Chicago Bulls (1966-Present)

Historical Moments:
1966/67: After the Stags who played in the NBA from 1946-1950 and the Packers/Zephyrs who played 1961-1963 failed in Chicago the NBA was hopeful that the 3rd time would be the charm when the Bulls took the court in 1966. The Bulls got off to a solid start when they beat the St. Louis Hawks 104-97 on the road. The Bulls would continue to play solid basketball as they won their first 2 home games against Western Conference Powerhouses San Francisco Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers for a 3-0 start. The first year Bulls would go on to finish with a 33-48 record, the best ever for a first year team, making the playoffs as Coach Johnny Kerr won Coach of the Year honors. However, in the playoffs the Bulls would be swept in 3 straight by the Hawks.

1967/68: After a solid first season the Bulls trade away their steadiest player Guy Rodgers, and struggle for the start losing their first 9 games and 15 of 16. However, the Bulls would end up making the playoffs despite finishing with an awful 29-53 record. In the playoffs the Bulls would make a quick exit losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games. Following the season the Bulls would lose Coach Johnny Kerr who followed Bulls Vice President Jerry Colangelo to Phoenix with the expansion Suns.

1968/69: Early season struggles would finally catch up with Bulls who missed the playoffs for the first time with a 33-49 record, as the midseason acquisition of Bob Love provided a spark, but it was too late to get the Bulls into playoff position.

1969/70: The Bulls were a high scoring team that had many weaknesses on defense as they finished with a 39-43 record while averaging 114.9 ppg. The Bulls were able to get into the playoffs but would make a quick exit as they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games.

1970/71: The Bulls show improvement on defense by becoming a physical team while finishing in 2nd place in the newly formed Midwest Division with a solid 51-31 record. In the playoffs the Bulls would battle the Los Angeles Lakers to the bitter end falling in 7 games.

1971/72: In November the Bulls acquired Norm Van Lier, who brought a pugnacious attitude to the game and teamed with Jerry Sloan to form the toughest defensive guard tandem of the era. The squad had 2 seven-game winning streaks before entering the New Year. The Bulls would go on to finish in 2nd place with a 57-25 record. However, with an injury to Tom Boerwinkle the Bulls would be no match for the Los Angeles Lakers who swept them in 3 straight.

1972/73: Despite missing Tom Boerwinkle for most of the season with a knee injury the Bulls finish in 2nd place again with a solid 51-31 record. The Bulls appeared to be in line for an upset as they led the Los Angeles Lakers late in Game 7. However, the Lakers would rally outscoring the Bulls 12-2 in the final minute to win 95-92.

1973/74: The Bulls would get off to a fast start winning 13 of their 15 games on the way to another solid 2nd place finish with a 54-28 record. In the playoffs the Bulls found themselves in another 7-game war this time against the Detroit Pistons. With Game 7 at Chicago Stadium the Bulls would prevail 96-94 for their first ever playoff series victory earning a trip to the Western Finals. However, in the West Finals eth Bulls would be dominated in 4 straight by the Milwaukee Bucks.

1974/75: The Bulls got off to a shaky start as Norm Van Lier and Bob Love held out while they renegotiated their contracts. However, 6-11 Center Nate Thurmond, acquired from the Golden State Warriors in a trade for Clifford Ray, picked up the slack, blocking 12 shots in his debut with the Bulls. Love and Van Lier would return, and the Bulls would become nearly invincible in the 2nd half of the year finishing with a 47-35 record earning their first ever Division Title. In the playoff the Bulls would earn a trip to their 2nd straight Conference Final by beating the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in 6 games. In the Conference Finals the Bulls were one game away from playing for all the marbles as they led the Golden State Warriors 3 games to 2. However, the Warriors would rally and take the series in 7 games.

1975/76: The Bulls were hurt form the starts of the season as Nate Thurmond and Chet Walker retired; Meanwhile Jerry Sloan was lost to a knee injury as the Bulls fell into last place with a terrible 24-58 record.

1976/77: Center Artis Gilmore, who the Bulls acquired in the ABA dispersal draft, made an immediate impact averaging 22.0 ppg as the Bulls got off to a solid start. However the Bulls would need to close the season out by winning 20 of their last 25 games to finish with a 44-38 record and make the playoffs after a midseason 13-game losing streak nearly ruined their season. In the playoffs the Bulls, would be knocked off in a 3-game series by the eventual NBA Champions Portland Trailblazers.

1977/78: Despite posting a 28-23 record after the All-Star Break the Bulls miss the playoffs with a 40-42 record.

