Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by CeltBrowne (talk | contribs) at 07:03, 18 November 2024 (→1998–2004: The Baby Bulls). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Chicago Bulls
2024–25 Chicago Bulls season
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1966
History	Chicago Bulls 1966–present
Arena	United Center
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Team colors	Bulls red, black, white
Main sponsor	Motorola Mobility
President	Michael Reinsdorf
General manager	Marc Eversley
Head coach	Billy Donovan
Ownership	Jerry Reinsdorf
Affiliation(s)	Windy City Bulls
Championships	6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Conference titles	6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Division titles	9 (1975, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2012)
Retired numbers	4 (4, 10, 23, 33)
Website	www.nba.com/bulls
Association Icon Statement

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16, 1966, and played its first game during the 1966–67 NBA season. The Bulls play their home games at the United Center, an arena on Chicago's West Side.

The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they played a major part in popularizing the NBA worldwide. They are known for having one of the NBA's greatest dynasties, winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats. All six of their championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series in their history.

The Bulls won 72 games during the 1995–96 season, setting an NBA record that stood until the Golden State Warriors won 73 games during the 2015–16 season. The Bulls were the first team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season, and the only NBA franchise to do so until the 2015–16 Warriors.

Since 1998, the Bulls have failed to regain their former success. The franchise struggled throughout the 2000s, but showed promise in the early 2010s led by Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, culminating in back-to-back seasons above .732 in 2010–11 and 2011–12. An ACL tear suffered by Rose and subsequent trades of key players triggered a rebuild, culminating in the lineup built around All-Stars Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević.

Jordan and Rose won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Bulls, for a total of six MVP awards. The Bulls share rivalries with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks. The Bulls' rivalry with the Pistons was highlighted heavily during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Outside of basketball, the Chicago Bulls are also known for their community work through their charity department, which provides youth and not-for-profit organizations with tickets to games and merchandise.

History

1966–1975: Team creation and early success

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

On January 16, 1966, Chicago was granted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise to be called the Bulls. The Chicago Bulls became the third NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946–1950) and the Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (1961–1963, now the Washington Wizards). The Bulls' founder, Dick Klein, was the Bulls' only owner to ever play professional basketball (for the Chicago American Gears). He served as the Bulls' general manager and president in their initial years.

After the 1966 NBA Expansion Draft, the newly founded Chicago Bulls were allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league for the upcoming 1966–67 season. They would be coached by Chicagoan and former NBA All-Star Johnny "Red" Kerr. That season, the team played their first game in franchise history on October 15. Played on the road, their first game was an upset victory over the St. Louis Hawks. They went on to post a 33–48 record, the best by an expansion team in NBA history. Led by guards Guy Rodgers and Jerry Sloan, and forward Bob Boozer, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs, the only NBA team to do so in their inaugural season. Kerr received Coach of the Year honors for the season. Rodgers and Sloan were named All-Stars during the season, with the former leading the league in assists.

In their first season, the Bulls played their home games at the International Amphitheatre, before moving to Chicago Stadium.

Fan interest was diminishing after four seasons, with one game in the 1967–68 season having an official attendance of 891 and some games being played in Kansas City. In 1969, Klein dropped out of the general manager job and hired Pat Williams, who as the Philadelphia 76ers' business manager created promotions that helped the team become third in attendance the previous season. Williams revamped the team roster, acquiring Chet Walker from Philadelphia in exchange for Jim Washington and drafting Norm Van Lier – who was traded to the Cincinnati Royals and only joined the Bulls in 1971 – while also investing in promotion, with actions such as creating mascot Benny the Bull. The Bulls under Williams and head coach Dick Motta qualified for four straight playoffs and had attendances grow to over 10,000. In 1972, the Bulls set a franchise win–loss record at 57 wins and 25 losses. During the 1970s, the Bulls relied on Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, point guard Norm Van Lier, and centers Clifford Ray and Tom Boerwinkle. The team made the conference finals in 1975 but lost to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors, 4 games to 3.

After four 50-win seasons, Williams returned to Philadelphia, and Motta decided to take on the role of general manager as well. The Bulls ended up declining, winning only 24 games in the 1975–76 season. Motta was fired and replaced by Ed Badger.

1976–1984: Gilmore and Theus duo

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Klein sold the Bulls to the Wirtz family, longtime owners of the Chicago Blackhawks. Indifferent to NBA basketball, the new ownership group infamously implemented a shoestring budget, putting little time and investment into improving the team.

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.

In 1979, the Bulls lost a coin flip for the right to select first in the NBA draft (Rod Thorn, the Bulls' general manager, called "heads"). Had the Bulls won the toss, they would have selected 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.

After Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for center Dave Corzine, the Bulls employed a high-powered offense centered on Theus, and which soon included guards Quintin Dailey and Ennis Whatley. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change direction, trading Theus to the Kansas City Kings during the 1983–84 season. Attendance began to dwindle, with the Wirtz family looking to sell to ownership groups interested in moving the team out of Chicago, before selling to local ownership.

1984–1990: Michael Jordan era begins

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In the summer of 1984, the Bulls had the third pick of the 1984 NBA draft, after Houston and Portland. The Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon, the Blazers picked Sam Bowie and the Bulls chose shooting guard Michael Jordan. 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 (third in the league) and steals (fourth), and led the Bulls back to the playoffs, where they lost in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a selection to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

In the following off-season, 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 led the eighth-place Bulls against the 67–15 Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird. At the time, the Bulls had the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history. 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 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. The Bulls finished 40–42, which was good enough to qualify them for the playoffs. However, they were again swept by the Celtics in the playoffs.

In the 1987 draft, to address their lack of depth, Krause selected center Olden Polynice eighth overall and power forward Horace Grant 10th overall, then sent Polynice to Seattle in a draft-day trade for the fifth 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 won 50 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they were beaten by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions Detroit Pistons in five games. 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 to 1991.

The 1988–89 season marked a second straight year of major off-season moves. Power forward Charles Oakley, who had led the league in total rebounds in both 1987 and 1988, was traded on the eve of the 1988 NBA draft to the New York Knicks along with a first-round draft pick used by the Knicks to select Rod Strickland for center Bill Cartwright and a first-round pick, which the Bulls used to obtain center Will Perdue. In addition, the Bulls acquired three-point shooter 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 defeated in six games by the 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 Pippen. There was also a major change during the off-season, where head coach Doug Collins was replaced by assistant coach 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 eliminated for the third straight year, the Pistons going on to repeat as NBA champions.

1990–1993: First championship three-peat

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In the 1990–91 season, the Bulls recorded a then-franchise record 61 wins, and romped through the playoffs, where they swept the Knicks in the first round, defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the semifinals, and then swept the defending champion Pistons in the Conference Finals, then winning the NBA Finals in five games over the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers.

The Bulls won their second straight title in 1992 after racking up another franchise record for wins with 67. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round, defeated the Knicks in seven games in the second round, then the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the third round, advancing to the Finals for the second year in a row where they defeated the Clyde Drexler-led Portland Trail Blazers in six games.

In 1993, the Bulls won their third consecutive championship by defeating the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in the first three rounds of the playoffs and then defeating regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in the Finals, with Paxson's three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left giving them a 99–98 victory in Game 6 in Phoenix.

1993–1995: Jordan's first retirement and the Scottie Pippen era

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

On October 6, 1993, Michael Jordan shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement, three months after 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 winning 55 games during the 1993–94 season, 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 NBA Finals that year, but lost to the Houston Rockets. 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 Grant, Cartwright and Scott Williams to free agency, and John Paxson to retirement, but picked up shooting guard Ron Harper, the seeming heir apparent to Jordan in assistant coach Tex Winter's triple-post offense, and small-forward Jud Buechler. The Bulls started Armstrong and Harper in the backcourt, Pippen and Kukoč 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, the Bulls struggled during the season, and on March 18, 1995, they received the news that Michael Jordan was coming out of retirement. He scored 55 points against the Knicks in only his fifth game back, and led the Bulls to the fifth seed in the playoffs, where they defeated the Charlotte Hornets. However, Jordan and the Bulls were unable to overcome the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, which included Horace Grant, Penny Hardaway, and Shaquille O'Neal.

