 playoffs, they became the first team to wear black socks with the black shoes, similar to the University of Michigan and the Fab Five which started the trend in college earlier in the decade. Since, many teams have this look in both the regular season and playoffs. It was noted when the Bulls made their first playoff appearance during the 2004–05 season after a six-year hiatus, they continued the tradition and wore black shoes.[23] During the 2009 Playoffs, however, the Bulls broke the tradition by wearing white shoes and socks in Game 3 of the first round against the Boston Celtics. They lost that game by 21.[24]
The circus trip
Every fall, when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to town and performs at the United Center, the Bulls go on a road trip. The road trip usually last 2 weeks.[25] The Blackhawks also go on a road trip at the same time.[26]
Logos and uniforms
Logo
Bulls logo upon the bow of the USS Chicago.The iconic Bulls' logo is a red bull's face with an angry expression. The horns are tipped with blood. The logo was designed by noted American sports artist Theodore W. Drake and was adopted in 1966. At one point, the Bulls also had an alternate logo during the early 70s, featuring the same Bulls logo, but with a cloud that says "Windy City" below the bull's nose.
Uniforms
The Bulls have three different uniforms: a white home uniform, a red road uniform, and a black alternate road uniform. The design of the white and red sets are nearly identical, with the team name featured on the front over the number, and the player's last name over the number on the back and under the Bulls' logo. The shorts have the Bulls logo in a diamond shaped design on the sides of the legs. The red and white uniforms have remained mostly unchanged since 1966, with minor modifications from off-centered numbers to a cursive "Chicago" lettering on the road uniforms. The less-often used black uniform (often used 10 times per season) shares the same design as the white and the red ones, except that "Bulls" is replaced with "Chicago" on the front of the jersey. It was first introduced during Chicago's 72-win run in the 1995–96 NBA season, in which it shared a similar design to the Bulls' regular road and home uniforms except that it featured pinstripes and a diamond that is not featured around the Bulls' logo in the shorts. This design was resurrected as part of the NBA Hardwood Classics Nights program, as well as NBA Heritage Week presentations (Dec. 7–14, 2007) throughout the 2007–08 season. In the 1999–2000 season, the pinstripes were removed and "Chicago" replaced "Bulls" above the number in the jersey front. Beginning in the 2006-07 NBA Season, the player's name on the back of the alternate jersey changed its color to white from the red/white combination, and the red diamond was added to surround the logo in the sides of the shorts. The player's name was reverted back to the red/white combo in the 2007–08 NBA season.
The green uniforms.The Bulls wear white shoes during the regular season, but black shoes during the playoffs. This unofficial tradition goes back to the Jordan era. The Bulls also wear only their red uniform on the road during the playoffs. During the 2008–09 season and first three games of the playoffs, however, the Bulls wore black sneakers on away games only while wearing white sneakers on home games. Since the 2009–10 season, however, the NBA has relaxed its rules on specific sneaker colors on home and away games, and several Bulls players are seen wearing white sneakers on the road, or black at home during the regular season, even seen wearing red on occasion.
In 2006 the Bulls were one of three teams to take part in the NBA's first ever St. Patrick's Day uniform program (with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks). The program consisted of the teams wearing specially designed green uniforms. For the program The Bulls' changed their red road uniforms to green while maintaining the traditional red and black bull's head on the shorts and the back of the jersey as well as the wording of "Bulls" on the front remaining black. The Bulls wore these uniforms on March 18 against the Miami Heat.[27]
The following year the Bulls once again participated in the St. Patrick's Day uniform program altering their road jerseys in the same way as before. This time the special edition uniforms were worn twice by the Bulls: once on March 13 at home against the Celtics and then again on March 17 in Memphis versus the Grizzlies.[28] In the 2007–08 season they wore them on March 17, 2008 (at New Orleans) and March 18, 2008 (vs. New Jersey). In the 2008–09 season, they wore the uniforms on March 17, 2009 against Boston.
The Bulls also participated in the NBA's "Noche Latina" celebrations throughout March, beginning in 2009. They used a slightly altered version of their regular red road uniforms, with the wording "Los Bulls" to honor Hispanics throughout Chicago.
During the NBA's "Green Week" celebrations, the Bulls also wore green uniforms, but a slightly darker shade from their St. Patrick's Day counterparts and they used their black alternate uniforms as its template. They donned the uniforms in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 9, 2009.
