The Chicago Bulls are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Chicago, Illinois. Dick Klein founded the Bulls in 1966 after a number of other professional basketball teams in Chicago had failed.[1] In their 53 seasons, the Bulls have achieved a winning record 25 times, and have appeared in the NBA playoffs 35 times.[2] They received international recognition in the 1990s when All-Star shooting guard Michael Jordan led them to their six league championships.[3] The only three NBA franchises that have won more championships than the Bulls are the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers (17 Championships each), and the Golden State Warriors with 7. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise as of 2022 to have a combination of multiple championships and zero losses in the NBA Finals (the San Antonio Spurs are the closest other franchise to this mark, but the 2013 Finals loss to Miami has given the Spurs an all-time Finals record of 5–1).
The Bulls initially competed in the NBA's Western Division. The Western Division was renamed the Western Conference in 1970, and was split into the Midwest and Pacific Divisions. The Bulls played in the Midwest Division until 1980, when they moved to the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.[2]
During their inaugural season (1966–67), the Bulls compiled a 33–48 record under coach Johnny "Red" Kerr and reached the playoffs. This was the best record achieved by an NBA expansion team in its first year of play, a feat which earned Kerr the NBA Coach of the Year Award. Dick Motta replaced Kerr in 1969, and under his leadership, the Bulls appeared in the playoffs every year from 1970 to 1975. The team reached the Western Conference finals in 1974 and 1975, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, respectively. Key players during the Motta era included Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Chet Walker, Norm Van Lier, and Tom Boerwinkle.[4] Revered basketball writer Bob Ryan wrote that Sloan and Van Lier comprised the "physically and mentally toughest NBA backcourt" he ever saw.
The Bulls qualified for the playoffs just twice between 1976 and 1984, a period in which the team used eight different head coaches, including former player Jerry Sloan.[5] They had a chance to win the first pick of the 1979 NBA draft, which would have allowed them to select future Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. However, they lost a coin flip to the Los Angeles Lakers, and went on to choose David Greenwood with the second pick. Although Greenwood averaged 12.6 points over six seasons with the Bulls, he never became an NBA All-Star.[6] During this period the Bulls were perhaps best known for being led by former-ABA star Artis Gilmore and Reggie Theus, both of whom were multiple time All-Stars with the Bulls.[7]
The Bulls' luck turned for the better after selecting Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft.[4] Considered the greatest basketball player of all time by NBA.com,[8] Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game during his first season and received the 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. From 1985 onwards, the Bulls reached the playoffs every season he was on the team's roster despite having had a losing record in each of his first three years. Jordan could not lead the Bulls past the first round of the playoffs by himself losing to the champion Celtics and in 1987 general manager Jerry Krause acquired Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant at that summer's draft. In 1989, the Bulls played in their first conference finals series since 1975, losing to the Detroit Pistons. Coach Phil Jackson, an assistant since 1987, succeeded Doug Collins as head coach after that season and in 1991, the team won their first of three consecutive NBA championships by defeating Magic Johnson and the Lakers.[4] Then they won two more consecutive titles in 1992 and 1993 after which Michael Jordan retired.
Although the Bulls signed European standout Toni Kukoč to help alleviate the loss, despite only two less wins from the year before, they could not extend their championship streak, falling short in hard fought 7 games battle to the New York Knicks in the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bulls lost Horace Grant, who signed with the Orlando Magic as a free agent during the summer of 1994.[4] However, Jordan returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and lost in 1995 NBA Playoff despite posting one of his best numbers and close to his playoff average and with the added help of rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman, the team won three more championships from 1996 to 1998.[8] The Bulls won a then-record 72 regular season games (out of 82)[9] and are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.[10]
After the Bulls won their sixth championship, Phil Jackson was not re-signed and spent some time away from basketball. Michael Jordan then announced his second retirement, because general manager Jerry Krause wanted to begin rebuilding the roster with younger athletes. Six players from the 1997–98 Bulls (Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, Jud Buechler,[4] and Scott Burrell[11]) joined other teams through free agency or sign-and-trade deals, and with few established players left on the roster, the Bulls missed the 1999 playoffs. This began a six-year playoff drought, the longest such drought in team history.[4]
The Bulls showed signs of improvement after hiring coach Scott Skiles in 2003, reaching the playoffs in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Some of the primary contributors on those teams were Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich.[4] The Bulls' new playoff streak ended in 2008, when the team finished fourth in their division with a 33–49 record. After the season, the team hired a new coach, Vinny Del Negro.[12] The Bulls' poor record did help them win the 2008 NBA draft lottery, which allowed them to select Derrick Rose with the first pick in the NBA draft.[13] [14] They made the 2009 NBA playoffs, only to lose in a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics which included a record seven overtime periods.[15] In 2010, Del Negro was replaced by Tom Thibodeau, and the Bulls reached the 2011 Eastern Conference finals, losing to the Miami Heat in five games.[16]
| ASG MVP | All-Star Game Most Valuable Player | |
| COY | Coach of the Year | |
| DPOY | Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Finish | Final position in league or division standings | |
| GB | Games behind first-place team in division | |
| Losses | Number of regular season losses | |
| EOY | Executive of the Year | |
| FMVP | Finals Most Valuable Player | |
| MVP | Most Valuable Player | |
| ROY | Rookie of the Year | |
| SIX | Sixth Man of the Year | |
| SPOR | Sportsmanship Award | |
| Wins | Number of regular season wins |
Note: Statistics are correct as of the .
