The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center. The team is well known for having one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history during the 1990s, winning six championships in 8 years with two three-peats. All six of those championship teams were led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The first three championship teams included the likes of Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, John Paxson and B.J. Armstrong, while the latter three championship teams had Luc Longley, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman on the roster. The Bulls won an NBA record 72 games during the 1995–96 NBA season and are the only team in NBA history to win at least 70 games in a single season. During the 1990s, the Bulls helped spread the popularity of the NBA around the world. The 1998 NBA Finals, the Bulls' most recent championship appearance, was the most watched championship series in NBA history. [1] [2]

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Franchise history

Pre-Jordan

The Chicago Bulls are actually the third NBA team in Chicago, after the Packers–Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946–50). Today, the Bulls occasionally wear the throwback blue and red jerseys from the Stags. The team began play for the 1966–67 season, and immediately posted the best record by an expansion team in NBA history, qualifying for the playoffs. During its first two seasons, the Bulls played a majority of their home games at the International Amphitheatre, before moving all of their home games to the Chicago Stadium. Over the next few years, the Bulls assembled the pieces to be competitive, though they never quite reached the top. During the 1970s, the Bulls were known as a tough, defensive-minded team, built around hard-nosed defender Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, point guard Norm Van Lier, and centers Clifford Ray and Tom Boerwinkle. Nevertheless, the team only won one division title and never made it to the Finals.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the team had hit the cellar of the league. The Bulls' fortunes would have been forever changed were it not for a simple coin flip. In 1979, the Bulls lost a coin flip for the right to pick first in the NBA draft (Rod Thorn, the Bulls General Manager, called "heads"). Had the Bulls won the toss, they would have selected the great Magic Johnson; instead, they selected David Greenwood with the second pick. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Johnson with the pick acquired from the New Orleans Jazz, who traded the selection for Gail Goodrich.

Artis Gilmore, acquired in the ABA dispersal draft in 1976, led a Bulls squad which included guard Reggie Theus, forward David Greenwood, and forward Orlando Woolridge. After Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for center Dave Corzine, the Bulls employed a high-powered offense centered around Theus, and which soon included guards Quintin Dailey and Ennis Whatley. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change directions, trading Theus to the Kansas City Kings during the 1983–84 season.

Arrival of Michael Jordan

In the summer of 1984 the team's fortunes changed forever when it received the third pick of the NBA draft, after Houston and Portland. The Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon, the Blazers jumped on Sam Bowie, and the Bulls grabbed shooting guard Michael Jordan out of the University of North Carolina. The team, with new management in owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Jerry Krause, decided to rebuild around Jordan. Jordan set franchise records during his rookie campaign for scoring (3rd in the league) and steals (4th in the league), and led the Bulls back to the playoffs, for which he was rewarded with a berth on the All-NBA second team and NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

In the following offseason, the team acquired point guard John Paxson and on draft day traded with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the rights to power forward Charles Oakley. Along with Jordan and center Dave Corzine, they provided much of the Bulls' offense for the next two years. After suffering a broken foot early in the 1985–86 season, Jordan finished second on the team to Woolridge in scoring. Jordan returned for the playoffs, and took the 8th-place Bulls up against the 67–15 Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird. Though the Bulls were swept, Jordan recorded a playoff single-game record 63 points in Game 2, prompting Bird to call him 'God disguised as Michael Jordan.'

In the 1986–87 NBA season Jordan continued his assault on the record books, leading the league in scoring with 37.1 points per game and becoming the first Bull named to the all-NBA first team. Despite this, the Bulls could only muster a 40–42 win–loss record, which was good enough to qualify them for the playoffs. However, the Bulls were again swept by the Celtics in the playoffs. In the 1987 draft, to address their lack of depth Krause selected center Olden Polynice 8th overall and power forward Horace Grant 10th overall, then sent Polynice to Seattle in a draft-day trade for the 5th selection, small forward Scottie Pippen. With Paxson and Jordan in the backcourt, Brad Sellers and Oakley at the forward spots, Corzine anchoring center, and rookies Pippen and Grant coming off the bench, the Bulls made major noise in the 1987–88 season, winning 50 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were beaten by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons in five games. However, for his efforts Jordan was named NBA Most Valuable Player, 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 1987 to 1991.

The 1988–89 season marked a second straight year of major off-season moves. Popular power forward Charles Oakley, who had led the league in total rebounds in both '87 and '88, was traded on the eve of the 1988 draft to the New York Knicks along with a #1 draft pick used by the Knicks on Rod Strickland for center Bill Cartwright and a 1st Round draft pick which the Bulls used to obtain center Will Perdue. In addition, the Bulls acquired three-point specialist Craig Hodges from Phoenix. The new starting lineup of Paxson, Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright took some time to mesh, winning fewer games than the previous season, but making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were subdued in six games by the eventual NBA champion Pistons.

In 1989–90, Jordan led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season, and was joined on the all-star squad for the first time by Scottie Pippen. There was also a major change on the sidelines, where head coach Doug Collins was replaced by assistant Phil Jackson. The Bulls also picked up rookie center Stacey King and rookie point guard B.J. Armstrong in the 1989 draft. With these additional pieces and the previous year's starting five, the Bulls again made it to the Conference Finals, and pushed the Pistons to seven games before being edged out for the third straight year by Detroit, who would go on to repeat as NBA champions.

1990–93: The first three-peat

By the 1990–91 season, the Bulls had run out of excuses, and charged through the year with a mission. They recorded a then franchise record 61 wins, and romped through the playoffs, where they swept the Pistons in the conference finals and won the Finals in five over the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers on June 12, 1991. Michael Jordan won regular season MVP and Finals MVP to go with his fifth straight scoring title.