In the off-season, the Bulls lost Armstrong in the expansion draft, and Krause traded Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for 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.

1995–1998: Return of Michael Jordan and second championship three-peat

With a lineup of Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Harper and Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Steve Kerr, Kukoč, Wennington, Buechler, and guard Randy Brown, the Bulls were seen as the team to win again for the NBA Finals.

The Bulls started their 1995–96 campaign with a 105–91 win over the visiting Hornets. In that game, Michael Jordan recorded 42 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the Bulls. The next game, they were up against the Boston Celtics. The Bulls scored 35 points in the third quarter as they pulled away against the Celtics, 107–85. Six Bulls players scored in double figures in this win. The 1995–96 Bulls posted one of the best single-season improvements in league history and the best single-season record at that time, moving from 47–35 to 72–10, becoming the first NBA team to win 70 or more games. 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 NBA MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP, and NBA Finals MVP. Krause was named NBA Executive of the Year, Jackson Coach of the Year, and Kukoč 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 one of several teams in NBA history with three players on the All-Defensive First Team.

In addition, the 1995–96 team 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), 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. The team triumphed over the Miami Heat in the first round, the New York Knicks in the second round, the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals and finally 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.

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. They repeated their home dominance, going 39–2 at the United Center. The Bulls capped the season by defeating the Bullets, Hawks and Heat in the first three rounds of the playoffs en route to 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. 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.

The 1997–98 season was one of turmoil for the NBA champion Bulls. Many speculated this would be Michael Jordan's final season with the team. 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. 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 Keith Van Horn, 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. 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 sixth Eastern Conference title.

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. Scottie Pippen left early in the first quarter due to an ongoing back injury. He came back at the start of the second half, and after a trip or two to the locker room to get physical therapy, came back out to finish the game. Late in the game and down by three points to the Jazz, Michael Jordan led the Bulls to one final win. Jordan hit a shot 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, giving the Bulls their 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.

1998–2008: Post-Jordan era and a decade of struggle

1998–2004: The Baby Bulls

The summer of 1998 marked the end of the Bulls' championship era. GM Jerry Krause, citing the team's aging roster, opted to rebuild rather than face decline. He traded Scottie Pippen for minimal returns, let Dennis Rodman walk, and dealt other key players for draft picks. Krause also hired coach Tim Floyd to replace Phil Jackson. Michael Jordan announced his second retirement, leaving the Bulls with a new starting lineup featuring Toni Kukoč, who led the team but couldn't prevent a 13-37 record in the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, which included a record-low 49 points in a game against Miami.

Winning the draft lottery provided a highlight, allowing the Bulls to draft Elton Brand. Despite his stellar rookie season and co-Rookie of the Year honors, injuries and trades left the team floundering at 17-65 in 1999–2000. Attempts to attract top free agents failed, and new additions like Brad Miller and Ron Mercer didn't improve results, leading to a league-worst 15-67 record the following season. Krause shocked fans by trading Brand for Tyson Chandler and drafting Eddy Curry, both seen as long-term prospects. Without veteran leadership, the team struggled, despite mid-season trades and a coaching change from Floyd to Bill Cartwright, finishing with only 21 wins.

Optimism returned in 2002–03 with the addition of Jay Williams and a young, talented core, but inconsistency limited progress to 30-52. Krause retired in 2003, and John Paxson became GM. Williams' career was derailed by a motorcycle accident, and Pippen's return was marred by injuries. The 2003–04 season saw setbacks from Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, leading to Cartwright's firing and Scott Skiles' hiring. A major trade shifted the team's strategy to defense, but the Bulls still finished 23-59. Kirk Hinrich emerged as a fan favorite, earning All-Rookie honors amid another disappointing season.

2004–2009: Rebuilding

Between 2004 and 2008, the Chicago Bulls underwent notable roster transformations and fluctuating on-court results in their efforts to rebuild as a competitive team. In the 2004 NBA Draft, General Manager John Paxson acquired Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Chris Duhon while also signing Andrés Nocioni, a gold medalist with Argentina. Despite beginning the season with nine consecutive losses, the team recovered to finish 47–35, making their first playoff appearance since 1998. However, injuries to Deng and Eddy Curry contributed to a first-round exit against the Washington Wizards. Ben Gordon received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

During the 2005 offseason, Curry’s heart condition raised concerns, leading to his trade to the New York Knicks in exchange for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas and future draft picks. The Bulls struggled without a significant post presence but managed a 12–2 late-season run, finishing 41–41. They qualified for the playoffs but were defeated by the Miami Heat, who went on to win the championship. Despite the loss, key players gained valuable postseason experience.

In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Bulls traded for Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha and signed veteran defensive player Ben Wallace to a four-year deal. Tyson Chandler, the last player from the Krause era, was traded to the Hornets. Chicago recovered from a poor start to finish the season with a 49–33 record. In the playoffs, they swept the defending champion Miami Heat, marking their first series victory since 1998. Their postseason ended in the next round with a 4–2 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

The 2007 offseason brought speculation of major trades involving players like Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant, but none materialized. The Bulls began the 2007–08 season poorly, leading to the dismissal of head coach Scott Skiles in December. Interim coach Jim Boylan was appointed but could not reverse the team’s fortunes, and they ended the season with a 33–49 record. In a midseason trade, the team acquired Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, and others in exchange for Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. Following the season, Boylan was not retained, and the search for a new head coach culminated in the hiring of Vinny Del Negro, a rookie coach supported by experienced assistants Del Harris, Bernie Bickerstaff, and Bob Ociepka.

2008–2016: Derrick Rose era

2008–2010: Appearance of Derrick Rose

With a slim 1.7 percent chance of winning the rights to draft first overall, 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 from the University of Memphis 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 Ömer Aşık from the Portland Trail Blazers (selected with the 36th pick) for Denver's 2009 second-round draft pick, New York's 2009 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 2008–09 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 Andrés Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Michael Ruffin to the Sacramento Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons. 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. 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. 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 an NBA Playoffs Series, the Boston Celtics managed to overcome the Bulls after 7 games and 7 overtime periods played.

The Bulls had two first-round picks in the 2009 NBA draft and decided to take Wake Forest stand out forward James Johnson and athletic USC forward Taj Gibson. 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. 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.

2010–2011: Arrival of Tom Thibodeau and Rose's MVP year

In early June 2010, Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau accepted a three-year contract to fill the Bulls' head coaching vacancy. He was officially introduced on June 23. On July 7, 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 sharpshooter Kyle Korver to a three-year, $15 million contract. The same day that the 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 Celtic Brian Scalabrine.

Rose earned the 2011 NBA MVP Award, thereby becoming the youngest player in NBA history to win it. He became the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to win the award. As a team, Chicago finished the regular season with a league-best 62–20 record and clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1998. The Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks in five and six games, respectively, thereby reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1998, and faced the Miami Heat. After winning the first game of the series, they lost the next four games, ending their season.

2011–2014: Injury-plagued seasons for Derrick Rose

The Chicago Bulls underwent significant roster changes and faced challenges between the 2011–2014 seasons, navigating injuries to star players while attempting to remain competitive. In the 2011 NBA Draft, the Bulls selected Jimmy Butler with the 30th overall pick. During the offseason, they signed veteran guard Rip Hamilton to a three-year deal and extended Derrick Rose’s contract for five years at $94.8 million. Rose and Luol Deng earned All-Star selections during the 2011–12 season, marking the first Bulls duo in the All-Star game since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Despite Rose missing much of the season due to injuries, the Bulls finished with the NBA's best record (50–16) and secured the Eastern Conference's top seed.

In the first round of the playoffs, Rose tore his ACL during Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, sidelining him for the remainder of the series. Joakim Noah also sustained a foot injury during Game 3. The Bulls, weakened by these absences, lost the series in six games, becoming one of the few first-seeded teams eliminated by an eighth-seed. Subsequent roster changes saw the departures of key players, including Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, and Ömer Aşık, while the team added Marco Belinelli, Nate Robinson, and Nazr Mohammed.

Rose missed the entire 2012–13 season, yet the Bulls finished 45–37 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a seven-game victory over the Brooklyn Nets. They were eliminated by the Miami Heat in five games. During the season, the Bulls snapped both Miami's 27-game winning streak and the New York Knicks' 13-game winning streak, becoming the second team in NBA history to snap two winning streaks of 13 games or more in a season.

