Chicago Bulls

For other uses, see Chicago Bulls (disambiguation).

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

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.

The 1969–70 Chicago Bulls

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

Gilmore in 1977

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

Michael Jordan was drafted third overall by the Bulls in 1984. He won six championships and six Finals MVPs for Chicago.

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

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

United Center

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

Michael Jordan

Scottie Pippen

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.

President Bill Clinton honoring the Chicago Bulls in 1997

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.

Bulls head coach Phil Jackson consulting Michael Jordan in 1997

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

Joining the Bulls in 2004, Luol Deng made his first All-Star appearance with the team in 2012 and his second in 2013

Joakim Noah was drafted by the Bulls in 2007. He was named an All Star for the first time in 2013 and for the second time in 2014.

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.

Derrick Rose was drafted first overall by the Bulls in 2008. He was the 2010–11 NBA MVP.

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

Tom Thibodeau coached the Bulls to 62 wins in his first season.

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

Fred Hoiberg was the 22nd head coach in the franchise's history.

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

Zach Lavine (seen here in 2022) was brought to the Bulls in 2017

In June 2017, the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler and their 2017 first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and a pick used to select Lauri Markkanen. They also waived Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan, and allowed Michael Carter-Williams to enter free agency. Justin Holiday rejoined the Bulls on a two-year, $9 million contract, while Dwyane Wade reached a buyout agreement, returning $8 million of his $23.2 million contract.

On October 17, 2017, a fight broke out between Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotić during practice. Portis punched Mirotić in the face, causing a concussion and facial fractures. Portis was suspended eight games, and Mirotić missed 23 games. The incident led to Mirotić being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2018 for a first-round draft pick and Ömer Aşık, Tony Allen, and Jameer Nelson. The Bulls finished the 2017-18 season with a 27–55 record.

In 2018, the Bulls drafted Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison, and re-signed Zach LaVine to a four-year, $78 million deal. They also signed Jabari Parker to a two-year, $40 million contract. After a poor start to the 2018-19 season, Fred Hoiberg was fired and replaced by Jim Boylen. In February 2019, Bobby Portis, Jabari Parker, and a second-round pick were traded for Otto Porter. The Bulls ended the season with a 22-60 record, missing the playoffs.

In 2019, the Bulls selected Coby White and signed veterans Tomáš Satoranský and Thaddeus Young. After the COVID-19 disruption, Artūras Karnišovas became the Bulls' executive vice president, and Marc Eversley was hired as general manager. Jim Boylen was fired, and Billy Donovan became head coach in 2020. The Bulls drafted Patrick Williams with the fourth overall pick.

In March 2021, the Bulls traded for Nikola Vučević and Al-Farouq Aminu, sending Wendell Carter Jr, Otto Porter and draft picks to Orlando. Despite these moves, the Bulls finished the 2020-21 season with a 31-41 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

2021–2024: DeRozan-Lavine duo

DeMar DeRozan at the 2022 All-Star game

In the 2021 offseason, the Chicago Bulls made several notable moves aimed at improving their roster. They selected Ayo Dosunmu with the 38th pick in the second round of the NBA Draft, traded for Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans, and signed free agent Alex Caruso. The Bulls also received DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs, giving up Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, and draft picks.

DeRozan’s performance in late December 2021, including back-to-back buzzer-beaters against the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards, briefly captured the spotlight. Despite this, the Bulls’ overall play remained inconsistent. Although DeRozan earned an All-Star selection and LaVine joined him as a reserve, the team struggled to maintain momentum. They finished the season in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.

In the 2022 offseason, the Bulls re-signed LaVine to a five-year, $215.2 million contract (the largest in franchise history) and selected Dalen Terry in the draft. They also signed Patrick Beverley mid-season in an attempt to reignite their playoff hopes. However, despite some individual success, the team’s lack of consistency persisted. The Bulls finished 40–42 in the 2022–23 season and earned a spot in the play-in tournament, where they were again eliminated by the Miami Heat.

The 2023 offseason saw the Bulls trade for the 35th pick in the draft and select Julian Philips, while also re-signing Vucevic and Coby White. Despite these moves, the 2023–24 season was disappointing, as injuries to LaVine and Patrick Williams hampered the team’s performance. Although players like White and Dosunmu showed some improvement, the Bulls finished with a 39–43 record, once again securing a play-in spot. After defeating the Atlanta Hawks, they were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the second game, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

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

Further information: Bulls–Cavaliers rivalry

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

Further information: Bulls–Pistons rivalry

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

Further information: Bulls–Knicks rivalry

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!"