The Bulls won their second straight title in 1992 after racking up another franchise record for wins with 67. They prevailed over the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler in six games. Jordan once again won regular season MVP and Finals MVP, to go with his sixth straight scoring title. During the Finals Jordan broke the records for most points in a half (35) and most three-pointers in a half (6).

In 1992–93 the Bulls did what no team had done since the legendary Celtics of the 60s by chalking up the three-peat over regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, with John Paxson's shot that gave them a 99–98 victory in Game six at Phoenix. Jordan was once again the Finals MVP after setting a Finals record for points per game (41.0 ppg). He also tied Wilt Chamberlain by winning his seventh straight scoring title.

1993–94: Michael Jordan retires for baseball

During the summer, Jordan shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement, only months after learning of his father's murder. The Bulls were then led by Scottie Pippen, who established himself as one of the top players in the league by winning the 1994 All-Star MVP. He received help from Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong, who were named to their first all-star games. The three were assisted by Cartwright, Perdue, shooting guard Pete Myers, and Croatian rookie forward Toni Kukoc. Despite the Bulls' amazing run during the 1993–94 season, where they won 55 games, they were beaten in seven games by the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, after a controversial foul call by referee Hue Hollins in game 5 of that series. (The Knicks eventually reached the finals that year, but lost to the Houston Rockets.)

1994–95: The return of Michael Jordan

The Bulls opened the 1994–95 season by leaving their home of 27 years, Chicago Stadium, and moving into their current home, the United Center.

In 1994, the Bulls lost Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and Scott Williams to free agency, and John Paxson to retirement, but picked up shooting guard Ron Harper, the seeming heir-apparent to Michael Jordan in Assistant Coach Tex Winter's triple-post offense, and small-forward Jud Buechler. The Bulls sported the look of Armstrong and Harper in the backcourt, Pippen and Kukoc at the forward spots, and Perdue at center. They also had sharpshooter Steve Kerr, whom they acquired via free agency before the 1993–94 season, Myers, and centers Luc Longley (acquired via trade in 1994 from Minnesota Timberwolves) and Bill Wennington. However, they were slumping during the season, when on March 17, 1995, they received the best possible news: Michael Jordan was coming out of retirement. He was soon among the best in the league again, scoring 55 points against the Knicks in only his fifth game back, and led the Bulls to the fifth seed in the playoffs, where they upset the Charlotte Hornets. However, Jordan was too rusty, and the Bulls were unable to overcome the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, which included Horace Grant, Anfernee Hardaway, and Shaquille O'Neal. When Jordan returned to the Bulls, he initially wore No. 45 (which was his number while playing for the Birmingham Barons, a minor-league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox). He chose the No. 45 because his older brother Larry wore that number in high school. Michael wanted to be half as good as his brother so he chose 23 which is half of 45 (22.5) rounded up. However, Jordan switched back to the familiar 23 before game 2 of the Orlando Magic series.

In the offseason, the Bulls lost B. J. Armstrong in the expansion draft, but Krause pulled off a masterful deal by trading Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for the aggressive and often controversial rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman, who had won the past four rebounding titles, and who had also been a member of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" squad that served as the Bulls' chief nemesis in the late 1980s.

1995–1997: The second three-peat

With a lineup of Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Kerr, Kukoc, Wennington, Buechler, and guard Randy Brown the Bulls posted one of the best single-season improvements in league history and the best single-season record, moving from 47–35 to 72–10, ^[3] which remains the best record in NBA history. Jordan won his eighth scoring title, and Rodman his fifth straight rebounding title, while Kerr finished second in the league in three-point shooting percentage. Jordan garnered the elusive triple crown with the regular season MVP, All-star Game MVP, and Finals MVP. Krause was named Executive of the Year, Jackson Coach of the Year, and Kukoc the Sixth Man of the Year. Both Pippen and Jordan made the All-NBA First Team, and Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman made the All-Defensive First Team, making the Bulls the only team in history with three players on the All-Defensive First Team. ^[4] In addition, the 1995–96 squad holds several other records, including the best road record in a standard 41-road-game season (33–8), the all-time best start by a team (41–3), the longest home winning streak (44 games, 7 from previous season), and the best start at home (37–0). The Bulls also posted the second-best home record in history (39–2), behind only the 1985–86 Celtics 40–1 home mark, and the second-best point differential in history, trailing the 1972 Lakers by 3 points over the course of an entire season. However, the significantly lower scoring by the Bulls and their opponents makes the Bulls' margin of victory more impressive. The team triumphed over Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics for their fourth title. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in the history of basketball. ^[5]

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13, and repeated their home dominance going 39–2 at the United Center. ^[6] The Bulls capped the season by winning their fifth NBA championship over John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. Jordan earned his second straight and ninth career scoring title, while Rodman earned his sixth straight rebounding title. Jordan and Pippen, along with Robert Parish, were also honored as members of the 50 greatest players of all-time with the NBA celebrating its 50th season. ^[7] Parish, whose single season with the Bulls would be his last year in the league, was nominated for his stellar career with the Boston Celtics. ^[8]

1997–1999: The End of a Dynasty

The 1997–98 season was one of turmoil for the world champion Bulls. ^[9] Many speculated this would be Michael Jordan's final season with the team. Phil Jackson's future with the team was a question mark, as his relationship with team general manager Jerry Krause was one of growing tension. Scottie Pippen was looking for a huge contract extension that he thought he deserved, and was not getting from the organization. Even with all of the question marks that surrounded the Bulls, they still had a remarkable season, with a final regular-season record of 62–20. Michael Jordan would be named the league MVP for the fifth and final time, and the Bulls went into the playoffs as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

