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The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Bulls won 6 NBA Championships during the 1990s, aided by Michael Jordan, who was named "the greatest athlete of the 20th century" by ESPN.

Home arenas

1. International Amphitheatre (1966-1967)
2. Chicago Stadium (1967-1994)
3. United Center (1994-present)

Franchise history

Early years

The Chicago Bulls are actually the third NBA team in Chicago, after the Packers/Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946-1950). Today, the Bulls occasionally wear the throwback blue and red jerseys from the Stags. The team began play for the 1966-67 season, and immediately posted the best record by an expansion team in NBA history, qualifying for the playoffs. During its first two seasons, the Bulls played a majority of their home games at the International Amphitheatre, before moving all of their home games 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 center Tom Boerwinkle. Nevertheless, the team only won one division title, and never made it to the Finals.

By the late 1970s and early 1980's, 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.

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 Quentin Daly and Ennis Whatley. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change directions, trading Theus during the 1983-84 season.

Arrival of Michael Jordan

In the summer of 1984 the team's fortunes changed for good when it received the third pick of the NBA draft, after Houston and Portland. After the Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon and the Blazers jumped on Sam Bowie, the Bulls grabbed shooting guard Michael Jordan out of the University of North Carolina. Jordan would go on to redefine the game and rewrite its record books, establishing himself as the greatest player of all time.

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 berth on the All-NBA second team and Rookie of the Year.

In the offseason, the team acquired point guard John Paxson and drafted power forward Charles Oakley. Along with Jordan and center Dave Corzine, they provided much of the Bulls' offense for the next two years. After Jordan suffered a broken foot early in the season, the team also acquired NBA legend George Gervin to help with scoring, which he did, finishing 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, prompting Bird to call him 'God disguised as Michael Jordan.'

In 1986-87 Jordan continued his assault on the record books, leading the league in scoring with 37.1 points per game and being the first Bull named to the all-NBA first team. However, the Bulls were again swept by the Celtics in the playoffs. In 1987-88 Krause selected center Olden Polynice 8th overall and power forward Horace Grant 10th overall in the NBA draft, 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, winning 50 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were beaten by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons in five games. However, for his efforts Jordan was named NBA Most Valuable Player, the first of five such awards.

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 to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright and a draft pick which they used on center Will Perdue. The new starting lineup of Paxson, Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright took some time to mesh, winning fewer games than the previous season, but making 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 Doug Collins was replaced by assistant Phil Jackson, who brought along Tex Winter, a specialist in the triangle offense. The Bulls also picked up rookie center Stacey King and rookie point guard B.J. Armstrong in the 1989 draft. With these additional pieces 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 by Detroit.

1990s and their first championship three-peat

By the 1990-91 season, the Bulls had run out of excuses, and charged through the year with a mission. They recorded a franchise record 61 wins, and romped through the playoffs, where they swept the Pistons in the conference finals and won the Finals in five over the Magic Johnson-led 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 1991-92 after racking up another franchise record for wins with 67. They prevailed over the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler in six games. Jordan won regular season MVP and Finals MVP once again, to go with his sixth straight scoring title.

In 1992-93 the Bulls did what no team had done since the legendary Celtics of the 60's by chalking up the three-peat over regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, with John Paxson's shot that gave them a 99-98 victory in Game six at Phoenix. Jordan was once again the Finals MVP after setting a Finals record for points per game. He also tied Wilt Chamberlain by winning his seventh straight scoring title.

During the summer, Jordan shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement, only months after learning of his father's murder. The Bulls were led by Scottie Pippen, who had established himself as one of the top players in the league. 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 regular season, where they won 55 games, they were beaten in seven games by the Knicks in the second round, after a controversial foul call by referee Hue Hollins in game 5 of that series.

Return of Jordan and another three-peat

In 1994, the Bulls lost Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright to free agency, but picked up all-star shooting guard Ron Harper. 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, Myers, and centers Luc Longley 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 still not strong enough to overcome the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, which included Horace Grant 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). This was because during his first retirement, his jersey had been retired. However, Jordan switched back to the familiar 23 later on and got fined.

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 ballistic rebounder Dennis Rodman, who had won the past four rebounding titles. With a lineup of Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Kerr, Kukoc, Wennington and guards Randy Brown and Jud Buechler, 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, which remains the best record in the league for an 82-game season. Jordan won his eighth scoring title, and Rodman his fifth straight rebounding title, while Kerr led the league in three-point shooting. Jordan garnered the elusive triple-crown with the regular season MVP, all-star game MVP, and Finals MVP. Krause won executive of the year, Jackson coach of the year, and Kukoc was 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. The team triumphed over Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics for their fourth title.