Rivalries
The Bulls' primary rivals have been the Detroit Pistons ever since the Jordan-led Bulls met the "Bad Boy" Pistons in the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals. The two teams met in the playoffs four consecutive years, with the Pistons winning each time until 1991. The Eastern Conference Finals in 1991 ended with a four game sweep of the Pistons, who, in an unprofessional manner, walked off the floor with time still on the game clock.[29] The rivalry was renewed in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which former Detroit cornerstone Ben Wallace met his former team (the Pistons won in 6 games). The geographic proximity and membership in the Central Division further intensify the rivalry, which has been characterized by intense, physical play ever since the teams met in the late 1980s. Chicago fans have been known to have a disliking for Detroit professional teams, as it is the only city that is in the same division as Chicago in all four major North American sports. "Detroit Sucks" is commonly chanted when playing any Detroit team.
The Bulls also had an intense rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1980s and early 1990s. Unlike the rivalry with the Pistons, in which the two teams have been relatively competitive, the Bulls-Cavs rivalry has been one of the more one-sided rivalries, heavily favoring the Bulls. Twice, Michael Jordan hit game- and series- winning shots against the Cavaliers in the playoffs. The rivalry was renewed in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, but this time the Cavaliers reversed the situation with LeBron James, who led the Cavs past the Bulls in five games.
Another franchise that the Bulls have competed fiercely with is the New York Knicks. The two met in the playoffs in four consecutive years (1991–94) and again in 1996, with the teams' series twice (1992 and 1994) going the full seven games. Their first playoff confrontation, however, came in 1989 when both teams were called "teams on the rise" under Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, respectively. That first confrontation would belong to Chicago in six games of the Eastern Semifinals. The Bulls triumphed in the first three years (1991–93) before narrowly losing in 1994 but exacted revenge in 1996. As with Detroit, the historic rivalry between the cities has led to animosity between the teams and occasionally their fans.
Season-by-season records
Further information: List of Chicago Bulls seasonsSeason Team Conference Division Regular Season Post-Season Finish Wins Losses Win% GB 2003–04 2003–04 Eastern Central 8th 23 59 .280 38 2004–05 2004–05 Eastern Central 2nd 47 35 .573 7 Lost First round to Washington Wizards 2–4 2005–06 2005–06 Eastern Central 4th 41 41 .500 23 Lost First round to Miami Heat 2–4 2006–07 2006–07 Eastern Central 3rd 49 33 .598 4 Lost Conference Semifinals to Detroit Pistons, 2–4 2007–08 2007–08 Eastern Central 4th 33 49 .402 26 2008–09 2008–09 Eastern Central 7th 41 41 .500 25 Lost in First Round vs. Boston Celtics, 3–4 2009–10 2009–10 Eastern Central 8th 41 41 .500 20 Lost in First Round vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 1–4 2010–11 2010–11 Eastern Central 1st 62 20 .756 0 Lost in Conference Finals vs. Miami Heat 1–4 Home arenas
- International Amphitheatre (1966–1967)
- Chicago Stadium (1967–1994)
- United Center (1994–present)
Training facility
The team currently trains at the Berto Center, located at 550 Lake Cook Rd, Deerfield, Illinois.
Radio and television
Radio
The flagship station for the Bulls is WMVP, "ESPN 1000". WMVP became the flagship for the 07–08 season after the WCKG changed formats.[30][31] Chuck Swirsky and Bill Wennington are the announcers.
TV
The Bulls TV broadcasts are split among Comcast SportsNet Chicago, which broadcasts most of the games, WGN, and WCIU.[32] So far WGN sports and Comcast SportsNet Chicago will at least air all of the home games in High Definition. The announcers are Neil Funk and Stacey King. Also worth noting is that WGN does not air all of its Chicago Bulls games nationwide. Only a select few, usually Saturday games, are nationally televised on WGN America. The rest are only available within the Chicago area.
