Chicago Bulls
Founded in 1966, the Chicago Bulls were able to fill their initial roster via the expansion draft the same year. In the franchise’s first year, the Bulls not only had the best record of any expansion team in NBA history but also qualified for the playoffs.
Chicago’s legacy before and after the ’90s pales in comparison to its time as the NBA’s greatest dynasty. With coach Phil Jackson and Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the Bulls won six championships via two three-peats. During this time, the franchise grew the NBA’s fandom significantly and created lasting rivalries with the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks.
Among many accolades, the Chicago Bulls are the only NBA team in history to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series. The franchise also became the first in history to win 70 games or more in a single season (1995–96). Since Jordan’s final exit from basketball, the Bulls have struggled to experience much success. Key players who have revitalized the team’s fandom include Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
- Founded: 1966
- Championships: six NBA championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
- Additional achievements: six conference titles (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) and nine division titles (1975, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2012)
- Arena: United Center
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Read the latest articles about the Chicago Bulls:
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen had no interest in patching things up with John Paxson.
Michael Jordan had to gauge the state of his body and basketball skills before making his return to the NBA and the Chicago Bulls. He did so in a couple of secret scrimmages with the Golden State Warriors.
During Michael Jordan’s iconic NBA career with the Chicago Bulls, he once had a group of trick-or-treaters knock on his door. MJ did, in fact, answer, but the Halloween gift he handed out wasn’t candy. It was, however, still very on-brand for the superstar, specifically at that time in his career.
Allen Iverson had a rough go of things the first time he played against a a dynastic Chicago Bulls team. The rookie tried talking trash to Michael Jordan and Co., and it didn’t work out well for him, prompting Dennis Rodman to react to AI’s performance with an iconic quotable.
Utah Jazz legend John Stockton faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in back-to-back Finals in 1997 and 1998.
Alex Caruso’s defensive playmaking abilities and communicative skills are having an instant impact on a Chicago Bulls team that ranks second in defensive rating early in the 2021-22 NBA season. Can Caruso and Co. maintain their defensive excellence in November, when the schedule gets much tougher?
Former Milwaukee Bucks star and three-time All-NBA wing Marques Johnson is one of the more notable NBA 75 snubs. His exclusion from the list feels all the more notable when considering Michael Jordan used to idolize him when MJ’s legendary career was still in its nascent stages.
On June 11, 1997, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan played in his famous “Flu Game” against the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals. Although it’s called the “Flu Game,” Jordan was actually suffering from food poisoning after eating pizza in his hotel room the night before.
Phil Jackson steered the Chicago Bulls to one of the greatest dynasties in sports history in the 1990s. However, he did not believe the methods that made him so successful in the Windy City would be applicable to Team USA and international competitions.
Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan are both Hall of Famers, as Drexler had a legendary career with the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, while MJ had a ton of success with the Chicago Bulls. But Drexler refused to say that Jordan was a better player than he was, even 20 years after his career.