In 2013–14, Rose sustained another significant injury, tearing his medial meniscus just 10 games into the season, sidelining him once again. The Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers midseason, receiving Andrew Bynum and draft picks in return, though Bynum was immediately waived. Despite finishing 48–34 and earning home-court advantage in the playoffs, the Bulls were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Wizards. Joakim Noah was a standout performer, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, an All-NBA First Team selection, and placing fourth in MVP voting.

During the 2014 offseason, the Bulls made notable moves in the draft and free agency. They traded two first-round picks to acquire Doug McDermott, added Cameron Bairstow in the second round, and signed veteran star Pau Gasol. The team also brought over Nikola Mirotić, a EuroLeague talent acquired via a 2011 draft-day trade, and re-signed Kirk Hinrich to bolster the roster.

2014–2015: Return of Derrick Rose to health and rise of Jimmy Butler

The 2014–15 season brought renewed optimism to the Chicago Bulls with the return of Derrick Rose, alongside the addition of two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol. The team, bolstered by a deep roster featuring Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotić, Tony Snell, Aaron Brooks, Doug McDermott and Kirk Hinrich was considered one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference, alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls started the season strong, winning seven of their first nine games, although they took notable losses to the Cavaliers and Celtics.

Jimmy Butler's rise as a primary scorer, going from 13 to 20 points per game, was a standout story, positioning him as a candidate for the "Most Improved Player of the Year" award. Gasol's consistent double-double performances added significant value, and both Butler and Gasol were selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Despite this, the Bulls struggled with consistency in the second half of the season, with Rose publicly expressing frustration over the team's lack of cohesion. Tensions between head coach Tom Thibodeau and the front office, led by Gar Forman and John Paxson, also created internal instability.

The Bulls finished the regular season with a 50–32 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the Milwaukee Bucks, quickly establishing a 3–0 lead in the series before allowing the Bucks to win two games in a row. However, the Bulls dominated in Game 6, winning by a playoff-record 54 points to advance 4–2. The next round saw a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James. The Bulls initially shocked the Cavs in Game 1, but Cleveland responded strongly, winning the next three games, including a buzzer-beater by LeBron in Game 4. Despite a dramatic Game 3 win by Derrick Rose on a last-second three-pointer, the Bulls were ultimately defeated 4–2, ending their playoff run. Following the series, speculation about Thibodeau's future with the team intensified due to the ongoing tensions with the front office.

2015–2016: Change in approach

On May 28, 2015, the Bulls fired Tom Thibodeau to seek a "change in approach". The Bulls named Fred Hoiberg as their head coach on June 2, 2015. The Bulls had only 1 draft pick in the 2015 NBA draft, and selected center Bobby Portis from the University of Arkansas. Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy Jr. was ruled out for at least the first four months of the season after completing back surgery. With Dunleavy out indefinitely, the Bulls promoted Doug McDermott to the starting lineup in his place at small forward. Before the season started, coach Fred Hoiberg made an incredibly controversial move by putting Nikola Mirotić as his starting power forward to pair with center Pau Gasol, meaning Joakim Noah, a long-time Bulls veteran and a fan-favorite was to come off the bench. Hoiberg told the media that the move was suggested by Noah himself but Noah denied having made any suggestions to Hoiberg, which sparked a distrust between the two before the season even began.

The Bulls started the 2015–16 season off well with an impressive season-opening 97–95 victory against archrivals and defending Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers and jumped to an 8–3 record in the first month. The Bulls went 10–9 and through late November and December. The Bulls came back and won six straight games. However, soon afterwards, they lost 12 of their next 17 games and Butler missed four weeks after injuring his knee. The Bulls were eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the Miami Heat on April 7, 2016, although finishing the season with a winning record of 42–40. It was the first time in 8 years that the Bulls had missed the playoffs.

2016–2017: Departure of Derrick Rose

On June 22, 2016, Derrick Rose and Justin Holiday, along with a 2017 second-round draft pick, were traded to the New York Knicks for center Robin Lopez, and point guards Jerian Grant and José Calderón, who was soon traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. On July 7, the Bulls announced the signing of Rose's replacement, guard Rajon Rondo. On July 15, the Bulls signed Chicago native Dwyane Wade. On October 17, 2016, the Bulls acquired 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams in exchange for Tony Snell.

On February 23, 2017, Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, along with a 2018 second-round draft pick, were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Cameron Payne, shooting guard Anthony Morrow, and power forward/center Joffrey Lauvergne. Jimmy Butler finished the season with several career highs, was named an All-Star, and made All-NBA third team. The Bulls clinched the eighth seed in 2017 NBA playoffs after winning seven of their final ten games and finishing the season with a 41–41 record. The team struck an early 2–0 lead against the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, but ultimately lost the series after losing the next four games.

2017–present: Lavine era

2017–2020: Final years of GarPax and rebuilding

On June 22, 2017, Jimmy Butler, along with Chicago's 2017 first-round pick, was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Minnesota's 2017 first-round pick, which the Bulls used to select Lauri Markkanen. Additionally, on June 27, the Bulls did not give a qualifying offer to Michael Carter-Williams, allowing him to enter unrestricted free agency. On June 30, Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan were waived by the Bulls. On July 10, 2017, Justin Holiday returned to the Bulls signing a 2-year, $9 million contract. On September 24, 2017, Dwyane Wade and the Bulls reportedly agreed to a buyout of the remaining year on his contract. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Wade gave back $8 million of his $23.2 million contract as part of the agreement.

On October 17, 2017, a fight broke out in practice between Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotić, who suffered a concussion and two broken bones in his face. Portis was suspended eight games for his role in the altercation, and Mirotić missed 23 games to start the regular season. On February 1, 2018, the Bulls traded Mirotić and a second-round draft pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for a first-round draft pick and Ömer Aşık, Tony Allen, and Jameer Nelson. Bulls ended up finishing the season with 27–55 record.

On June 21, 2018, the Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr. with the seventh overall pick, and with 22nd overall pick via trade with New Orleans Pelicans selected Chandler Hutchison. On July 8, the Bulls matched an offer Zach LaVine received from the Sacramento Kings for a four-year, $78 million deal. On July 14, the team signed Jabari Parker to a two-year, $40 million contract after the Milwaukee Bucks' general manager Jon Horst removed the qualifying offer on the restricted free agent and allowed him to become unrestricted. Part of Parker's agreement gave the Bulls a team option for the second year. On December 3, the Bulls fired head coach Hoiberg after the team started the 2018–19 season 5–19 and promoted his assistant Jim Boylen as head coach. On January 3, 2019, the Bulls traded Justin Holiday to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden Jr. and 2019 and 2020 second-round draft picks. MarShon Brooks and Cameron Payne were waived. On February 6, the team traded Bobby Portis, Jabari Parker and a 2023 second-round draft pick to the Washington Wizards an exchange for Otto Porter. After a season filled with injuries, coaching change, and trades, the Bulls finished with 22–60 record missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

On June 20, 2019, the Bulls selected Coby White with the seventh overall pick and Daniel Gafford with 38th pick in the second round. During the off-season, the team signed veterans Tomáš Satoranský and Thaddeus Young. In March 2020, the league suspended the season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. In April 2020, the Bulls fired longtime general manager Gar Forman, reassigned John Paxson to senior advisor role and hired Artūras Karnišovas as executive vice president of basketball operations. In May 2020, the Bulls hired Marc Eversley as general manager. On June 4, 2020, the Bulls season officially came to an end when the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan to bring 22 teams back to finish the season in the NBA Bubble. The Bulls finished with a 22–43 record. Head coach Jim Boylen was fired on August 14, 2020.

On September 22, 2020, the Bulls hired Billy Donovan as head coach. Donovan had previously coached the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On November 18, 2020, the Bulls selected Patrick Williams with the fourth overall pick.

