The Chicago Bulls are one of the greatest franchises not only in the NBA but around the world. The 1990s were their golden era, with Michael Jordan leading them and making them one of the most famous and respected teams in history. The team has been through ups and downs, with both memorable and terrible moments. There are many things about the Chicago Bulls franchise that NBA fans should know about.
10) Benny the Bull
Benny the Bull is the franchise’s mascot and is one of the most controversial mascots in the NBA. If you look carefully, you can see that there are red spots on the tip of Benny’s horns, which represents blood. It could be justified by the wild and competitive spirit of the franchise, but it gives more of a vibe that he murdered someone. Benny the Bull has shown a rebellious and disrespectful attitude during a few games and was even thrown off the court on one occasion.
9) Magic Johnson almost went to the Bulls
The first overall pick of the 1979 NBA Draft was decided by a coin toss. When the coin flipped, the former Bulls GM called “heads” instead of “tails,” and Magic Johnson went to the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the toss. Johnson became the franchise player and Michael Jordan moved to another team. Had the coin been flipped differently, the entire NBA history would have been different.
8) Worst Draft Picks
Instead of Magic Johnson, the Bulls ended up choosing Dave Greenwood, who wasn’t a bad player but certainly didn’t live up to expectations. Jay Williams was also one of the worst players selected by the franchise, as he was destined to be a great player, but his career ended due to a motorcycle accident after his first season. Scott May was possibly the worst selection in franchise history, as he was the second overall selection in the 1976 draft and posted a Player Efficiency Rating of 13.9 and a Value Over Replacement Player of 1.6 in his five years with the team.
7) Highest-scoring game in franchise history
The highest-scoring game in Bulls history was recorded on March 1, 2019. They scored 168 points that night against the Atlanta Hawks, who scored 161. The game was crazy, as it took four overtimes for one side to win. Zach LaVine recorded 47 points, while Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen scored 31 points each. For the Hawks, Trae Young put on a stunning 49 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds.
6) One of the three teams to achieve three-peat
There are only three teams in NBA history that have achieved a three-peat, that is, three consecutive championship wins. These three teams are Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Bulls won two three-peats in one decade, one aside from Michael Jordan’s first NBA retirement. Some NBA fans believe that if Jordan had not retired, the Bulls would have won eight consecutive titles, which does not seem far-fetched. Currently, it appears that it will take several years for a team to win three consecutive titles.
5) Nightmare for Charlotte Hornets
The Chicago Bulls have a winning record against 19 of the 29 NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and their longtime rivals, the Detroit Pistons. But the team they have been most impressive and dominant against is the Charlotte Hornets, as they have 77 wins and 45 losses against them in the regular season, with an extraordinary win percentage of .631. The Bulls are definitely a nightmare for the Charlotte Hornets.
4) Chicago Bulls’ Nightmare
The Chicago Bulls also have one of their own nightmares, and that is the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams have clashed 99 times, with Chicago winning 40 while the Spurs won 59 games. However, the Bulls had a 14-10 record over the Spurs in the Michael Jordan era. The franchise also hasn’t fared well against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers.
3) 11 NBA Hall of Famers
Throughout NBA history, the Chicago Bulls have had 11 NBA Hall of Famers. They are Ben Wallace, Chet Walker, Artis Gilmore, Guy Rodgers, George Gervin, Nate Thurmond, Robert Parish, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. The last five played together in the 1996–97 season and became NBA champions. In today’s era, it doesn’t look like there will be any NBA Hall of Famers for the Bulls soon.
2) One of the most valuable franchises
According to Forbes, the Chicago Bulls are the 38th most valuable franchise in the world, with a value of $3.65 billion. This is an insane amount, considering that Jerry Reinsdorf bought the team for $16.5 million in 1985. The franchise has a rich history, as it dominated the league for nearly a decade and was home to one of the greatest athletes of all time. All of that is taken into account in determining its value.
1) Only these two players are the Bulls’ MVP winners
In the entire history of the Chicago Bulls, only two players have been named MVP and those are Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose. MJ won the MVP award five times. Derrick Rose was named MVP of the 2010–11 season after he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, with a 6.7 value over replacement player.
Also Read: 10 Best Seasons of Michael Jordan’s Legendary NBA Career