| NBA champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Playoff berth | Play-in berth |
| Season | Team | Conference | Finish | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | Western | 4th | 33 | 48 | .407 | 11 | Lost Division semifinals (Hawks) 3–0[17] | Johnny Kerr (COY) | Johnny Kerr | ||
| — | — | Western | 4th | 29 | 53 | .354 | 27 | Lost Division semifinals (Lakers) 4–1[18] | — | |||
| — | — | Western | 5th | 33 | 49 | .402 | 22 | — | Dick Motta | |||
| — | — | Western | 3rd | 39 | 43 | .476 | 9 | Lost Division semifinals (Hawks) 4–1[19] | — | |||
| Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 51 | 31 | .622 | 2 | Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–3[20] | Dick Motta (COY) | |||
| Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 57 | 25 | .695 | 6 | Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–0[21] | — | |||
| Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 51 | 31 | .622 | 9 | Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–3[22] | — | |||
| Western | 3rd | Midwest | 2nd | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 | Won conference semifinals (Pistons) 4–3 Lost conference finals (Bucks) 4–0[23] | — | |||
| Western | 2nd | Midwest | 1st | 47 | 35 | .573 | — | Won conference semifinals (Kings) 4–2 Lost conference finals (Warriors) 4–3[24] | — | |||
| Western | 9th | Midwest | 4th | 24 | 58 | .293 | 14 | — | ||||
| Western | 6th | Midwest | 3rd | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6 | Lost First round (Trail Blazers) 2–1[25] | — | Ed Badger | ||
| Western | 8th | Midwest | 3rd | 40 | 42 | .488 | 8 | — | ||||
| Western | 11th | Midwest | 5th | 31 | 51 | .378 | 17 | — | Larry Costello Scotty Robertson | |||
| Western | 9th | Midwest | 4th | 30 | 52 | .366 | 19 | — | Jerry Sloan | |||
| Eastern | 5th | Central | 2nd | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15 | Won First round (Knicks) 2–0 Lost conference semifinals (Celtics) 4–0[26] | — | |||
| Eastern | 9th | Central | 5th | 34 | 48 | .415 | 21 | — | Jerry Sloan Phil Johnson Rod Thorn | |||
| Eastern | 9th | Central | 4th | 28 | 54 | .341 | 23 | — | Paul Westhead | |||
| Eastern | 10th | Central | 5th | 27 | 55 | .329 | 23 | — | Kevin Loughery | |||
| Eastern | 7th | Central | 3rd | 38 | 44 | .463 | 21 | Lost First round (Bucks) 3–1[27] | Michael Jordan (ROY) | |||
| Eastern | 8th | Central | 4th | 30 | 52 | .366 | 27 | Lost First round (Celtics) 3–0[28] | — | Stan Albeck | ||
| Eastern | 8th | Central | 5th | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 | Lost First round (Celtics) 3–0[29] | — | Doug Collins | ||
| Eastern | 3rd | Central | 2nd | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4 | Won First round (Cavaliers) 3–2 Lost conference semifinals (Pistons) 4–1[30] | Michael Jordan (MVP, DPOY, ASG MVP) Jerry Krause (EOY) | |||
| Eastern | 6th | Central | 5th | 47 | 35 | .573 | 16 | Won First round (Cavaliers) 3–2 Won conference semifinals (Knicks) 4–2 Lost conference finals (Pistons) 4–2[31] | — | |||
| Eastern | 3rd | Central | 2nd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 4 | Won First round (Bucks) 3–1 Won conference semifinals (76ers) 4–1 Lost conference finals (Pistons) 4–3[32] | — | Phil Jackson | ||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 61 | 21 | .744 | — | Won First round (Knicks) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (76ers) 4–1 Won conference finals (Pistons) 4–0 Won NBA Finals (Lakers) 4–1[33] | Michael Jordan (MVP, FMVP) | |||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 67 | 15 | .817 | — | Won First round (Heat) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Knicks) 4–3 Won conference finals (Cavaliers) 4–2 Won NBA Finals (Trail Blazers) 4–2[34] | Michael Jordan (MVP, FMVP) | |||
| Eastern | 2nd | Central | 1st | 57 | 25 | .695 | — | Won First round (Hawks) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Cavaliers) 4–0 Won conference finals (Knicks) 4–2 Won NBA Finals (Suns) 4–2[35] | Michael Jordan (FMVP) | |||