On March 25, 2021, the Bulls traded Wendell Carter Jr, Otto Porter, along with 2021 and 2023 first-round draft picks to Orlando Magic for Nikola Vučević and Al-Farouq Aminu. The team also traded Chandler Hutchison and Daniel Gafford to the Washington Wizards for Troy Brown Jr. and Moe Wagner. Wagner was later traded along with Luke Kornet to the Boston Celtics for Daniel Theis and Javonte Green. The Bulls finished the abbreviated 72-game season with 31–41 record missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

2021–2024: DeRozan-Lavine duo

On July 29, 2021, the Bulls selected hometown kid Ayo Dosunmu with 38th pick in the second round. On August 2, 2021, the Bulls sent Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, 2024 second-round pick and cash to New Orleans Pelicans for Lonzo Ball. On the same day, the Bulls managed to sign free agent and 2020 NBA Champion Alex Caruso after he and the Los Angeles Lakers failed to reach an agreement. As part of the same preseason rebuild, on August 11, Chicago announced a trade sending Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a protected first-round pick and second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

While playing against the Indiana Pacers on New Year's Eve in the fourth quarter, DeRozan hit a buzzer-beating game-winning shot to sink the Pacers 108-106. The next day on New Year's Day, while the Bulls were down 117-119, DeRozan hit another buzzer-beating shot to defeat the Washington Wizards 120-119, becoming the first player in NBA History to hit back-to-back game-winning buzzer-beater shots in two consecutive days. The Bulls would then go on to win 9 games in a row. On January 22, 2022, it was announced that DeRozan would start in that year's All-Star Game. Eight days later, LaVine was named a reserve in the All-Star Game for the second year in a row.

The Bulls finished sixth in the Eastern Conference, narrowly evading the play-ins. The Bulls played the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks in the first round where they would lose in 5 games. The Bulls leading scorers Lavine-DeRozan-Vucevic all struggled in this series . On June 23, 2022, Bulls selected guard-forward Dalen Terry with the 18 pick. On July 7, the Bulls re-signed Zach Lavine to a five-year $215.2 million dollar contract, making this largest contract signed in Bulls history.

On February 21, 2023, the Bulls signed Patrick Beverley for the rest of the season. After the signing, Billy Donovan stated, "You hope that a guy like him coming in gives a boost to our team. That's what he's always been.” The addition excited the franchise's fans with a new spark of hope for the play-in tournament. His addition aided the Bulls' win against the understaffed Nets, 131–87 on February 24. Derozan made his sixth All-Star Game, second for the Bulls, this season. The Bulls finished the 2022–23 season with 40–42 record, placing them 10th in the Eastern Conference, thus earning a spot in the play-in tournament. to no avail losing to the Miami Heat, thus missing the playoffs.

On June 22, 2023, the Bulls traded two second-round picks to the Washington Wizards to obtain the 35th overall pick in the draft to select Julian Philips. The Bulls re-signed both Vučević and Coby White to three-year contracts while also signing veteran players Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig.

During the Bulls' 2023-24 season, the team lost Zach Lavine and Patrick Williams to season-ending injuries. Meanwhile, the team saw improvements from Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. The team would finish with a 39-43 record, placing them 9th in the Eastern Conference, earning their second consecutive play-in tournament. They defeated 10th seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first game but once again would lose the second game to the Miami Heat for the second consecutive year and missing the playoffs.

2024-present: DeRozan's departure

DeMar DeRozan signed with the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team sign-and-trade deal. The team also traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey. Andre Drummond signed with the Sixers. In the draft, Matas Buzelis was taken by the Bulls 11th overall. After two missed seasons, Lonzo Ball made his return to the court.

Rivalries

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Bulls–Cavaliers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. The teams have played each other since the Cavaliers joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970, but the rivalry didn't begin in earnest until the Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in 1984. After Jordan went on to the Washington Wizards and eventually retired, the rivalry died down, but when Cleveland picked LeBron James with the first selection in 2003, the rivalry heated up again. However, the Cavaliers had an edge over the Bulls, who would pick Derrick Rose with the first selection in 2008 to turn Chicago from a lottery team to a future contender.

Detroit Pistons

The Bulls' main division 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 walked off the floor with time still on the game clock. 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' rivalry with Detroit extends past the NBA, as the two cities shared divisions in all four major North American sports until 2013 when the Detroit Red Wings moved to the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat

The Bulls and the Miami Heat rivalry began once the Heat became contenders during the 1990s, a decade dominated by the Bulls. They were eliminated 3 times by Chicago, who went on to win the title each time. The rivalry was revived due to the return of the Bulls to the playoffs after the departure of Jordan from the Bulls and the emergence of Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose. The revived rivalry was physical, involving rough plays and hard fouls between players, most notably the actions of former Heat player James Posey. The Bulls and Heat met in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat winning in 5 games. On March 27, 2013, Chicago snapped Miami's 27-game winning streak. The Bulls and Heat met later that year in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Miami won the series 4–1. In 2023, the two would meet in the Eastern Conference play-in, with the Heat winning to advance to the playoffs. Notably the game featured former Bull, Jimmy Butler on the Heat and former teammates DeMar DeRozan (Chicago) versus Kyle Lowry (Miami).

New York Knicks

Another franchise that the Bulls have competed fiercely with is the New York Knicks. The two teams met in the playoffs in four consecutive years (1991–1994) 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 (rivalry that started their freshman year in the 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game with Jordan hitting the deciding jumper of the final). That first confrontation would belong to Chicago with six games of the Eastern Semifinals. The Bulls won in the first three years (1991–1993) before losing in 1994 but got revenge in 1996. As with Detroit, the historic rivalry between the cities has led to animosity between the teams and occasionally their fans.

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, or "Tick of the Clock" by Chromatics. Virtually all lights in the stadium are then 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. During the championship era, Scottie Pippen was usually the first (or second after Horace Grant) 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.

As part of Edwards' return, the introductions changed as a new introduction was developed by Lily and Lana Wachowski, Ethan Stoller and Jamie Poindexter, all from Chicago. The introduction also included a newly composed remix of the traditional Sirius theme. Edwards was replaced in 2020 by Tim Sinclair.

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. Then-Bulls backup center Brad Sellers suggested to wear black shoes as a way to show unity within the team. 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 then, 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.

Even though the Bulls generally wear black footwear in the playoffs since 1989, there have been some notable exceptions. In the 1995 playoffs against the Magic, when Michael Jordan debuted his Air Jordan XI shoe, he wore the white colorway during the Bulls' playoff games in Orlando. He was fined by the Bulls for not complying with their colorway policy. During the 2009 playoffs, the Bulls again broke the tradition when all of their players wore white shoes and socks in Game 3 of the first round against the Boston Celtics. More recently, since the NBA's relaxation of sneaker color rules, some Bulls players wore either red or white sneakers in defiance of the tradition.

Circus trip

The Bulls and their arena mates, the Chicago Blackhawks, shared an odd tradition dating to the opening of Chicago Stadium. Every fall, Feld Entertainment's now-defunct Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Chicago on its nationwide tour. Since it used large indoor venues rather than tents, it took over the United Center for its entire run and the Bulls were forced, along with the Blackhawks, to take an extended road trip that lasted about two weeks. Initially local newspapers and television and radio sportscasters, and later national programs like SportsCenter, referred to this fortnight-long local hiatus as "the circus trip". Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz, who co-owns the United Center with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, let the contract lapse after the circus' 2016 run, and condensed the formerly two-week local run of Feld's Disney on Ice to a week-long period effective February 2018. The circus itself would be discontinued in 2017.

Name, logo, and uniforms

Name

Dick Klein wanted a name that evoked Chicago's traditional meat packing industry (similarly to the forerunner Packers franchise) and the Chicago Stadium's proximity to the Union Stock Yards. Klein considered names like Matadors or Toreadors, but dismissed them, saying, "If you think about it, no team with as many as three syllables in its nickname has ever had much success except for the Montreal Canadiens." After discussing possible names with his family, Klein settled on Bulls when his son Mark said, "Dad, that's a bunch of bull!"

Logo

The Bulls are unique in the fact they have used the same logo with very little change since the team's inception. The iconic logo is a red, charging bull's face. The logo was designed by noted American graphic designer Dean P. Wessel and was adopted in 1966. At one point, the Bulls also had an alternate logo during the early 1970s, featuring the same Bulls logo, but with a cloud that says "Windy City" below the bull's nose.