The first round of the playoffs for the Bulls was against the New Jersey Nets, a team led by Kendall Gill and Sam Cassell. The Bulls swept the Nets three to nothing in a best of five series. The conference semi-finals were more challenging than the previous series, with the Charlotte Hornets stealing game two from the Bulls at the United Center, tying the series 1–1. The loss for the Bulls on their home court seemed to wake up Chicago as the Bulls easily defeated the Hornets the next three games in the series. The Conference Finals was a challenge for the Bulls as they went up against the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers. Many experts thought that the Pacers had the best shot out of anybody to defeat the Bulls and send the world champions home without a chance to defend their title. 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 would prevail and beat the Pacers 88–83, winning their 6th Eastern Conference Championship.

The Bulls would end up facing the team they beat in the Finals the previous year, the Utah Jazz, in a rematch that many fans and experts were waiting for all season long. Led by Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz felt confident that they could defeat the Bulls, winning game one at the Delta Center. Facing a one to nothing deficit the Bulls felt that game two was a must win for them to stay in the series. They did just that, stealing one at the Delta Center and tying the series 1–1. The Bulls came back home to the United Center and took care of business by winning the next two games, now leading the series 3–1. Game 5 at the United Center proved that the Jazz had not given up hope, winning the game by two points, 83–81. With the series heading back to Utah for game six, Chicago felt that this was an important game, seeing that they have never let a series go seven games in their championship run. Game six was a tough battle for the two teams, as the Jazz had a lead late in the game. Down by three points to the Jazz, Michael Jordan took it upon himself to give the Bulls one final win. Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone and hit the game winning shot with 5.2 seconds remaining on the clock. With a score of 87–86, John Stockton put up a three pointer, but missed, sealing the Bulls' sixth championship in eight years. Michael Jordan's final shot as a Chicago Bull was one for the ages as it marked the end of their dynasty and the end of the Jordan era. He would be named the Finals MVP for the sixth time in his career. With the Bulls securing their second three-peat, the offseason came along.

The summer of 1998 brought an abrupt end to the championship era. ^[10] Krause felt that the Bulls were on the verge of being too old and unable to compete. He decided that the team's only choices were to rebuild or endure a slow decline. His plan was to trade away the aging talent and acquire high draft picks while clearing salary cap space to make a run at several promising free agents in two years' time. After having been vetoed in a previous attempt by owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Krause traded Scottie Pippen for Roy Rogers (who was released in February 1999) and a conditional second-round draft pick from the Houston Rockets. He also decided not to re-sign Dennis Rodman, and traded Luc Longley and Steve Kerr for other draft picks. He hired a new coach, Tim Floyd, who had run a successful program at Iowa State University. Upon Phil Jackson's departure, Michael Jordan made his second retirement official. With a new starting lineup of point guard Randy Brown, shooting guard Ron Harper, newcomer Brent Barry at small forward, power forward Toni Kukoc, and center Bill Wennington, the team began the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. Kukoc led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists, but the team won only 13 of 50 games.

1999–2004: Five difficult years

The previous year's dismal finish came with one highlight: the team won the draft lottery and the rights to power forward Elton Brand. Since the team lost Harper, Wennington and Barry in the offseason, Brand and fellow rookie Ron Artest led the team throughout the year, especially after Kukoc missed most of the season due to injury and was then dealt for a draft pick at the trading deadline. Brand recorded the first 20–10 average for the Bulls since the days of Artis Gilmore. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes, while Artest led all rookies in steals and finished second on the team in scoring. For his efforts Brand was named 1999–2000 co-Rookie of the Year with Houston's Steve Francis, and to the all-rookie first team, while Artest was named to the all-rookie second team. However, the team established a franchise low at 17–65, second worst in the league.

After a summer in which the Bulls witnessed most major and minor free agents Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Eddie Jones and even Tim Thomas choose to stay with their teams (or go elsewhere) rather than sign with them, Krause signed free agent center Brad Miller and shooting guard Ron Mercer, and drafted power forward Marcus Fizer and traded draft pick Chris Mihm to Cleveland for the rights of guard Jamal Crawford. Brand again led the team in scoring and rebounds with another 20–10 season, but the new acquisitions failed to make a major impact, and they finished with the worst record in team history at 15–67.

Krause shocked Bulls fans on draft day in 2001 when he traded franchise player Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for the second pick in the draft, Tyson Chandler. He also selected Eddy Curry with the fourth pick. Since both Chandler and Curry came straight out of high school, neither was expected to make much of a contribution for several years, but they were seen as potential franchise players. The team floundered without veteran leadership. At mid-season, the Bulls traded their top three scorers—Mercer, Artest, and Miller along with Kevin Ollie—to the Indiana Pacers for veteran guard Jalen Rose, Travis Best and Norman Richardson. There was also a change in coaching, with Floyd being dismissed in favor of assistant coach and former Bulls co-captain Bill Cartwright, following a series of arguments with players and management. The Bulls improved from 15 to 21 wins, although they were still tied for last in the league.

For the 2002–03 season, the Bulls came to play with much optimism. They picked up college phenom Jay Williams with the second pick in the draft. Rose and Williams teamed with Crawford, Fizer, newcomer Donyell Marshall, Curry, Chandler, and guard Trenton Hassell to form a young and exciting nucleus which improved to 30–52 in Bill Cartwright's first full season as head coach. Curry led the league in field goal percentage, becoming the first Bull since Jordan to lead the league in a major statistical category.

