- Home court: United Center
- G.M. Marc Eversley
- Coach: Billy Donovan
- Star: SG DeMar DeRozan
- 2021 Season: 46-36, lost to the Bucks in five games in an Eastern Conference first-round series.
- NBA Titles: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Greatest Player: SG Michael Jordan
- Factoid: The Bulls took the introduction of the starting five to new heights by dimming the lights and playing The Alan Parsons Project’s song, “Sirius.’
It must be the shoes. And the socks.
In addition to giving us the greatest player in NBA history (all due respect to LeBron, Kobe, and Kareem), the Bulls also gave us a fashion statement. Beginning in 1996, the Bulls donned black shoes and black socks in the playoffs.
The lone exception at times was a guy by the name of Michael Jordan, who occasionally wore white shoes as a way of promoting Air Jordans, which were about to, well, take off.
Chicago, of course, has not won the most NBA titles and it hasn’t claimed a crown this century. But Jordan hit the trifecta:
He is an iconic brand. The Bulls are an iconic brand. And that image of His Airness rising up, ball in one hand, soaring to the rim, remains the standard for every young boy and girl from school yards in inner cities to rims nailed on barns.
The Bulls six titles in eight years, the record 72 wins in 1996, eclipsed in 2015-16 by the Golden State Warriors, which won 73, has sparked one of the great debates in NBA history – which was the better team?
Jordan and Scottie Pippen and Co. or Seth Curry and Clay Thompson and Co.? The consensus is that Chicago was the better defensive team, certainly more physical, while the Warriors were the better offensive force.
The game has changed, of course. Jordan elevated the game above the rim. Curry and Thompson made the 3-point shot the most lethal weapon since Wilt Chamberlain’s dunks.
If you’re trapped on a deserted island with your know-it-all neighbor, pull up a hammock and let the debates begin. For our money, Jordan is the greatest of all time. But who would you rather have in a game of “Horse?” For our money, it’s Curry.
It doesn’t matter what color shoes (or socks) these virtuosos are wearing. With all due respect to the Lakers, Jordan was Mr. Showtime.