Uniforms

1966–1973 uniforms

The Bulls wear three different uniforms: a white uniform, a red uniform, and a black alternate uniform. The original uniforms were esthetically close to the current design, featuring the iconic diamond surrounding the Bulls logo on the shorts and block lettering. What distinguished the original uniforms were the black drop shadows, red or white side stripes with black borders, and white lettering on the red uniforms. For the 1969–70 season, the red uniforms were tweaked to include the city name.

1973–1985 uniforms

For the 1973–74 season, the Bulls drastically changed their look, removing the side stripes and drop shadows while moving the front numbers to the left chest. While the white uniforms saw the "Bulls" wordmark go from a vertically arched to radially arched arrangement, the red uniforms saw a more significant makeover, featuring black lettering and a script "Chicago" wordmark. With a few tweaks in the lettering, these uniforms were used until 1985.

This uniform set was later revived as a throwback uniform during the 2003–04 and 2015–16 seasons.

1985–present uniforms

Starting with the 1985–86 season, the Bulls updated their uniform. Among the more notable changes in the look were centered uniform numbers and a vertically arched "Bulls" wordmark in both the red and white uniforms. Like the previous set, this uniform saw a few tweaks particularly in the treatment of the player's name.

When Nike became the NBA's uniform provider in 2017, the Bulls kept much of the same look save for the truncated shoulder striping and the addition of the Chicago four stars on the waistline. With Nike and the NBA eliminating designations on home and away uniforms, the Bulls also announced that their red "Icon" uniforms would become their home uniforms, and the white "Association" uniforms would become their away uniforms. The Bulls would continue to wear red "Icon" uniforms in home games until the 2020–21 season, after which they returned to wearing the white "Association" uniforms in home games starting in the 2021–22 season.

Alternate black uniforms

In the 1995–96 season, the Bulls added a black uniform to their set. The initial look featured red pinstripes and lacked the classic diamond on the shorts. This set was revived as throwback uniforms in the 2012–13 seasons.

From the 1997–98 to the 2005–06 seasons, the Bulls wore slightly modified black uniforms without pinstripes. This set, with a few slight changes in the template, also marked the return of the city name in front of the uniform during the 1999–2000 season.

The 2006–07 season saw another change in the Bulls' black alternate uniform, now resembling the red and white uniform with the addition of a red diamond in the shorts. For the 2014–15 season, the uniforms were tweaked a bit to include sleeves and a modernized diamond treatment in black with red and white borders.

Since the 2017–18 season, the Bulls' black uniforms remained mostly untouched for the aforementioned switch to the new Nike logo that affected the treatment towards the shoulder piping. Nike also dubbed this uniform as the "Statement" uniform in reference to its third jerseys. The Bulls began wearing the Statement uniforms after Thanksgiving and they are currently used in away games against teams that wear their white, gray/silver or cream uniforms.

The 2019–20 season marked the return of pinstripes to the Bulls' "Statement" uniform, albeit in dark gray. In addition, the diamond treatment returned to red, piping was tweaked, and four six-point stars were featured on the beltline. The Bulls wore this "Statement" uniform in select home games and away games against teams wearing white, cream, yellow, red or silver uniforms.

Other uniforms

During the 2005–06 season, the Bulls honored the defunct Chicago Stags by wearing the team's red and blue throwback uniforms. The set featured red tops and blue shorts.

From 2006 to 2017, the Bulls wore a green version of their red uniforms during the week of St. Patrick's Day in March. The only red elements visible were those found on the team logo. For 2015 the Bulls wore sleeved versions of the green uniform that featured white lettering with gold and black trim and the "Chicago" wordmark replacing "Bulls" in front. In 2016 and 2017, they wore the same uniforms minus the sleeves.

Between 2009 and 2017, the Bulls wore a variation of their red uniforms as part of the NBA's "Noche Latina" festivities every March. The only notable change in this uniform was the "Los Bulls" wordmark in front. For 2014, the Bulls briefly retired the look in favor of a black sleeved uniform featuring "Los Bulls" in white with red trim.

During the NBA's "Green Week" celebrations, the Bulls also wore green uniforms, but with a slightly darker shade from their St. Patrick's Day counterparts. They used their black alternate uniforms as its template. They donned the uniforms in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 9, 2009.

The Bulls also wore special edition Christmas uniforms as part of the NBA's Christmas Day games. The one-off Christmas uniforms were as follows:

• 2012: Monochrome red uniforms with lettering in red with black trim.
• 2013: Sleeved red uniforms with Bulls logo rendered in silver.
• 2014: Modified version of red uniform featuring the Bulls logo in front and a contrasting white nameplate of the player's first name.
• 2015: Red uniforms with ornate script letters in cream.
• 2016: Monochrome red uniforms with ornate script letters in black.

From 2015 to 2017, the Bulls wore a gray "Pride" sleeved uniform, featuring the team name and other lettering in red with white trim. The shorts featured a more modernized version of the diamond, along with four six-pointed stars on either side.

In the 2017–18 season, the Bulls wore special "City" uniforms designed by Nike. The uniforms, designed to pay homage to Chicago's flag, are in white and feature the classic "Chicago" script and numbers in red with light blue trim along with four six-pointed stars on each side.

The Bulls' 2018–19 "City" uniform is once again inspired from Chicago's flag, with a black base and a portion of the flag with four red six-point stars and two powder blue stripes in front.

The Bulls' "City" uniform for 2019–20 continued the flag theme, featuring a light blue base and a recolored Bulls logo in front. The predominantly blue uniform was also inspired from the waters of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.

For the 2020–21 season, the Bulls' "City" uniform featured elements of Chicago's Art Deco architecture and imagery, featuring a dark grey base, gold lettering and red accents.

The Bulls' "City" uniform for the 2021–22 season was a "mixtape" of past uniform designs. The predominantly red uniform featured the following design cues:

• Black and white striping, monochrome Bulls logo and white numbers with black drop shadows (1966–73 uniforms)
• Cursive "Chicago" script, recolored to match the numbers (1973–85 uniforms)
• Black diamonds with red pinstripes (1995–97 alternate uniforms)

The 2022–23 "City" uniform paid homage to Chicago's municipal device "Y" symbol. The predominantly white uniform featured rust red letters and black trim, as well as alternating red and black side stripes.

The Chicago Stadium served as the inspiration for the Bulls' 2023–24 "City" uniform. The black-based design featured the vertical "Chicago" wordmark taken from the Stadium marquee, along with red numbers on the chest and the "Madhouse on Madison" monicker on the jock tag.

The 2024–25 "City" uniform commemorated the 30th anniversary of the United Center, featuring the "Bulls" typeface in gray trimmed in sand and brown, which were inspired by the signage outside the arena. The color palette was based on the United Center's exterior, the center buckle was taken from the arena's windows, and the jock tag was inspired by the original marquee. The crossing spotlights on the side of the uniform were a nod to the Bulls' iconic starting lineup introductions.

Mascots

Benny the Bull is the main mascot of the Chicago Bulls. He was first introduced in 1969. Benny is a red bull who wears number 1. Benny is one of the oldest and best-known mascots in all of professional sports. The Bulls also had another mascot named Da Bull. Introduced in 1995, he was described on the team website as being the high-flying cousin of Benny, known for his dunking skills. The man who portrayed Da Bull was arrested in 2004 for possession and selling marijuana from his car. Da Bull was retired soon after the incident. While Benny has a family-friendly design, Da Bull was designed as a more realistic bull. Unlike Benny, Da Bull was brown. He also had a meaner facial expression and wore number 95.

Season-by-season record

List of the last five seasons completed by the Bulls. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Chicago Bulls seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Franchise records

Training facilities

Alumni Hall on DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus was the practice facility for the Bulls in the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1992, the team began training at the Berto Center, located in Deerfield, Illinois.

On June 13, 2012, the team announced that it would move its practice facility to a downtown location closer to the United Center to reduce game day commutes. On September 12, 2014, the Bulls officially opened their new training facility, the Advocate Center (named after the Advocate Medical Group, one of the medicine-practicing firms that serves Chicago), a block east of the United Center.