Players
Further information: Chicago Bulls all-time roster and Chicago Bulls draft historyCurrent roster
Chicago Bulls rosterPlayers Coaches Pos. # Name Height Weight DOB (Y–M–D) From C 3 Aşık, Ömer 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1986–07–04 Turkey SG 6 Bogans, Keith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1980–05–12 Kentucky F 5 Boozer, Carlos (C) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 266 lb (121 kg) 1981–11–20 Duke G 11 Brewer, Ronnie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 227 lb (103 kg) 1985–03–20 Arkansas F 21 Butler, Jimmy (DP) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1989–09–14 Marquette F 9 Deng, Luol (C) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1985–04–16 Duke F 22 Gibson, Taj 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1985–06–24 Southern California G/F 26 Korver, Kyle 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1981–03–17 Creighton G 15 Lucas, John (FA) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1982–11–21 Oklahoma State C 13 Noah, Joakim (C) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 232 lb (105 kg) 1985–02–25 Florida PG 12 Pargo, Jannero (FA) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1979–10–22 Arkansas G 1 Rose, Derrick (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1988–10–04 Memphis F/C 40 Thomas, Kurt (FA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1972–10–04 Texas Christian G 32 Watson, C. J. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1984–04–17 Tennessee - Head coach
- Assistant coach(es)
Ron Adams (Fresno Pacific)- Rick Brunson (Temple)
- Andy Greer (Northern Illinois)
- Adrian Griffin (Seton Hall)
- Ed Pinckney (Villanova)
- Mike Wilhelm (Southampton)
- Athletic trainer(s)
- Fred Tedeschi (Pacific)
- Strength and conditioning coach(es)
- Erik Helland (Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (IN) Inactive
- (S) Suspended
Injured- * High school
Roster • Transactions
Last transaction: 2011-09-22International rights
F Vladimir Veremeenko 2006 NBA Draft 48th pick F Nikola Mirotić 2011 NBA Draft 23rdpick Basketball Hall of Famers
- Players
Player Position Seasons with Bulls Year of Induction Nate Thurmond C 1974–75–1975–76 1985 George Gervin SG 1985–86 1996 Artis Gilmore C 1976–77–1981–82,
19872011 Robert Parish C 1996–97 2003 Michael Jordan SG 1984–85–1992–93,
1994–95–1997–982009 Scottie Pippen SF 1987–88–1997–98,
2003–042010 Dennis Rodman PF 1995–96–1997–98 2011 - Coaches
Coach Seasons with Bulls Year of Induction Phil Jackson 1987–88–1988–89 (Assistant)
1989–90–1997–98 (Head)2007 Jerry Sloan 1979–80–1981–82 2009 Tex Winter 1985–86–1997–98 (Assistant) 2011 - Contributors
Contributor Seasons with Bulls Year of Induction Jerry Colangelo 1966–1968 2004 Retired numbers and honorees
Number Player Position Seasons with Bulls Date Retired 4 Jerry Sloan G/SF 1966–67–1975–76 February 17, 1978 10 Bob Love F 1968–69–1976–77 January 14, 1994 23 Michael Jordan SG 1984–85–1992–93,
1994–95–1997–98November 1, 1994 33 Scottie Pippen SF 1987–88–1997–98,
2003–04December 9, 2005 Phil Jackson Coach 1987–88–1988–89 (Assistant)
1989–90–1997–98 (Head)May 5, 1999 Johnny Kerr Coach
Business Manager
Broadcaster1966–67–1967–68 (Head Coach)
1973–74–1974–75 (Business Manager)
1977–78–2008–09 (Broadcaster)February 10, 2009 Jerry Krause General Manager March 26, 1985– April 7, 2003 October 31, 2003 Head coaches
Main article: List of Chicago Bulls head coachesDevelopmental league
The Bulls are represented in the NBADL by the Iowa Energy.