1978/79: The Bulls get off to a lousy start, as Coach Ed Badger is fired after a 20-36 start. Under his replacement Larry Costello the Bulls would not fare much better finishing in last place with a 31-51 record.

1979/80: Jerry Sloan takes over the coaching reigns, but the Bulls struggles continue as Artis Gilmore is lost for 34 games with a leg injury as the Bulls finish in 4th place with a 30-52 record.

1980/81: The Bulls are relocated to the Central Division in the Eastern Conference. The move would serve the Bulls well as they won 13 of their last 15 games to make the playoffs for the first time in 5 years with a 45-37 record. In the playoffs the Bulls would stun the New York Knicks in 2 straight, before being swept in 4 straight by the Boston Celtics in the 2nd Round.

1981/82: The Bulls are unable to build off their solid playoff season as they get off to a terrible start before Coach Jerry Sloan is fired after a 19-33 record. With GM Rod Thorn running the team the rest of the way the Bulls play .500, as they finish in 5th place with a 34-48 record.

1982/83: With new Coach Paul Westhead the Bulls struggles continue as they played terrible all season on the way to finishing in 4th place with a woeful 28-54 record. Following the season Westhead would be fired and replaced by Kevin Loughery.

1983/84: The Bulls struggles continue as they finish with an awful 27-55 record, missing the playoffs for the 6th time in 7 years. During the season the Bulls deal away Reggie Theus creating the need for a solid shooting guard, which they hoped would be filled by a 6-6 guard from North Carolina named Michael Jordan who the Bulls selected with 3rd overall draft pick.

1984/85: Michael Jordan stepped into the starting lineup right away and dazzled the NBA earning a trip to the All-Star Game, while earning comparisons to Julius Erving. Jordan would go on to finish 3rd in scoring with 28.2 ppg, earning the Rookie of the Year as the Bulls made the playoffs with a 38-44 record. However, it would be a quick exit as the Bulls are knocked off by the Milwaukee Bucks in 4 games.

1985/86: The Bulls season seemed lost form the start when Michael Jordan was lost 3 games into the season. However, Jordan would return sooner then expected, as the Bulls were able to squeeze into the playoffs despite a poor 30-52 record. In the playoffs the Bulls would be swept in 3 straight by the Boston Celtics, but nobody would remember the Bulls failures after Jordan set a NBA postseason record by scoring 63 points on the road in a Game 2 loss in double overtime 135-131.

1986/87: In his 3rd season Michael Jordan continues to blossom into the NBA's top star as he went on a rampage coming 40 or more points in 9 straight games, as he won his first scoring title with 37.1 ppg, while becoming the first player in 24 years to score 3,000 points. The Bulls would make the playoffs again with a 40-42 record. However, Jordan could not do it alone in the playoffs, as the Bulls are swept by the Boston Celtics in 3 straight.

1987/88: The Bulls acquire some help for Michael Jordan in the draft by trading for Scottie Pippen and selecting Horace Grant. With some added help and Charles Oakley finishing a close 2nd in rebounding the Bulls showed some improvement by finishing in 3rd place with a 50-32 record. Along the way Jordan was spectacular as ever dazzling the home crowd at the All-Star Game with his aerial show, and winning his first MVP award by winning the scoring title with 35 ppg. In addition his airness proved to be a two-way player as he led the league in steals while winning the defensive player of the year. In the playoffs Michael Jordan would get their first taste of success as eth Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games. However, in the 2nd Round the Bulls would fall to the Detroit Pistons in 5 games.

1988/89: The Bulls continue to retool trading Charles Oakley to the New York Knicks for Center Bill Cartwright. In the regular season the Bulls would take a step backward as their record slipped to 47-35. However, the Bulls would still make the payoffs as the 6th seed. In the playoffs the Bulls had a tough first round battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers that would go the full 5 games. With only a few seconds remaining the Bulls needed a miracle as they trailed, by one point. From there the legend of Michael Jordan began to grow as he hit a dramatic game winning shot as time expired. Moving on the 2nd Round the Bulls started to roll as they stunned the New York Knicks in 6. In the Eastern Finals the Bulls would jump out to a 2-1 series lead against the Detroit Pistons. However the playoff tested Pistons would rally to win the next 3, and take the series in 6 games.