Home arenas

Personnel

Current roster

Retained draft rights

The Bulls hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

Franchise leaders

Bold denotes still active with the team. Italics denotes still active, but not with the team.

Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2023–24 season)

• 1. Michael Jordan (29,277)
• 2. Scottie Pippen (15,123)
• 3. Bob Love (12,623)
• 4. Luol Deng (10,286)
• 5. Jerry Sloan (10,233)
• 6. Chet Walker (9,788)
• 7. Artis Gilmore (9,288)
• 8. Zach LaVine (9,049)
• 9. Kirk Hinrich (8,536)
• 10. Reggie Theus (8,279)
• 11. Derrick Rose (8,001)
• 12. Ben Gordon (7,372)
• 13. Horace Grant (6,866)
• 14. Norm Van Lier (6,505)
• 15. Jimmy Butler (6,208)
• 16. Toni Kukoč (6,148)
• 17. Orlando Woolridge (6,146)
• 18. DeMar DeRozan (5,831)
• 19. Dave Greenwood (5,824)
• 20. B. J. Armstrong (5,553)
• 21. Mickey Johnson (5,531)
• 22. Dave Corzine (5,457)
• 23. Joakim Noah (5,325)
• 24. Taj Gibson (5,280)
• 25. John Paxson (4,932)
• 26. Coby White (4,896)
• 27. Bob Boozer (4,807)
• 28. Nikola Vučević (4,664)
• 29. Tom Boerwinkle (4,596)
• 30. Quintin Dailey (4,473)
• 31. Bob Weiss (4,445)
• 32. Carlos Boozer (4,347)
• 33. Andres Nocioni (4,120)
• 34. Clem Haskins (3,703)
• 35. Bill Cartwright (3,638)
• 34. Wilbur Holland (3,568)
• 35. Lauri Markkanen (3,439)
• 36. Eddy Curry (3,414)
• 39. Charles Oakley (3,162)
• 40. Elton Brand (3,117)
• 41. Steve Kerr (3,109)
• 42. Ricky Sobers (3,059)
• 43. Scott May (3,048)
• 44. Nikola Mirotic (2,774)
• 45. Ron Harper (2,760)
• 46. Jalen Rose (2,742)
• 47. Jamal Crawford (2,737)
• 48. Jim Washington (2,736)
• 49. Pau Gasol (2,633)
• 50. Marcus Fizer (2,426)

Other statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2023–24 season)

Head coaches

Hall of Famers, retired, and honored numbers

Basketball Hall of Famers

Notes:

• In total, Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• In total, Pippen was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• He also played for the team in 1966–1976.
• Colangelo worked as a marketing director, scout, and assistant to the president of the team.
• He also coached the team in 1981–1982.

FIBA Hall of Famers

Notes:

• In total, Jordan was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.

Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

Retired numbers and honorees

• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.

Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor

On January 12, 2024, the Bulls introduced the Ring of Honor, which honors former players and other personnel.

The inaugural class of Ring of Honor inductees included all personnel (players, coaches, executives, etc.) who have had their number retired or were honored with similar banners in the rafters, as well as a number of other contributors to the team over the years, such as original owner Dick Klein and assistant coach Tex Winter. Plans were made to induct a class every two years for people with at least three seasons with the Bulls and being retired from basketball for at least three years.

Media

Radio

The team's games are broadcast on Entercom's WSCR (670) as of February 3, 2018. From October 2015-January 2018, games were carried on Cumulus Media's WLS (890) in a deal that was expected to last until the 2020–21 season, but was nullified in the middle of the 2017–18 season after Cumulus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and nullified several large play-by-play and talent contracts.

Chuck Swirsky does play-by-play, with Bill Wennington providing color commentary. Univision Radio's WRTO (1200) has carried Spanish language game coverage since 2009–10, with Omar Ramos as play-by-play announcer and Matt Moreno as color analyst.

Television

The Bulls' television broadcasts are televised by Chicago Sports Network, which broadcasts all of the games that are not televised nationally as of the 2024–2025 season. For many years, broadcasts were split between NBC Sports Chicago (and prior to that, FSN Chicago), WGN-TV, and WCIU-TV. The announcers are Adam Amin and Stacey King. Jason Benetti fills in for Amin whenever the latter is assigned to work for Fox Sports.

On January 2, 2019, the Bulls (along with the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks) agreed to an exclusive multi-year deal with NBC Sports Chicago, ending the team's broadcasts on WGN-TV following the 2018–19 season. The Bulls left NBC Sports Chicago at the end of the 2023–2024 season, moving to the new Chicago Sports Network in 2024.