The Bulls repeated their excellence in 1996-97 by tying the second best record in league history at 69-13 and winning their fifth NBA championship over John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. Jordan earned his second straight scoring title and ninth overall, while Rodman earned his sixth straight rebounding title.

They achieved the repeat three-peat by winning 62 regular season games and the 1998 NBA Finals. Jordan bagged his third straight scoring title and tenth overall, and his second triple crown with his fifth MVP award, third all-star game MVP, and sixth Finals MVP award. Rodman earned his record seventh straight rebounding title, as the Bulls upended the Jazz for the second straight year. In the sixth and final game of the championship series, Jordan stepped back and buried a game winning jumpshot with five seconds left on the clock - his final shot as a Chicago Bull.

A dramatic dismantling

The summer of 1998 brought an abrupt end to the championship era. 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 sink the team 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 cast-offs from the Houston Rockets, none of whom made the Bulls' roster. He did not re-sign Phil Jackson because Jackson was interested in a job with the Los Angeles Lakers, prompting Michael Jordan to retire for the second time. Krause also declined to resign Dennis Rodman, and traded Luc Longley and Steve Kerr for draft picks. He hired a new coach with no professional experience, Tim Floyd, who had run a successful program at Iowa State University. 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 with little help the team crashed and burned, winning 13 of 50 games.

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, Brown, 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 spurn 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 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 were 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 2002-2003 season, the Bulls came to play with much optimism. They picked up college phenom Jay Williams with the second pick in the draft. Rose and Williams teamed with 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 announcer 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 2003-2004 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 athletic ability. He won a place on the All-Rookie first team.

Resurgence

During the 2004 off-season, Paxson traded a 2005 draft pick to the Phoenix Suns in return for an additional pick in the 2004 draft. He used the picks to select University of 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 Andres Nocioni, who had recently won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the Argentinian national team. The team, had the youngest starting line-up (average age), and the second youngest team, behind the Phoenix Suns (although that would change when they traded Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis to the Knicks). After a discouraging 0-9 start, the Bulls began to show signs of improvement, relying on tenacious team defense and several fourth-quarter explosions from Gordon. The Bulls made it over .500 in their 39th game of the season, finishing the regular season with the 3rd best record in the Eastern Conference and the fourth seed in the playoffs, their first trip to the post-season since Jordan left.

Unfortunately, injuries late in the season cost them the services of Deng and Curry, leaving the Bulls without a dependable scoring presence in the middle. Coincidentally, the team they faced in the first round was the Washington Wizards, the team Jordan played for when he came out of retirement for a second time. Despite opening the series with two electrifying wins at home, the injury-depleted Bulls lost the next four games and the series. 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 off-season, the Bulls re-signed free agent Tyson Chandler. However, Curry showed possible symptoms of a heart disease, 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 lottery pick in the 2006 draft - as well as the right to swap picks with New York in the 2007 draft.

Without a significant post presence, the Bulls struggled for most of the 2005-06 season. However, a late-season surge propelled them back to .500 (finishing with a 41-41 record) and into the playoffs for the second season in a row, with the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round match-up against the second-seeded Miami Heat, who later went on to win the 2005-06 NBA championship in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks. After two close losses, the Bulls broke through with a blowout win in Game 3, and another win in Game 4. The Heat took the next two games to win the series, though, and the Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs. However, the team's several young players earned valuable post-season experience, and Nocioni turned in a remarkable series of performances that far exceeded his season averages.

With two first-round picks and a great deal of salary cap space, the Bulls went into the summer with a chance to improve even further. They acquired forward Tyrus Thomas from LSU and Portland TrailBlazers forward Viktor Khryapa in a draft day trade, and Swiss guard Thabo Sefolosha in a separate deal. All of that was prelude, however. On July 3, 2006, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace chose to leave Detroit and agreed to sign with the Bulls for what was reported as $60 million over four years. The signing of Wallace allowed the Bulls to trade Tyson Chandler, the last remaining player of the Krause era, to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for veteran power forward P.J. Brown and salary cap space that was used to sign former Bulls co-captain and gritty perimeter defender Adrian Griffin.

Playoff tradition

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 when Michael Jordan started leading them to the playoffs. It was noted when the Bulls made their first playoff appearance during the 2004-2005 season after a six year hiatus, they went back to the tradition and sported black shoes. Another tradition is that for road contests, they only wear their red road uniforms, never the black alternate uniforms.

Season-by-season records

Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

†-season in progress

Players of Note

Basketball Hall of Famers

• George Gervin
• Robert Parish
• Nate Thurmond

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were members of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and are expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when they become eligible.