Achievements
Individual awards
- Michael Jordan – 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
- Derrick Rose – 2011
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Michael Jordan – 1988
NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout
- Craig Hodges – 1989, 1990, 1991
- Steve Kerr – 1996
NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest
- Michael Jordan – 1987, 1988
- Michael Jordan – 1985
- Elton Brand – 2000 (Co-Rookie of the Year)
- Derrick Rose – 2009
- Toni Kukoč – 1996
- Ben Gordon – 2005
- Michael Jordan – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Michael Jordan – 1988, 1996, 1998
- Scottie Pippen – 1994
NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge
- Derrick Rose – 2009
- Michael Jordan – 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999
- Luol Deng – 2007
- Johnny "Red" Kerr – 1967
- Dick Motta – 1971
- Phil Jackson – 1996
- Tom Thibodeau – 2011
- Jerry Krause – 1988, 1996
- Gar Forman – 2011 (Co-Executive of the Year)
All-NBA First Team
- Michael Jordan – 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Scottie Pippen – 1994, 1995, 1996
- Derrick Rose – 2011
All-NBA Second Team
- Bob Love – 1971, 1972
- Norm Van Lier – 1974
- Michael Jordan – 1985
- Scottie Pippen – 1992, 1997
All-NBA Third Team
- Scottie Pippen – 1993, 1998
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Jerry Sloan – 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975
- Norm Van Lier – 1974, 1976, 1977
- Michael Jordan – 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Scottie Pippen – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Dennis Rodman – 1996
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Jerry Sloan – 1970, 1971
- Norm Van Lier – 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978
- Bob Love – 1972, 1974, 1975
- Artis Gilmore – 1978
- Scottie Pippen – 1991
- Horace Grant – 1993, 1994
- Kirk Hinrich – 2007
- Ben Wallace – 2007
- Joakim Noah – 2011
- Erwin Mueller – 1967
- Clifford Ray – 1972
- Scott May – 1977
- Reggie Theus – 1979
- David Greenwood – 1980
- Quintin Dailey – 1983
- Michael Jordan – 1985
- Charles Oakley – 1986
- Elton Brand – 2000
- Kirk Hinrich – 2004
- Luol Deng – 2005
- Ben Gordon – 2005
- Derrick Rose – 2009
- Taj Gibson – 2010
- Stacey King – 1990
- Toni Kukoc – 1994
- Ron Artest – 2000
- Marcus Fizer – 2001
- Jay Williams – 2003
- Tyrus Thomas – 2007
Records
- Hold the best overall win–loss season record with 72–10 in 1995–96
- Hold the record for most consecutive home games won (44 from 1994–95 through 1995–96)
- Hold the record for most consecutive home games won, start of season, 37 in 1995–96
- Hold the record for most road games won and best overall road record in standard 41 road games, 33–8 in 1995–96
- Hold the record for the fewest points per game in a season after 1954–55 (81.9 in 1998–99)
- Hold the record for the fewest points in a game after 1954–55 (49, April 10, 1999)
- Hold the record for largest margin of victory in a NBA Finals game (42; defeated the Utah Jazz 96–54)
- Hold the record for fewest points allowed in a NBA Finals game (54 against the Utah Jazz)
- Share record for most players with 40 or more points in a game (Michael Jordan with 44 & Scottie Pippen with 40 on February 18, 1996 against the Indiana Pacers)
- Share lowest free throw percentage by two teams in one game (.410 with the Los Angeles Lakers, February 7, 1968)
- Share record for most personal fouls by two teams in one game (87 with the Portland Trail Blazers, March 16, 1984)
- Share the No. 2 best overall win–loss home record with 39–2 (with the Cleveland Cavaliers), achieved in both 1995–96 and 1996–97
- Shared record: Will Perdue for fewest minutes played by a disqualified player in a playoff game (7 against the New York Knicks, May 14, 1992)
- Dennis Rodman, most offensive rebounds in a NBA Finals game (11 twice against the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals)
- Shared record: Two teams with the fewest players to score more than ten points in a playoff game (4 with the Miami Heat, May 24, 1997)
- Highest defensive rebound percentage in a playoff game (.952 against the Golden State Warriors on April 30, 1975)
- Shared record: Highest free throw percentage by one team in a playoff game (1.000 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 1992)
- Ben Gordon, most consecutive three pointers in a game without a miss (9, shared with Latrell Sprewell)
See also
- Benny the Bull, mascot
- Bulls–Heat rivalry, current rivalry
- Bulls–Knicks rivalry of the 1990s
- Chicago Bulls all-time roster
- List of Chicago Bulls broadcasters
- Ray Clay, public address announcer (1990–2002)
- Tom Dore, television play-by-play announcer (Comcast Sportsnet)
- Tommy Edwards, public address announcer (1976–1990, 2006–present)
References
- ^ Cohen, Rachel. Lakers-Celtics should grab big TV ratings, charleston.net, June 5, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
- ^ NBA Finals Game 6 nets ratings record for NBC, Jet Magazine, July 6, 1998, available at findarticles.com. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1995–96 Game Log and Scores. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
- ^ All-Defensive Teams, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ Top 10 Teams in NBA History, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1996–97 Game Log and Scores. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