During the summer of 2003, long-time GM Jerry Krause retired, and former player and color commentator John Paxson was tabbed as his successor. Jay Williams, coming off a promising rookie campaign, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. His contract was bought out by the Bulls in February 2004 and he has yet to return to the game. Paxson selected point guard Kirk Hinrich with the seventh pick in the draft, and signed veteran free agent and former franchise player Scottie Pippen. With Pippen playing, Cartwright at the sidelines, and Paxson in the front office, the Bulls hoped that some of the championship magic from before would return.

However, the 2003–04 season was a resounding disappointment. Eddy Curry regressed, leading to questions about his conditioning and commitment. Tyson Chandler was plagued by a chronic back injury, missing more than thirty games. Pippen's ability to influence games was impaired by knee problems, and he openly contemplated retirement. Jamal Crawford remained inconsistent. Bill Cartwright was fired as head coach in December and replaced with former Phoenix coach Scott Skiles. A trade with the Toronto Raptors brought Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams in exchange for Rose and Marshall in what was seen as a major shift in team strategy from winning with athleticism to winning with hard work and defense. After struggling throughout the season, the Bulls finished with 23 wins and 59 losses, the second-worst record in the league. Fizer was not re-signed, and Crawford was re-signed and traded to the Knicks for expiring contracts. Hinrich provided the lone bright spot, becoming a fan favorite for his gritty determination and tenacious defense. He won a place on the All-Rookie first team.

2004–2007: Returning to the Playoffs

During the 2004 offseason, Paxson traded a 2005 draft pick to the Phoenix Suns in return for an additional pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He used the picks to select University of Connecticut guard Ben Gordon and Duke small forward Luol Deng in the first round, and Duke point guard Chris Duhon in the second. Paxson also signed free agent small forward Andres Nocioni, who had recently won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the Argentinian national team. After losing the first nine games of the season, the Bulls began to show signs of improvement behind their improved team defense and clutch fourth-quarter play from Gordon. The Bulls, who were 0–9 to start the season, finished the regular season 47–35, with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA playoffs for the first time since Jordan's departure. In the first round, the 4th-seeded Bulls played the Washington Wizards. The Bulls opened the series with two wins at home, but lost the next four games and the series. After the season, Ben Gordon became the first rookie to win the NBA Sixth Man Award and the first Bull to win the award since 1996 with Toni Kukoc.

During the 2005 offseason, the Bulls re-signed free agent Tyson Chandler. However, Curry showed possible symptoms of a heart disease resulting of a heart murmur during checkups, and Paxson would not clear him to play without extensive DNA testing. Ultimately, Curry refused to participate in the tests, and he was traded along with Antonio Davis to the New York Knicks for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and what became the second pick of the 2006 NBA Draft—as well as the right to swap picks with New York in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Without a significant post presence, the Bulls struggled for most of the 2005–06 season. However, a late-season 12–2 surge allowed them to finish 41–41 and qualify for the 2006 playoffs. There, the Bulls faced the Miami Heat. After two close losses in Miami, the Bulls broke through with a blowout win in Game 3, and another win in Game 4. However, the Heat took the next two games to win the series and went on to win that years championship. The Bulls' several young players nevertheless earned additional postseason experience, and Nocioni turned in a remarkable series of performances that far exceeded his season averages.

In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Bulls were awarded forward-center LaMarcus Aldridge and immediately traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Tyrus Thomas and forward Viktor Khryapa. In a second draft-day trade, the Bulls selected Rodney Carney and traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for guard Thabo Sefolosha. Later that summer, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace signed with the Bulls for a reported four-year, $60 million contract. Following the signing of Wallace, the Bulls traded Tyson Chandler, the last remaining player of the Krause era, to the (then) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for veteran power forward P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith and salary cap space that was used to sign former Chicago co-captain Adrian Griffin.

In 2006–07, the Bulls overcame a 3–9 season start to finish 49–33, the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, the Bulls again faced Miami, the defending NBA champion. The Bulls narrowly won Game 1 at home, then followed it with a blowout victory in Game 2. In Miami, the Bulls rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to win Game 3 and then posted another comeback win in Game 4. The Bulls' four-game sweep of the defending champion stunned many NBA observers. It was Chicago's first playoff series victory since 1998, Jordan's last season with the team.

The Bulls then advanced to face the Detroit Pistons, marking the first time the Central Division rivals had met in the playoffs since 1991. The Pistons won the first three games including a big comeback in Game 3. No NBA team had ever come back from a 0–3 deficit to win the series, but the Bulls avoided a sweep by winning Game 4 by 10 points. The Bulls then easily won Game 5 in Detroit, and had a chance to make NBA history. But they lost at home in game 6 by 10, and the Pistons won the series 4–2 on May 17.

2007–2008: Missing the playoffs

During the off season, the Bulls signed forward Joe Smith and guard Adrian Griffin, and drafted center Joakim Noah. However, distractions began when Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turned down contract extensions, never citing reasons. Then rumors surfaced that the Bulls were pursuing stars like Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, and most notably, Kobe Bryant. None of these deals happened, and general manager John Paxson denied a deal was ever imminent. Though the team's future looked bright, the season darkened their outlook.

The Bulls started the 2007–08 NBA season by losing 10 of their first 12 games and on December 24, 2007, after a 9–16 start, the Bulls fired head coach Scott Skiles. Jim Boylan was named the interim head coach on December 27, 2007.