| Eastern | 3rd | Central | 2nd | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | Won First round (Cavaliers) 3–0 Lost conference semifinals (Knicks) 4–3[36] | Scottie Pippen (ASG MVP) | |||
| Eastern | 5th | Central | 3rd | 47 | 35 | .573 | 5 | Won First round (Hornets) 3–1 Lost conference semifinals (Magic) 4–2[37] | — | |||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 72 | 10 | .878 | — | Won First round (Heat) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Knicks) 4–1 Won conference finals (Magic) 4–0 Won NBA Finals (SuperSonics) 4–2[38] | Michael Jordan (MVP, FMVP, ASG MVP) Phil Jackson (COY) Jerry Krause (EOY) Toni Kukoč (SIX) [39] | |||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 69 | 13 | .841 | — | Won First round (Bullets) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Hawks) 4–1 Won conference finals (Heat) 4–1 Won NBA Finals (Jazz) 4–2[40] | Michael Jordan (FMVP) | |||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | Won First round (Nets) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Hornets) 4–1 Won conference finals (Pacers) 4–3 Won NBA Finals (Jazz) 4–2[41] | Michael Jordan (MVP, FMVP, ASG MVP) | |||
| Eastern | 15th | Central | 8th | 13 | 37 | .260 | 20 | — | Tim Floyd | |||
| Eastern | 15th | Central | 8th | 17 | 65 | .207 | 39 | Elton Brand (ROY) | ||||
| Eastern | 15th | Central | 8th | 15 | 67 | .183 | 37 | — | ||||
| Eastern | 15th | Central | 8th | 21 | 61 | .256 | 29 | — | Tim Floyd Bill Berry Bill Cartwright | |||
| Eastern | 12th | Central | 6th | 30 | 52 | .366 | 20 | — | Bill Cartwright | |||
| Eastern | 14th | Central | 8th | 23 | 59 | .280 | 38 | — | Bill Cartwright Pete Myers Scott Skiles | |||
| Eastern | 4th | Central | 2nd | 47 | 35 | .573 | 7 | Lost First round (Wizards) 4–2[42] | Ben Gordon (SIX) | Scott Skiles | ||
| Eastern | 7th | Central | 4th | 41 | 41 | .500 | 23 | Lost First round (Heat) 4–2[43] | — | |||
| Eastern | 5th | Central | 3rd | 49 | 33 | .598 | 4 | Won First round (Heat) 4–0 Lost conference semifinals (Pistons) 4–2[44] | Luol Deng (SPOR) | |||
| Eastern | 11th | Central | 4th | 33 | 49 | .402 | 26 | — | Scott Skiles Pete Myers Jim Boylan | |||
| Eastern | 7th | Central | 2nd | 41 | 41 | .500 | 25 | Lost First round (Celtics) 4–3 | Derrick Rose (ROY)[45] | Vinny Del Negro | ||
| Eastern | 8th | Central | 3rd | 41 | 41 | .500 | 20 | Lost First round (Cavaliers) 4–1 | — | |||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | Won First round (Pacers) 4–1 Won conference semifinals (Hawks) 4–2 Lost conference finals (Heat) 4–1 | Derrick Rose (MVP)[46] Tom Thibodeau (COY)[47] Gar Forman (EOY) | Tom Thibodeau | ||
| Eastern | 1st | Central | 1st | 50 | 16 | .758 | — | Lost First round (76ers) 4–2 | — | |||
| Eastern | 5th | Central | 2nd | 45 | 37 | 4 | Won First round (Nets) 4–3 Lost conference semifinals (Heat) 4–1 | — | ||||
| Eastern | 4th | Central | 2nd | 48 | 34 | 8 | Lost First round (Wizards) 4–1 | Joakim Noah (DPOY) | ||||
| Eastern | 3rd | Central | 2nd | 50 | 32 | 3 | Won First round (Bucks) 4–2 Lost conference semifinals (Cavaliers) 4–2 | Jimmy Butler (MIP) Joakim Noah (JWKC) | ||||
| Eastern | 9th | Central | 4th | 42 | 40 | 15 | Fred Hoiberg | |||||
| Eastern | 8th | Central | 4th | 41 | 41 | 10 | Lost First round (Celtics) 4–2 | |||||
| Eastern | 13th | Central | 5th | 27 | 55 | 23 | ||||||
| Eastern | 13th | Central | 4th | 22 | 60 | 38 | Fred Hoiberg Jim Boylen | |||||
| Eastern | 11th | Central | 3rd | 22 | 43 | 30 | Jim Boylen | |||||
| Eastern | 11th | Central | 3rd | 31 | 41 | 18 | Billy Donovan | |||||
| Eastern | 6th | Central | 2nd | 46 | 36 | 7 | Lost First round (Bucks) 4–1 | |||||
| Eastern | 9th | Central | 3rd | 40 | 42 | 18 | ||||||
| Eastern | 9th | Central | 4th | 39 | 43 | 10 | ||||||
Note: Statistics are correct as of the .
| Statistic | Wins | Losses | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls regular season record | 2,383 | 2,297 | ||
| Chicago Bulls postseason record | 187 | 162 | ||
| All-time regular and postseason record | 2,570 | 2,459 |