- ^ The NBA at 50, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ Robert Parish Bio, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c [1], New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
- ^ "BULLS: BULLS SCHEDULE 1998–99". Nba.com. http://www.nba.com/bulls/schedule/results_1998.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "BULLS: News". Nba.com. http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "NBA.com: February 2008 Transactions". http://www.nba.com/transactions/current_month_transactions.html. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ "KINGS ACQUIRE FOUR PLAYERS IN THREE-TEAM TRADE". NBA.com. February 18, 2009. http://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings_press_release0209.html. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
- ^ "Sources: Knicks trade for Bulls' Hughes". http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3919012. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
- ^ Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1440399,thabo-bulls-trade-021909.article.[dead link][dead link]
- ^ By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer May 3, 12:33 am EDT (July 22, 2009). "OT hold-down: Celtics top Bulls in regulation – NBA – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2009050202. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "2009 NBA Draft – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. June 21, 2009. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ By K.C. JOHNSON, Chicago Tribune May 4, 2:20 pm EDT (May 4, 2010). "No timetable for new Bulls coach; Pax apologizes". ChicagoBreakingSports.com. http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/05/bulls-address-del-negro-firing.html. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ K.C. Johnson, Thibodeau accepts Bulls' 3-year offer to be their 18th head coach, Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2010.
- ^ "Thibodeau named 18th head coach in franchise history". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 23, 2010. http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/thibodeau_hired_100623.html. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ "BULLS: Tommy Edwards". Nba.com. September 12, 2006. http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/edwards_060912.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Ask Sam Smith: The Tribune's pro basketball reporter answers reader questions". ChicagoSports.com. April 26, 2007. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/askthewriter/cs-070426asksamsmith,1,1025838.story?page=2&coll=cs-bulls-ask-headlines. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
- ^ "Bulls Take Game 1". ComcastSportsNet.com. April 24, 2005. http://chicago.comcastsportsnet.com/view_content_1p.asp?ID=8033. Retrieved September 9, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ "Tradition broken". ESPN. April 24, 2009. http://www.blogabull.com/2009/4/24/851230/image-fanshot. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
- ^ K.C. Johnson. "No clowning around: A win". Chicago Tribune. November 25, 2004. 1.
- ^ Kuc, Chris (November 14, 2007). "Blackhawks' circus trip starts with thud". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071114hawksgamer,0,2422486.story. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "NBA Celebrates St. Patrick's Day With Green Uniforms". NBA.com. March 6, 2006. http://www.nba.com/news/stpatricks_060306.html. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "NBA Teams Paint the Town Green With Special Edition St. Patrick's Day Uniforms". NBA.com. March 8, 2007. http://www.nba.com/news/stpats_uniforms_070308.html. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ Michael Jordan – Welcome to classicsportsgamesondvd.com
- ^ "Bulls return to ESPN 1000". Nba.com. October 29, 2007. http://www.nba.com/bulls/schedule/espn1000_071029.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Bulls broadcast partners". Nba.com. October 27, 2007. http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/radio_affiliates_001017.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Bulls Schedule". Nba.com. http://www.nba.com/bulls/schedule/. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
External links
- Chicago Bulls official website
- History of the Chicago Bulls (nba.com)
- Chicago Bulls career leaders (basketball-reference.com)
- Sports E-Cyclopedia
National Basketball Association Annual events: Draft · Summer League (Orlando) · Christmas Day · All-Star Weekend (Game · MVP) · Celebrity Game · Rookie Challenge · Shooting Stars · Skills Challenge · Slam Dunk Contest · Three-Point Shootout · Playoffs · Finals (MVP)Others: 50 Greatest Players · Arenas · Awards · BAA · Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Members) · Criticisms and controversies · D-League · Dress code · Defunct teams · Draft eligibility · Europe Live Tour · First overall draft picks · Head coaches (Current · Player-coaches · Champions) · Lockouts · Larry O'Brien Trophy · Midwest Division · NBA champions · NBA Store · NBA TV · NBL · Players (Current rosters · Foreign players · Banned or suspended) · NBA records (regular season, post-season, All-Star Game) · Relocated teams · Rivalries · Salary cap · Seasons · WNBACategories:- National Basketball Association teams
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- Sports clubs established in 1966
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