On February 21, 2008, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Adrian Griffin and the Bulls' 2009 2nd round draft pick ^[11] were exchanged for Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, Larry Hughes and Shannon Brown in a three-team trade deal involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Seattle SuperSonics. ^[12] Boylan was not retained on April 17 at the conclusion of the 2007–08 season after compiling a 24–32 record with the Bulls. The Bulls ended the 2007–08 campaign with a 33–49 record, a complete reversal of last year's record.

After Jim Boylan's interim tenure expired, the Bulls began the process of selecting a new head coach. They were in talks with former Phoenix head coach Mike D'Antoni, but on May 10, 2008 he signed with the New York Knicks. Other possible options included former Dallas head coach Avery Johnson and former Bulls head coach Doug Collins. Collins resigned from the coaching list on June 4, 2008, reporting that he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Jerry Reinsdorf.

On June 10, 2008, the Chicago Bulls G.M. John Paxson hired Vinny Del Negro, with no coaching experience, to coach the young Bulls. The stage was set for a new era in Bulls history. On July 3, 2008, the Chicago Tribune reported that Delmer Harris agreed to become an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls along with former Charlotte Bobcats head coach Bernie Bickerstaff and longtime NBA assistant Bob Ociepka. Along with Bickerstaff and Ociepka, Harris helped establish a veteran presence on the coaching staff and helped rookie head coach Del Negro.

2008–present: Rebuilding

With a 1.7% chance of winning the rights to draft number 1 in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Bulls won the 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. On June 26, 2008, the Bulls drafted Derrick Rose as the Number 1 draft pick, and at pick Number 39 they selected Sonny Weems. The Bulls later traded Weems to the Denver Nuggets for Denver's 2009 regular second-round draft pick. The Bulls then acquired Omer Asik from the Portland Trail Blazers (selected with the 36th pick) for Denver's 2009 regular second-round draft pick, New York's 2009 regular second-round draft pick, and the Bulls' 2010 regular second-round draft pick. The Bulls re-signed Luol Deng to a six-year $71 million contract on July 30, 2008. Ben Gordon signed a one-year contract on October 2, 2008.

On February 18, 2009, the Bulls made their first of several trades, sending Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Michael Ruffin to the Sacramento Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons. ^[13] Then on February 19, 2009, the NBA trade deadline, the Bulls traded Larry Hughes to the New York Knicks for Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson. ^[14] Later that day the Bulls made the third trade in a span of less than 24 hours by sending swingman Thabo Sefolosha to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2009 first-round pick. ^[15] The trades brought a late-season push for the Bulls, which finally clinched a playoff berth on April 10, 2009, their fourth in the last five years. They finished the season with a 41–41 record. Their record was good enough to secure a No. 7 seed In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, playing a tough series against the Boston Celtics. In Game 1, Derrick Rose scored 36 points, along with 11 assists, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most points scored by a rookie in a playoff debut. After breaking the record for most overtimes played in a NBA Playoffs Series, the Boston Celtics managed to overcome the Bulls after 7 Games and 7 Overtimes played. ^[16]

The Bulls then had two 1st round picks in the 2009 NBA Draft and decided to take Wake Forest stand out forward James Johnson and athletic USC forward Taj Gibson. ^[17]

In the 2009 NBA off-season, the Bulls lost their leading scorer Ben Gordon, who signed with their divisional rival, the Detroit Pistons. ^[18]

Traditions

Starting lineup introductions

The Chicago Bulls were the first NBA team to dim their lights during the starting lineup introductions of home games. Other teams around the league soon followed suit. During the Bulls' run of dominance, the player introductions became world famous. Longtime announcer Tommy Edwards was the first to use "Sirius", "Rock n Roll Pt II", "On The Run" and other songs in game presentation anywhere in professional sports. 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 song "On the Run" by Pink Floyd. Then virtually all lights in the stadium are shut off for the Bulls introduction, and a spotlight illuminates each player as he is introduced and runs onto the court. Since the move to the United Center, laser lights 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. Coincidentally, Alan Parsons wrote "Sirius" for his own band and was the sound engineer for "On the Run" from Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon .

Traditionally, the players have been introduced in the following order: small forward, power forward, center, point guard, shooting guard. Thus, Scottie Pippen was usually the first Bulls player introduced, and Michael Jordan the last. (Pippen and Jordan were the only players to play on all six Bulls championship teams.) Although internal disputes eventually led to the dismissal of Clay, the Bulls in 2006 announced the return of Tommy Edwards as the announcer. ^[19]

As part of Edwards' return, the introductions changed as a new introduction developed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, Ethan Stoller and Jamie Poindexter, all from Chicago. The introduction also included a newly composed remix of the traditional Sirius theme.

Black shoes and socks

The Bulls have an unofficial tradition of wearing black shoes (regardless of being home or away) during the playoffs, which dates all the way back to 1989 when they debuted the tradition. ^[20] 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. ^[21] During the 2009 Playoffs, however, the Bulls broke the tradition by wearing white shoes and socks in Game 3 of the first round against the Boston Celtics. They lost that game by 21. ^[22]

Logos and uniforms

Logo

The iconic Bulls' logo is a red bull's face with an angry expression. The horns are tipped with blood. The logo was designed by noted American sports artist Theodore W. Drake and was adopted in 1966.