References

1. "Chicago Bulls History". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 28, 2000. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
2. "NBA.com/Stats–Chicago Bulls seasons". Stats.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
3. "Franchise History–NBA Advanced Stats". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
4. "Chicago Bulls unveil new court design". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 23, 2015. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023. The lines on the court have been changed from red and white to all black to emphasize the bold colors of the Bulls brand.
5. "NBA Unveils Logo for NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 17, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019. The Chicago Bulls' signature font and team colors – red and black – are also incorporated into the logo scheme.
6. "Chicago Bulls Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
7. "Chicago Bulls Name Motorola Mobility as Official Jersey Patch Partner". Bulls.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 20, 2022. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
8. "Bulls name Marc Eversley General Manager". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
9. "This Date in the NBA–January". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
10. Jozsa, J. P. Jr., National Basketball Association Strategies: Business Expansions, Relocations, and Mergers (Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer, 2015), p. 11.
11. "Warriors Become Second Team in NBA History to Win 70 Games in a Single Season". Warriors.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 7, 2016. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
12. ^ Smith, Sam (October 15, 2015). "The one that started it all". NBA.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
13. ^ Smith, Sam (September 1, 2012). "Pat Williams Helped Save Pro Basketball in Chicago". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
14. "Worst Records of Playoff Teams". The Sporting News. April 28, 1986. p. 46.
15. "Charlotte Hornets 91 Chicago Bulls 105". ESPN.com. November 3, 1995. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
16. "Boston Celtics 85 Chicago Bulls 107". ESPN.com. November 4, 1995. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
17. databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1995–96 Game Log and Scores Archived January 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
18. "All-Defensive Teams". NBA.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
19. "Top 10 Teams in NBA History". National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
20. databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1996–97 Game Log and Scores Archived January 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
21. "The NBA at 50". National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
22. "Robert Parish Bio". National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
23. ^ Wise, Mike (October 29, 1997). "N.B.A. Preview '97–'98: End of Line for Dynasty? Aging Bulls to Face Challenge From Several Teams". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
24. ^ Kram, Zack (May 19, 2020). "After the 'Last Dance,' the Bulls Became a Historic Dumpster Fire". The Ringer.
25. "Skiles Is Hired to Coach Bulls". LA Times. November 29, 2003. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
26. Fluck, Adam (September 20, 2006). "Bulls: Construction of a Contender Part I". NBA.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
27. Fluck, Adam (September 25, 2006). "Bulls: Construction of a Contender Part II". NBA.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
28. Beck, Howard (October 8, 2005). "With Doctors' O.K., Curry Joins the Knicks". New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
29. Stephen A. Smith (July 4, 2006). "Bulls land Free-Agent Ben Wallace". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
30. "Bulls Trade Chandler". New York Times. July 6, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
31. Nitzberg, Jacob (December 17, 2008). "Ten Years of Rebuilding: Are the Bulls in Any Better Shape?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
32. "Bulls deal Wallace, Smith, Griffin, draft pick in three-team trade". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
33. "Bulls: Suns assistant GM Del Negro hired as coach". Los Angeles Daily News. June 11, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
34. Johnson, K. C. (May 16, 2017). "May 20, 2008: With a 1.7% chance, Bulls win the NBA draft lottery". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
35. "Kings Acquire Four Players in Three-Team Trade". NBA.com. February 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
36. "Sources: Knicks trade for Bulls' Hughes". February 19, 2009. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
37. "Report: Bulls trade Sefolosha for draft pick". Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
38. Golen, Jimmy (May 3, 2009). "OT hold-down: Celtics top Bulls in regulation – NBA – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
39. "2009 NBA Draft – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. June 21, 2009. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
40. Johnson, K.C. (May 4, 2010). "No timetable for new Bulls coach; Pax apologizes". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
41. K.C. Johnson, Thibodeau accepts Bulls' 3-year offer to be their 18th head coach Archived July 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2010.
42. "Thibodeau named 18th head coach in franchise history". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 23, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
43. "Bulls Draft Central 2011". NBA.com. June 16, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
44. "Bulls sign free agent guard Richard Hamilton". NBA.com. December 14, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
45. "Derrick Rose suffers torn ACL, out for the season". NBC Sports. April 28, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
46. Holz, Kevin (May 7, 2012). "NBA Playoffs 2012: How Joakim Noah's Injury Puts an End to the Bulls' Season". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
47. Moore, Matt (August 18, 2012). "NBA Offseason Report: Chicago Bulls". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
48. "Chicago Bulls end Knicks' 13-game win streak as Robinson tallies 35 points". The Guardian. April 12, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
49. "Luol Deng traded by Bulls to the Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum". The Guardian. January 7, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
50. Zillgitt, Jeff (December 2, 2020). "Epic trash-talking, lockdown D and back-to-back titles: Most memorable aspects of Joakim Noah's career". USA Today. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
51. Myron, Chuck (November 20, 2014). "Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls". Retrieved November 18, 2024.
52. "Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler Most Improved Players". ESPN. May 7, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
53. "Basketball: Gasol replaces injured Butler in All-Stars Game". New Zealand Herald. February 9, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
54. ^ Cacciola, Scott (May 28, 2015). "Bulls Dismiss Coach Tom Thibodeau and End a Rocky Tenure". New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
55. Friedell, Nick (May 28, 2015). "Tom Thibodeau out in Chicago as Bulls seek 'change in approach'". ESPN. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
56. "Bulls Name Fred Hoiberg Head Coach". Bulls.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 2, 2015. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
57. "Knicks Acquire Derrick Rose". NBA.com. June 22, 2016. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
58. "Bulls Sign Rajon Rondo". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
59. "Bulls Sign Dwyane Wade". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 15, 2016. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
60. "Bucks Acquire Tony Snell from the Bulls". NBA.com. October 17, 2016. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
61. "Bulls Clinch Playoff Berth, Will Face Celtics In 1st Round". CBS Chicago. April 12, 2017. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
62. Aschburner, Steve (April 29, 2017). "Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics complete emotional comeback over Chicago Bulls". NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
63. ^ Johnson, K.C. (February 1, 2018). "Bulls trade Nikola Mirotic to Pelicans for 1st round pick and 3 players". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
64. Sykes II, Michael D. (October 21, 2017). "Bobby Portis suspended 8 games for punching teammate Nikola Mirotic in face". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
65. Anon, "2018 NBA Draft Lottery results: Chicago Bulls to pick 7th in NBA Draft, Suns get top pick" Archived July 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, ABC News, May 16, 2018.
66. "Bulls Official: Fred Hoiberg Relieved as Bulls Head Coach". NBA.com. December 3, 2018. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
67. "NBA says virus hiatus will likely last 'at least' a month". Fox News. Associated Press. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
68. Seligman, Andrew (April 13, 2020). "Karnisovas sets course to boost Bulls toward ultimate prize". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
69. "Bulls fire head coach Jim Boylen after 2 seasons". ESPN.com. August 14, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
70. Wojnarowski, Adrian (September 23, 2020). "Chicago Bulls hire Billy Donovan as coach to replace Jim Boylen". ESPN. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
71. Smith, Sam (November 18, 2020). "The Bulls select Patrick Williams from Florida State at No. 4". NBA.com. NBA. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
72. Wimbish, Jasmyn (March 25, 2021). "Trade grades: Magic deal Nikola Vucevic to Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and picks, per report". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
73. "Celtics Acquire Moe Wagner, Luke Kornet in 3-Team Trade". Nba.com. NBA. March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
74. "Bulls officially acquire Lonzo Ball in sign-and-trade with Pelicans". Sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
75. "Bulls Sign Alex Caruso". Chicago Bulls. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
76. "Bulls Acquire DeMar DeRozan". Chicago Bulls. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
77. "2022 NBA All-Stars starters revealed". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
78. "2022 NBA All-Stars reserves revealed". NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
79. "Bulls clinch playoff berth for first time in five years despite loss to Bucks". Chicago Bulls. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
80. "Chicago Bulls Eliminated From Playoffs as Milwaukee Bucks Coast to Victory". NBC Chicago. April 28, 2022. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
81. "Chicago Bulls eliminated from the playoffs after DeMar DeRozan is held to 11 points in the Game 5 loss". Chicago Tribune. April 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
82. "2022 NBA Eastern Conference First Round - Bulls vs. Bucks". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
83. "Donovan praises Beverley's competitive spirit". RSN. February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
84. "Bulls blow out Nets 131-87 in Patrick Beverley's hometown debut". NBA.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
85. Poe, Julia (June 23, 2023). "Chicago Bulls make a trade to select forward Julian Phillips — 'one of the best athletes in the draft' — at No. 35". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
86. Simone, Jack (February 15, 2024). "The Nikola Vucevic fall off is a big problem for the Chicago Bulls". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
87. Simone, Jack (July 20, 2023). "Bulls officially land Torrey Craig on steal of a contract". usatoday.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
88. "Kings to land DeMar DeRozan in 3-team sign-and-trade deal". NBA.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
89. "Bulls trade Caruso to OKC, get Giddey in return". ESPN.com. June 20, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
90. "NBA 2024 Draft Prospects | Matas Buzelis | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
91. "Ball scores 10 in return; rehab 'all behind me now'". ESPN.com. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
92. "Chicago Bulls - Cleveland Cavaliers rivalry". www.rivalrywatch.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
93. Nelson, Murry R. (2013). American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 volumes]: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. 647. ISBN 978-0-313-39753-0.
94. "Michael Jordan". Classicsportsgamesondvd.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
95. "Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade call out teammates after tough loss". NBA.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
96. "Realignment plan approved by Board of Governors". NHL.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
97. Cohen, Ben (April 12, 2016). "The One Record the Warriors Can't Take From the Bulls: Even as Golden State closes on a historic 73rd win, Chicago's pre-game music still sets the standard". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
98. "BULLS: Tommy Edwards". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
99. Schaefer, Rob (December 9, 2020). "Q&A with Tim Sinclair, new PA voice of the Bulls". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
100. "Ask Sam Smith: The Tribune's pro basketball reporter answers reader questions". ChicagoSports.com. April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
101. "Bulls Take Game 1". ComcastSportsNet.com. April 24, 2005. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
102. "Tradition broken". ESPN. April 24, 2009. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
103. K.C. Johnson. "No clowning around: A win". Chicago Tribune. November 25, 2004. 1.
104. Kuc, Chris (November 14, 2007). "Blackhawks' circus trip starts with thud". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
105. Chris Kuc. "Say goodbye to the circus trip: Scheduling quirk to end for Blackhawks, Bulls". Chicago Tribune. November 14, 2016. 1.
106. Kuc, Chris (November 14, 2016). "Say goodbye to the circus trip: Scheduling quirk to end for Blackhawks, Bulls". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
107. Samuelson, Heidi (January 10, 2024). "From the Archives: The Chicago Bulls' First Ring of Honor Class". Chicago History Museum. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
108. "Behind The Name–Chicago Bulls". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
109. Hilkevitch, Jon (June 23, 1993). "Logo Designer Has Reason To Horn In On Bulls' Glory". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
110. ^ "9 eye-catching Bulls jerseys over the years". History.Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
111. "LOOK: Chicago Bulls unveil revamped Nike jerseys, opt to wear red for home games". CBSSports.com. August 2, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
112. "It's official, Bulls will wear white jerseys at home". NBCSports.com. October 7, 2021. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
113. "Chicago Bulls Introduce New Statement Edition Uniforms for 2019-20 Season". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 5, 2019. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
114. "NBA Lockervision". NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
115. "Chicago Bulls 22/23 City Edition Uniform: Ode to Architecture". NBA.com. November 10, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
116. "The Mascots' stigmata". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
117. "Then and now: Chicago's lost sports venues". chicagotribune.com. August 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
118. "Adios, Alumni Hall". chicagotribune.com. November 19, 1999. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
119. Meadows, Jonah (April 9, 2019). "Village Board Approves Deerbrook Redevelopment Proposals". patch.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
120. Channick, Robert (June 14, 2012). "Bulls coming home to Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
121. Byrne, John (September 12, 2014). "Bulls open West Side practice facility". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
122. Coon, Larry. "NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement". Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2014. If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA.
123. ^ "Chicago Bulls: Players". Basketball Reference. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 9, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
124. Charles, Mike. "Jerry's story". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
125. "Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA". NBA.com. August 11, 2022. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
126. Golliver, Ben (August 11, 2022). "NBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No. 6". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
127. "Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen headline inaugural class for Bulls' Ring of Honor". NBA.com. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
128. "Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen headline inaugural class for Bulls' Ring of Honor". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
129. "White Sox, Bulls Announce Long-Term Deals with WLS AM 890". CSNChicago.com. July 16, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
130. Feder, Robert (January 31, 2018). "Done deal: Bulls pivot to The Score". Robert Feder. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
131. "Chicago Bulls Schedule". Bulls.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
132. "NBC Sports Chicago Announces New Pact With White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks". WMAQ-TV. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
133. Libit, Daniel (June 3, 2024). "Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks to Launch Chicago Sports Network". Sportico.com. Retrieved September 16, 2024.