Chicago Bulls wordmark (1966–present)

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 in February 2018

See also: Benny the Bull

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

Season	GP	W	L	W–L%	Finish	Playoffs
2019–20	65	22	43	.338	3rd, Central	Did not qualify
2020–21	72	31	41	.431	3rd, Central	Did not qualify
2021–22	82	46	36	.561	2nd, Central	Lost in First Round, 1–4 (Bucks)
2022–23	82	40	42	.488	3rd, Central	Did not qualify
2023–24	82	39	43	.476	4th, Central	Did not qualify

Franchise records

Main article: Chicago Bulls accomplishments and 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

Arena
Arena	Tenure
International Amphitheatre	1966–1967
Chicago Stadium	1967–1994
United Center	1994–present

Personnel

Further information: Chicago Bulls all-time roster and Chicago Bulls draft history

Current roster

Chicago Bulls roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G 2 Ball, Lonzo 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-10-27 UCLA F 14 Buzelis, Matas 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 2004-10-13 Sunrise Christian (KS) G 5 Carter, Jevon 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1995-09-14 West Virginia F 13 Craig, Torrey 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 221 lb (100 kg) 1990-12-19 USC Upstate G 11 Dosunmu, Ayo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-01-17 Illinois G 27 Duarte, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-06-13 Oregon G 3 Giddey, Josh 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2002-10-10 Australia G 22 Horton-Tucker, Talen 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 234 lb (106 kg) 2000-11-25 Iowa State G 8 LaVine, Zach 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1995-03-10 UCLA F 32 Liddell, E. J. (TW) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2000-12-18 Ohio State F 15 Phillips, Julian 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 2003-11-05 Tennessee F 21 Sanogo, Adama (TW) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 2002-02-12 Connecticut C 7 Smith, Jalen 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2000-03-16 Maryland G 00 Steward, DJ (TW) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 162 lb (73 kg) 2001-10-02 Duke F 25 Terry, Dalen 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2002-07-12 Arizona C 9 Vučević, Nikola 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1990-10-24 USC G 0 White, Coby 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2000-02-16 North Carolina F 44 Williams, Patrick 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2001-08-26 Florida State

Head coach Billy Donovan Assistant coach(es) John Bryant Damian Cotter Dan Craig Henry Domercant Billy Schmidt Wes Unseld Jr. Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate (TW) Two-way affiliate player Injured Roster Last transaction: November 16, 2024

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.

Draft	Round	Pick	Player	Pos.	Nationality	Current team	Note(s)	Ref

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)

Most minutes played
Player	Minutes
Michael Jordan	35,887
Scottie Pippen	30,269
Jerry Sloan	24,798
Kirk Hinrich	23,545
Luol Deng	22,882
Bob Love	22,073
Norm Van Lier	19,122
Horace Grant	18,204
Joakim Noah	16,848
Artis Gilmore	16,777

Most rebounds
Player	Rebounds
Michael Jordan	5,836
Tom Boerwinkle	5,745
Scottie Pippen	5,726
Joakim Noah	5,387
Jerry Sloan	5,385
Artis Gilmore	5,342
Horace Grant	4,721
Dave Greenwood	4,222
Luol Deng	4,078
Bob Love	3,998

Most assists
Player	Assists
Michael Jordan	5,012
Scottie Pippen	4,494
Kirk Hinrich	3,811
Norm Van Lier	3,676
Derrick Rose	2,516
Reggie Theus	2,472
John Paxson	2,394
Bob Weiss	2,008
Tom Boerwinkle	2,007
Toni Kukoč	1,840

Most steals
Player	Steals
Michael Jordan	2,306
Scottie Pippen	1,792
Kirk Hinrich	857
Norm Van Lier	724
Luol Deng	639
Horace Grant	587
Jimmy Butler	583
Reggie Theus	580
Joakim Noah	481
Toni Kukoč	476

Most blocks
Player	Blocks
Artis Gilmore	1,029
Michael Jordan	828
Joakim Noah	803
Scottie Pippen	774
Taj Gibson	695
Horace Grant	579
Dave Corzine	573
Dave Greenwood	526
Tyson Chandler	487
Luol Deng	360

Most three-pointers made
Player	3-pointers made
Kirk Hinrich	1,049
Zach LaVine	994
Ben Gordon	770
Coby White	769
Scottie Pippen	664
Michael Jordan	555
Lauri Markkanen	493
Nikola Mirotić	432
Steve Kerr	430
Andrés Nocioni	403