Uniforms

The Bulls have three different uniforms: a white home uniform, a red road uniform, and a black alternate road uniform. The design of the white and red sets are nearly identical, with the team name featured on the front over the number, and the player's last name over the number on the back and under the Bulls' logo. The shorts have the Bulls logo in a diamond shaped design on the sides of the legs. The less-often used black uniform (often used 10 times per season) shares the same design as the white and the red ones, except that "Bulls" is replaced with "Chicago" on the front of the jersey. It was first introduced during Chicago's 72-win run in the 1995–96 NBA season, in which it shared a similar design to the Bulls' regular road and home uniforms except that it featured pinstripes and a diamond that is not featured around the Bulls' logo in the shorts. This design was resurrected as part of the NBA Hardwood Classics Nights program, as well as NBA Heritage Week presentations (Dec. 7–14, 2007) throughout the 2007–08 season. In the 1999–2000 season, the pinstripes were removed and "Chicago" replaced "Bulls" above the number in the jersey front. Beginning in the 2006-07 NBA Season, the player's name on the back of the alternate jersey changed its color to white from the red/white combination, and the red diamond was added to surround the logo in the sides of the shorts. The player's name was reverted back to the red/white combo in the 2007–08 NBA season.

The Bulls wear white shoes during the regular season, but black shoes during the playoffs. This unofficial tradition goes back to the Jordan era. The Bulls also wear only their red uniform on the road during the playoffs. During the 2008-09 season and first three games of the playoffs, however, the Bulls wore black sneakers on away games only while wearing white sneakers on home games.

In 2006 the Bulls were one of three teams to take part in the NBA's first ever St. Patrick's Day uniform program (with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks). The program consisted of the teams wearing specially designed green uniforms. For the program The Bulls' changed their red road uniforms to green while maintaining the traditional red and black bull's head on the shorts and the back of the jersey as well as the wording of "Bulls" on the front remaining black. The Bulls wore these uniforms on March 18 against the Miami Heat. ^[23]

The following year the Bulls once again participated in the St. Patrick's Day uniform program altering their road jerseys in the same way as before. This time the special edition uniforms were worn twice by the Bulls: once on March 13 at home against the Celtics and then again on March 17 in Memphis versus the Grizzlies. ^[24]

In the 2007–08 season they wore them on March 17, 2008 (at New Orleans) and March 18, 2008 (vs. New Jersey). In the 2008–09 season, they wore the uniforms on March 17, 2009 against Boston.

The Bulls also participated in the NBA's "Noche Latina" celebrations throughout March, beginning in 2009. They used a slightly altered version of their regular red road uniforms, with the wording "Los Bulls" to honor Hispanics throughout Chicago.

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

Rivalries

The Bulls' primary rivals have been the Detroit Pistons ever since the Jordan-led Bulls met the "Bad Boy" Pistons in the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals. The two teams met in the playoffs four consecutive years, with the Pistons winning each time until 1991, when the Bulls defeated the Pistons in four games in the Eastern Conference Finals, en route to their first NBA championship. The rivalry was renewed in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which former Detroit cornerstone Ben Wallace met his former team (the Pistons won in 6 games). The geographic proximity and membership in the Central Division further intensify the rivalry, which has been characterized by intense, physical play ever since the teams met in the late 1980s. Chicago fans have been known to have a disliking for Detroit professional teams, as it is the only city that is in the same division as Chicago in all four major North American sports. "Detroit Sucks" is commonly chanted when playing any Detroit team.

The Bulls also had an intense rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unlike the rivalry with the Pistons, in which the two teams have been relatively competitive, the Bulls-Cavs rivalry has been one the more one-sided rivalries, heavily favoring the Bulls. Twice, Michael Jordan hit game- and series- winning shots against the Cavaliers in the playoffs.

Though not always mutually recognized, the Bulls also have a substantial rivalry with the Portland Trail Blazers which began to unfold after the 1984 NBA Draft. Portland had the 2nd first round pick and acquired center Sam Bowie while the Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with their 3rd pick. Due to Bowie's less than expected performance and a career ending injury, many have cited that the Blazer's draft pick was the worst in NBA history because of the legendary status Jordan holds. Fans of both teams have drawn similarities between the draft pick and that of baseball's Curse of the Bambino. The theory gained further momentum after the Bulls defeated the Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals.

Another franchise that the Bulls have competed fiercely with is the New York Knicks. The two met in the playoffs in four consecutive years (1991–94) and again in 1996, with the teams' series twice (1992 and 1994) going the full seven games.

Their first playoff confrontation, however, came in 1989 when both teams were called "teams on the rise" under Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, respectively. That first confrontation would belong to Chicago in six games of the Eastern Semifinals. The Bulls triumphed in the first three years (1991–93) before narrowly losing in 1994 but exacted revenge in 1996. As with Detroit, the historic rivalry between the cities has led to animosity between the teams and occasionally their fans.

Season-by-season records

Season	Team	Conference	Division	Regular Season					Post-Season
				Finish	Wins	Losses	Win%	GB
2003–04	2003–04	Eastern	Central	8th	23	59	.280	38
2004–05	2004–05	Eastern	Central	2nd	47	35	.573	7	Lost First Round to Washington Wizards 2–4
2005–06	2005–06	Eastern	Central	4th	41	41	.500	23	Lost First Round to Miami Heat 2–4
2006–07	2006–07	Eastern	Central	3rd	49	33	.598	4	Won First Round vs. Miami Heat, 4–0 Lost Conference Semifinals to Detroit Pistons, 2–4
2007–08	2007–08	Eastern	Central	4th	33	49	.402	26
2008–09	2008–09	Eastern	Central	2nd	41	41	.500	25	Lost in First Round vs. Boston Celtics, 3–4

• Season has not ended yet, so some stats (*) are not accurate.