External links

• Official website

Links to related articles

v t e Chicago Bulls seasons Franchise History Seasons 1960s 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1970s 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1980s 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1990s 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 2000s 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2010s 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2020s 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 Bold indicates NBA Finals victory v t e National Basketball Association Eastern Conference Atlantic Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Central Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks Southeast Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Hornets Miami Heat Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Western Conference Northwest Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz Pacific Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings Southwest Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Pelicans San Antonio Spurs Annual events Draft eligibility Summer League Christmas Martin Luther King Jr. Day All-Star weekend game Global Games Cup tournament Play-in Playoffs list finals champions History Predecessors BAA NBL ABA merger Walter A. Brown Trophy Criticisms and controversies 2007 Tim Donaghy betting scandal Lockouts Former divisions Eastern Midwest Western Teams defunct expansion relocated timeline Seasons 2019–20 suspension and bubble Records regular season postseason All-Star win–loss records People Players current rosters Eastern Western foreign players race and ethnicity first overall draft picks highest paid banned or suspended NBPA Head coaches current player-coaches champions foreign female NBCA Owners Referees (NBRA) Awards and honors Larry O'Brien Trophy Maurice Podoloff Trophy NBA awards MVP Finals MVP Conference finals MVP All-Star MVP Hall of Fame Members Anniversary teams Retired numbers Others Arenas Business collective bargaining agreement jersey sponsors salary cap NBA Store team valuations Culture cheerleading mascots dress code superteams sleep G League Media TV NBA TV NBA Academy Rivalries WNBA Basketball portal Category 2024–25 season v t e Sports teams based in the Chicago metropolitan area Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox AA Chicago Dogs Gary SouthShore RailCats Kane County Cougars FL Joliet Slammers Schaumburg Boomers Windy City ThunderBolts NorL Crestwood Panthers DuPage County Hounds Joliet Generals Northwest Indiana Oilmen Southland Vikings Basketball NBA Chicago Bulls WNBA Chicago Sky G League Windy City Bulls ABA Chicago Fury Chicago Steam Libertyville Vipers Esports CDL OpTic Chicago Football NFL Chicago Bears Hockey NHL Chicago Blackhawks AHL Chicago Wolves USHL Chicago Steel Lacrosse CILL Chicago Outlaws MCLC Chicago Lacrosse Club Chitown Lacrosse Club Lincoln Park Lacrosse Club Windy City Lacrosse Club Roller derby USARS Chicago Red Hots WFTDA Chicago Outfit Roller Derby Windy City Rollers Rugby MLR Chicago Hounds USAR Chicago Griffins RFC Chicago Lions RFC Soccer MLS Chicago Fire FC MLSNP Chicago Fire FC II USL2 Chicago City SC USLW Chicago City SC NWSL Chicago Red Stars Indoor soccer M2 Chicago Mustangs Australian rules football USAFL Chicago Swans Ultimate UFA Chicago Union Team tennis WTT Chicago Smash College athletics (NCAA Division I) Chicago State Cougars DePaul Blue Demons Loyola Ramblers Northern Illinois Huskies Northwestern Wildcats UIC Flames Valparaiso Beacons College athletics (NCAA Division II) Lewis Flyers Parkside Rangers Purdue-Northwest Pride Roosevelt Lakers College athletics (NCAA Division III) Aurora Spartans Benedictine Eagles Carthage Firebirds Chicago Maroons Concordia Cougars Dominican Stars Elmhurst Bluejays Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks Lake Forest Foresters North Central Cardinals North Park Vikings Wheaton Thunder College athletics (NAIA) CCSJ Crimson Wave Governors State Jaguars IU Northwest Redhawks Judson Eagles Olivet Nazarene Tigers St. Francis Fighting Saints Saint Xavier Cougars Trinity Christian Trolls v t e Sports teams based in Illinois Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox ML Peoria Chiefs AA Chicago Dogs Kane County Cougars FL Gateway Grizzlies Joliet Slammers Schaumburg Boomers Windy City ThunderBolts NWL Rockford Rivets PL Alton River Dragons Danville Dans Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp Normal CornBelters Springfield Lucky Horseshoes Thrillville Thrillbillies Basketball NBA Chicago Bulls WNBA Chicago Sky G League Windy City Bulls ABA Chicago Fury Chicago Steam Libertyville Vipers Windy City Groove IBA Kankakee County Soldiers Rockford Riverdawgs Windy City Blazers MPBA Champaign Swarm Chicago Force Pontiac 66ers Windy City Groove Football NFL Chicago Bears IFL Quad City Steamwheelers Hockey NHL Chicago Blackhawks AHL Chicago Wolves Rockford IceHogs ECHL Bloomington Bison SPHL Peoria Rivermen Quad City Storm USHL Chicago Steel NAHL Springfield Jr. Blues Inline hockey MLRH Chicago Carnage Roller derby USARS Chicago Red Hots WFTDA Chicago Outfit Roller Derby Rockford Rage Southern Illinois Roller Girls Twin City Derby Girls Windy City Rollers Rugby league MWRL Chicago Stockyarders Rugby union MLR Chicago Hounds RSL Chicago Griffins RFC Chicago Lions RFC MRFU Rowdies Rugby Football Club Springfield Celts Rugby Club Soccer MLS Chicago Fire FC MLS Next Pro Chicago Fire FC II USL2 Chicago City SC NPSL Quad City Eagles PLA Aurora Borealis SC RWB Adria NWSL Chicago Red Stars WPSL Chicago Red Stars Reserves Indoor soccer M2 Chicago Mustangs Ultimate UFA Chicago Union College athletics NCAA Division I Bradley Braves Chicago State Cougars DePaul Blue Demons Eastern Illinois Panthers Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois State Redbirds Loyola Ramblers Northern Illinois Huskies Northwestern Wildcats SIU Edwardsville Cougars Southern Illinois Salukis UIC Flames Western Illinois Leathernecks NCAA Division II Lewis Flyers McKendree Bearcats Quincy Hawks Roosevelt Lakers UIS Prairie Stars NCAA Division III Augustana Vikings Aurora Spartans Benedictine Eagles Blackburn Beavers Concordia Cougars Chicago Maroons Dominican Stars Elmhurst Bluejays Eureka Red Devils Greenville Panthers Illinois College Blueboys and Lady Blues Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks Illinois Wesleyan Titans Knox Prairie Fire Lake Forest Foresters Monmouth Fighting Scots Millikin Big Blue North Central Cardinals North Park Vikings Principia Panthers Rockford Regents Wheaton Thunder NAIA Governors State Jaguars Judson Eagles Lincoln Christian Red Lions Olivet Nazarene Tigers St. Francis Fighting Saints Saint Xavier Cougars Trinity Christian Trolls Trinity International Trojans

• Basketball
• Chicago
• Illinois

• Chicago Bulls
• 1966 establishments in Illinois
• Basketball teams established in 1966
• Basketball teams in Chicago
• NBA teams