Head coaches

Main article: List of Chicago Bulls head coaches

Hall of Famers, retired, and honored numbers

Basketball Hall of Famers

Chicago Bulls Hall of Famers
Players
No.	Name	Position	Tenure	Inducted
42	Nate Thurmond	C	1974–1976	1985
8	George Gervin	G/F	1985–1986	1996
00	Robert Parish	C	1996–1997	2003
12 23 45	Michael Jordan 1	G	1984–1993 1995–1998	2009
33	Scottie Pippen 2	F	1987–1998 2003–2004	2010
53	Artis Gilmore	C	1976–1982 1987	2011
91	Dennis Rodman	F	1995–1998	2011
25	Chet Walker	F	1969–1975	2012
5	Guy Rodgers	G	1966–1967	2014
7	Toni Kukoč	F	1993–2000	2021
3	Ben Wallace	F/C	2006–2008	2021
16	Pau Gasol	F/C	2014–2016	2023
3	Dwyane Wade	G	2016–2017	2023
Coaches
Name		Position	Tenure	Inducted
Phil Jackson		Assistant coach Head coach	1987–1989 1989–1998	2007
4	Jerry Sloan 3	Assistant coach Head coach	1977–1978 1979–1982	2009
Tex Winter		Assistant coach	1985–1999	2011
Contributors
Name		Position	Tenure	Inducted
Jerry Colangelo 4		Executive	1966–1968	2004
Jerry Reinsdorf		Owner	1985–present	2016
Jerry Krause		General manager	1985–2003	2017
Rod Thorn 5		General manager	1978–1985	2018
Larry Costello		Head coach	1978–1979	2022
Del Harris		Assistant coach	2008–2009	2022
Doug Collins		Head coach	1986–1989	2024

Notes:

• ¹ In total, Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ² In total, Pippen was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ³ He also played for the team in 1966–1976.
• ⁴ Colangelo worked as a marketing director, scout, and assistant to the president of the team.
• ⁵ He also coached the team in 1981–1982.

FIBA Hall of Famers

Chicago Bulls Hall of Famers
Players
No.	Name	Position	Tenure	Inducted
12 23 45	Michael Jordan 1	G	1984–1993 1995–1998	2015
33	Scottie Pippen	F	1987–1998 2003–2004	2017 as member of 1992 Dream Team
7	Toni Kukoč	F	1993–2000	2017

Notes:

• ¹ 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

Main article: Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

Retired numbers and honorees

Chicago Bulls retired numbers and honorees
No.	Player	Position/charge	Tenure	Date retired
4	Jerry Sloan	G/SF	1966–1976	February 17, 1978
10	Bob Love	F	1968–1976	January 14, 1994
23	Michael Jordan	SG	1984–1993 1995–1998	November 1, 1994
33	Scottie Pippen	SF	1987–1998 2003–2004	December 9, 2005
—	Phil Jackson	Coach	1987–1989 (assistant) 1989–1998 (head)	May 5, 1999
—	Johnny Kerr	Coach Business manager Broadcaster	1966–1968 (head coach) 1973–1975 (business manager) 1977–2009 (broadcaster)	February 10, 2009
—	Jerry Krause	General manager	March 26, 1985–April 7, 2003	October 31, 2003

• 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.

Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor
Players
No.	Name	Position	Tenure	Inducted
53	Artis Gilmore	C	1976–1982, 1987	2024
12 23 45	Michael Jordan	SG	1984–1993, 1995–1998	2024
7	Toni Kukoč	SF	1993–2000	2024
10	Bob Love	SF	1968–1976	2024
33	Scottie Pippen	SF	1987–1998, 2003–2004	2024
91	Dennis Rodman	PF	1995–1998	2024
4	Jerry Sloan	SG	1966–1976	2024
25	Chet Walker	SF	1969–1975	2024
Staff
Name		Position	Tenure	Inducted
Phil Jackson		Coach	1989–1998	2024
Johnny Kerr		Coach Broadcaster	1966–1968 1975–2008	2024
Dick Klein		Owner	1967–1972	2024
Jerry Krause		General manager	1985–2003	2024
Tex Winter		Assistant coach	1985–1999	2024
Teams
Team				Inducted
Members of the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls team				2024

Media

Main article: List of Chicago Bulls broadcasters

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.

External links

• Official website