Home arenas

#International Amphitheatre (1966–1967) #Chicago Stadium (1967–94) #United Center (1994–present)

Training Facilities

The team currently trains at the Berto Center, located at 550 Lake Cook Rd, Deerfield, IL.

Radio and Television

Radio

The flagship station for the Bulls is WMVP, "ESPN 1000". WMVP became the flagship for the 07–08 season after the WCKG changed formats. ^{[25] [26]} Chuck Swirsky and Bill Wennington are the announcers.

TV

The Bulls TV broadcasts are split among Comcast SportsNet Chicago, which broadcasts most of the games, WGN, and WCIU. ^[27] So far WGN sports and Comcast SportsNet Chicago will at least air all of the home games in High Definition. The announcers are Neil Funk and Stacey King. Also worth noting is that WGN does not air all of its Chicago Bulls games nationwide. Only a select few, usually Saturday games, are nationally televised on WGN America. The rest are only available within the Chicago area.

Players

Basketball Hall of Famers

• Players:
• Nate Thurmond, C, 1974–1975, Inducted 1985
• George Gervin, SG, 1985–1986, Inducted 1996
• Robert Parish, C, 1996–1997, Inducted 2003
• Michael Jordan, SG, 1984–1993, 1995–1998, Inducted 2009
• Coaches:
• Phil Jackson, 1989–1998, Inducted 2007
• Jerry Sloan, 1979–1982, Inducted 2009
• Contributors
• Jerry Colangelo, 1966–1968, Inducted 2004

Scottie Pippen was named in 1996 as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, the league's official list of the 50 greatest players of its first 50 years, and all members of that team who are eligible (retired at least 5 years) have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Scottie Pippen will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Retired numbers

• 4 Jerry Sloan, G, 1966–1976
• 10 Bob Love, F, 1968–1976
• 23 Michael Jordan, G, 1984–1993, 1995–98
• 33 Scottie Pippen, F, 1987–1998, 2003–04
• Phil Jackson, Head Coach, 1989–1998
• Jerry Krause, General Manager, 1985–2003

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

Current roster

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International rights

Head coaches

Recent NBA Draft selections

• 2009 – James Johnson (Round 1, 16th pick); Taj Gibson (Round 1, 26th pick)
• 2008 – Derrick Rose (Round 1, 1st pick); Sonny Weems (Round 2, 39th pick) Rights traded to Denver also receiving Omer Asik (Round 2, 36th pick) from Portland
• 2007 – Joakim Noah (Round 1, 9th pick); Aaron Gray (Round 2, 49th pick); JamesOn Curry (Round 2, 51st pick)
• 2006 – LaMarcus Aldridge (Round 1, 2nd pick) Rights traded to Portland Trail Blazers for the draft rights of Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa; Rodney Carney Round 1, 16th pick, traded to Philadelphia 76ers for rights to Thabo Sefolosha
• 2004 – Ben Gordon (Round 1, 3rd pick)); Jackson Vroman (Round 2, 31st pick) rights traded to Phoenix Suns for the draft rights to Luol Deng (Round 1, 7th pick), a future first round draft pick, and cash; Chris Duhon (Round 2, 38th pick)
• 2003 – Kirk Hinrich (Round 1, 7th pick); Mario Austin (Round 2, 36th pick); Matt Bonner (Round 2, 45th pick) Rights traded to Toronto for a 2004 2nd round pick; Tommy Smith (Round 2, 53rd pick)
• 2002 – Jay Williams (Round 1, 2nd pick); Roger Mason (Round 2, 32nd pick); Lonny Baxter (Round 2, 44th pick)
• 2001 – Eddy Curry (Round 1, 4th pick); Trenton Hassell (Round 2, 30th pick); Sean Lampley (Round 2, 45th pick)
• 2000 – Marcus Fizer (Round 1, 4th pick); Chris Mihm (Round 1, 7th pick) Rights traded to Cleveland Cavaliers for the draft rights to Jamal Crawford (Round 1, 8th pick); Dalibor Bagaric (Round 1, 24th pick); A.J. Guyton (Round 2, 32rd pick); Jake Voskuhl (Round 2, 33rd pick); Khalid El-Amin (Round 2 34th pick)
• 1999 – Elton Brand (Round 1, 1st pick); Ron Artest (Round 1, 16th pick); Michael Ruffin (Round 2, 32nd pick); Lari Ketner (Round 2, 49th pick)
• 1998 – Corey Benjamin (Round 1, 28th pick); Shammond Williams (Round 2, 34th pick); Maceo Baston (Round 2, 58th pick)

Developmental league

The Bulls are represented in the NBADL by the Iowa Energy.