Notable Players

• B.J. Armstrong
• Ron Artest
• Tom Boerwinkle
• Bob Boozer
• Elton Brand
• Jud Buechler
• Bill Cartwright
• Dave Corzine
• Artis Gilmore
• Horace Grant
• Ron Harper
• Craig Hodges
• Steve Kerr
• Toni Kukoč
• Luc Longley
• Bob Love
• Charles Oakley
• John Paxson
• Dennis Rodman
• Jerry Sloan
• Reggie Theus
• Norm Van Lier
• Chet Walker
• Bill Wennington

Retired numbers

• 4 Jerry Sloan, G, 1966-76
• 10 Bob Love, F, 1968-76
• 23 Michael Jordan, G, 1984-93 & 1995-98
• 33 Scottie Pippen, F, 1987-98, 2003-04

• Phil Jackson, Head Coach, 1989-98
• Jerry Krause, General Manager, 1985-2003

Note: Jackson and Krause do not have actual numbers retired in their honor; rather, two banners hang from the rafters pay tribute to them.

Recent NBA Draft Selections

This List Only Includes Major Selections

• 2006 - LaMarcus Aldridge (Round 1, 2nd pick); Rodney Carney (Round 1, 16th pick)
• 2004 - Ben Gordon (Round 1, 3rd pick); Luol Deng (Round 1, 7th pick); Chris Duhon (Round 2, 9th pick)
• 2003 - Kirk Hinrich (Round 1, 7th pick)
• 2002 - Jay Williams (Round 1, 2nd pick)
• 2001 - Eddy Curry (Round 1, 4th pick)
• 2000 - Marcus Fizer (Round 1, 4th pick); Chris Mihm (Round 1, 7th pick)
• 1999 - Elton Brand (Round 1, 1st pick); Ron Artest (Round 1, 16th pick)

Other

Awards

• Michael Jordan - 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 Most Valuable Player
• Elton Brand - 2000 Co-Rookie of the Year
• Michael Jordan - 1985 Rookie of the Year
• Toni Kukoč - 1996 Sixth Man Award
• Phil Jackson - 1996 Coach of the Year
• Dick Motta - 1971 Coach of the Year
• Johnny Kerr - 1967 Coach of the Year
• Michael Jordan - 1988 Defensive Player of the Year
• Ben Gordon - 2005 Sixth Man Award
• Michael Jordan - 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 Finals MVP

Records

• Hold the best overall win-loss season record with 72-10 in 1996
• Hold the record for most consecutive home games won (44 from 1994-95 through 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)
• 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)
• Michael Jordan, most points in a playoff game (63 against the Boston Celtics, April 20, 1986)
• Michael Jordan, most consecutive playoff games with 20 or more points (60 from March 2, 1989 to May 11, 1993)
• Michael Jordan, most free throws made in one quarter of a playoff game (13 against the Detroit Pistons, May 21, 1991)
• Michael Jordan, most free throw attempts made in one quarter of a playoff game (13 against the Detroit Pistons, May 21, 1991)
• Michael Jordan, most three-point field goals in one half of a playoff game (6 against the Portland Trail Blazers, June 3, 1992)
• 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)
• Michael Jordan, most points in a three-game playoff series (135 against the Miami Heat in 1992)
• Michael Jordan, most points in a five-game playoff series (226 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1998)
• Michael Jordan, most field goals in a three-game playoff series (53 against the Miami Heat in 1992)
• Michael Jordan, most field goals in a five-game playoff series (86 against the Philadelphia 76ers in 1990)
• Michael Jordan, most field goals in a six-game playoff series (101 against the Phoenix Suns in 1993)
• 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 (9)

Trivia

• The Bulls use the song On The Run by Pink Floyd when introducing the visiting team. For the home team introductions, the song Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project is played. Coincidentally, Alan Parsons was the engineer for the album The Dark Side of the Moon, which "On the Run" appears on.
• The bull's horns have blood on them.

See also

• Bulls-Knicks rivalry of the 1990s
• Ray Clay, longtime public address announcer
• Tom Dore, television play-by-play announcer
• Johnny "Red" Kerr, television colorman
• Wayne Larrivee, television play-by-play announcer
• Neil Funk, radio play-by-play announcer
• Benny the Bull, mascot

External links

• Chicago Bulls official web site
• Ticket and Arena Information
• Bullscast - Chicago Bulls Podcast

• National Basketball Association teams
• Chicago Bulls
• Chicago culture
• Sports clubs established in 1966
• 1990s fads