Achievement

Individual awards

NBA Most Valuable Player

• Michael Jordan – 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

• Michael Jordan – 1988

NBA Rookie of the Year

• Michael Jordan – 1985
• Elton Brand – 2000 (Co-Rookie of the year)
• Derrick Rose – 2009

NBA Sixth Man of the Year

• Toni Kukoc – 1996
• Ben Gordon – 2005

NBA Finals MVP

• Michael Jordan – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998

All-Star Game MVP

• Michael Jordan – 1988, 1996, 1998
• Scottie Pippen – 1994

NBA All-Star Playstation Skills Challenge

• Derrick Rose – 2009

Best NBA Player ESPY Award

• Michael Jordan – 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999

NBA Sportsmanship Award

• Luol Deng – 2007

Coach of the Year

• Johnny Kerr – 1967
• Dick Motta – 1971
• Phil Jackson – 1996

Executive of the Year

• Jerry Krause – 1988, 1996

All-NBA First Team

• Michael Jordan – 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Scottie Pippen – 1994, 1995, 1996

All-NBA Second Team

• Bob Love – 1971, 1972
• Norm Van Lier – 1974
• Michael Jordan – 1985
• Scottie Pippen – 1992, 1997

All-NBA Third Team

• Scottie Pippen – 1993, 1998

NBA All-Defensive First Team

• Jerry Sloan – 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975
• Norm Van Lier – 1974, 1976, 1977
• Michael Jordan – 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Scottie Pippen – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Dennis Rodman – 1996

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

• Jerry Sloan – 1970, 1971
• Norm Van Lier – 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978
• Bob Love – 1972, 1974, 1975
• Artis Gilmore – 1978
• Scottie Pippen – 1991
• Horace Grant – 1993, 1994
• Kirk Hinrich – 2007
• Ben Wallace – 2007

NBA Rookie First Team

• Erwin Mueller – 1967
• Clifford Ray – 1972
• Scott May – 1977
• Reggie Theus – 1979
• David Greenwood – 1980
• Quintin Dailey – 1983
• Michael Jordan – 1985
• Charles Oakley – 1986
• Elton Brand – 2000
• Kirk Hinrich – 2004
• Luol Deng – 2005
• Ben Gordon – 2005
• Derrick Rose – 2009

NBA Rookie Second Team

• Stacey King – 1990
• Toni Kukoc – 1994
• Ron Artest – 2000
• Marcus Fizer – 2001
• Jay Williams – 2003
• Tyrus Thomas – 2007

Records

• Hold the best overall win–loss season record with 72–10 in 1995–96
• Hold the record for most consecutive home games won (44 from 1994–95 through 1995–96)
• Hold the record for most consecutive home games won, start of season, 37 in 1995–96
• Hold the record for most road games won and best overall road record in standard 41 road games, 33–8 in 1995–96
• Hold the record for the fewest points per game in a season after 1954–55 (81.9 in 1998–99)
• Hold the record for the fewest points in a game after 1954–55 (49, April 10, 1999)
• Hold the record for largest margin of victory in a NBA Finals game (42; defeated the Utah Jazz 96–54)
• Hold the record for fewest points allowed in a NBA Finals game (54 against the Utah Jazz)
• Share record for most players with 40 or more points in a game (Michael Jordan with 44 & Scottie Pippen with 40 on February 18, 1996 against the Indiana Pacers)
• Share lowest free throw percentage by two teams in one game (.410 with the Los Angeles Lakers, February 7, 1968)
• Share record for most personal fouls by two teams in one game (87 with the Portland Trail Blazers, March 16, 1984)
• Share the #2 best overall win–loss home record with 39–2 (with the Cleveland Cavaliers), achieved in both 1995–96 and 1996–97
• Shared record: Will Perdue for fewest minutes played by a disqualified player in a playoff game (7 against the New York Knicks, May 14, 1992)
• Dennis Rodman, most offensive rebounds in a NBA Finals game (11 twice against the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals)
• Shared record: Two teams with the fewest players to score more than ten points in a playoff game (4 with the Miami Heat, May 24, 1997)
• Highest defensive rebound percentage in a playoff game (.952 against the Golden State Warriors on April 30, 1975)
• Shared record: Highest free throw percentage by one team in a playoff game (1.000 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 1992)
• Ben Gordon, Most consecutive three pointers in a game without a miss (9, shared with Latrell Sprewell)

See also

• Chicago Bulls all-time roster
• Bulls–Knicks rivalry of the 1990s
• Bulls–Heat rivalry, current rivalry
• Tommy Edwards, public address announcer (1976–1990, 2006–present)
• Ray Clay, public address announcer (1990–2002)
• Tom Dore, television play-by-play announcer (Comcast Sportsnet)
• List of Chicago Bulls broadcasters
• Benny the Bull, mascot

References

1. Cohen, Rachel. Lakers-Celtics should grab big TV ratings, charleston.net, June 5, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
2. NBA Finals Game 6 nets ratings record for NBC, ''Jet Magazine'', July 6, 1998, available at findarticles.com. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
3. databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1995-96 Game Log and Scores. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
4. All-Defensive Teams, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
5. Top 10 Teams in NBA History, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
6. databasebasketball.com, Chicago Bulls 1996-97 Game Log and Scores. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
7. The NBA at 50, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
8. Robert Parish Bio, NBA.com, accessed May 10, 2008.
9. [1], New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
10. BULLS: BULLS SCHEDULE 1998-99
11. BULLS: News
12. NBA.com: February 2008 Transactions
13. KINGS ACQUIRE FOUR PLAYERS IN THREE-TEAM TRADE
14. Sources: Knicks trade for Bulls' Hughes
15. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1440399,thabo-bulls-trade-021909.article
16. OT hold-down: Celtics top Bulls in regulation - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
17. 2009 NBA Draft - Yahoo! Sports
18. {{dead link|date=August 2009}}
19. BULLS: Tommy Edwards
20. Ask Sam Smith: The Tribune's pro basketball reporter answers reader questions
21. Bulls Take Game 1
22. Tradition broken
23. NBA Celebrates St. Patrick's Day With Green Uniforms
24. NBA Teams Paint the Town Green With Special Edition St. Patrick's Day Uniforms
25. Bulls return to ESPN 1000
26. Bulls broadcast partners
27. Bulls Schedule