1989/90: Despite the solid playoff run the Bulls would fire Coach Doug Collins replacing him with Phil Jackson. The change would have a positive effect as the Bulls began to play consistent basketball finishing in 2nd place with a 57-25 record, as Michael Jordan won his 4th straight scoring title with 33.6 ppg. Along the way Scottie Pippen had a breakout season adding the perfect offensive complement to Jordan's highflying aerial show. In the playoffs the Bulls would easily rip through the Milwaukee Bucks in 4 games and the Philadelphia 76ers for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with Detroit Pistons. In a classic series the Piston and Bulls would battle the full 7 game, but the Pistons would emerge victorious on the way to their 2nd straight title.

1990/91: In their 25th season the Bulls stumble slightly out of the gate losing their first 3 games, but it would only be a minor hurdle as the Bulls were about to go on a rampage that would not be stopped. The Bulls would not lose 3 in a row the rest of the season on the way to an impressive 61-21 record, which landed them their first Division Title in 16 years. Along the way Michael Jordan was as spectacular as ever winning another scoring title and his 2nd MVP award. In the playoffs the Bulls would make quick work of the New York Knicks sweeping them in 3 straight. In the 2nd Round it would be more of the same as the Bulls knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games to set up a rematch with the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Finals. The much-anticipated rematch would turn into a mismatch as the Bulls dominated the Pistons winning in 4 straight for their first ever berth in the NBA Finals. Facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals much hyped surrounded the match up of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. However, as Game 1 showed stopping Magic was not enough as the Lakers won on a last second 3-poiter by Sam Perkins, a UNC teammate of Jordan. However, Jordan likes a challenge and for the next 4 games he would be simply unstoppable averaging 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls captured their first Championship in 5 games.

1991/92: Coming of their first NBA Championship the Bulls would go on another rampage with winning streaks of 14 and 13 on the way to a league best 67-15 record. Along the way Michael Jordan captured his 2nd straight MVP, and 6th straight scoring title. In the playoffs the Bulls would make quick work of the Miami Heat sweeping them in 3 straight. However, it was clear with Game 1 of the 2nd round that this years playoff run of the Bulls would not be as easy as they were stunned by the New York Knicks. The Bulls would gain control of the series by winning the next 2 but the Knicks would again even the series. After winning Game 5 the Bulls would find themselves in a must win Game 7 after the Knicks took Game 6. Game 7 was tight for 3 quarters as both teams beat up on each other, but in the end Michael would take over leading the Bulls to the Eastern Finals. In the East Finals the Bulls would beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games. In the Finals for the 2nd straight season the Bulls got off to a fast start as Michael Jordan showed an unexpected touch from 3-point range, as the Bulls got the jump on the Portland Trailblazers. However, the Blazers would even the series in Game 2. With the next 3 games in Portland the Bulls had to become road warriors to come home with a 3-2 series lead. However, the Blazers would not go down easily taking a 15-point lead into the 4th Quarter of Game 6. Facing Game 7 the Bulls would got on a 14-2 run to start the final period and would not look back winning their 2nd straight title with a 97-91 win at Chicago Stadium.

1992 Olympics: The Bulls were not only the toast of Chicago but the toast of the world as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen stared on the Dream Team as the NBA All-Stars went to the Summer Olympics for the first time. The Americans were never challenged and Michael was treated like a rock star while in Barcelona. Indeed Michael was a star all over the world his jersey were seen in the 4 corners of the world, while it seemed back home you could not watch TV without seeing one of his many commercials, indeed he had become a cooperation on top himself, becoming the richest athlete with nearly $30 million in endorsements alone.

1992/93: One side effect at being on the top of the world is that you become the target of everyone. The Bulls would not cruise through the season winning the Central Division by just 3 games while posting a 57-35 record. Michael Jordan would win his 7th straight scoring title but would not repeat as MVP. In the playoffs the Bulls would get off to a quick start sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in 3 straight. In the 2nd Round the Bulls began to gather momentum as they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in 4 straight. However, things would come much tougher in the Eastern Finals as they faced a hungry New York Knicks team. The Bulls would quickly find themselves down 2 games to 0 as they lost the first 2 games in New York. Adding to the frustration were rumors that Michael Jordan spent the day in between games gambling away several thousand dollars in Atlantic City. Angry Jordan shut off the press and stomped on the Knicks as the Bulls won 2 straight at home to even the series. In a pivotal Game 5 the Bulls battled the Knicks all the way leading by 1 point with 10 seconds left. There the defense took over denying Knicks forward Charles Smith 4 times under the basket before winning the game by 3 points on a breakaway. The Bulls would go on to close out the Knicks at home in Game 6. Facing the Phoenix Suns the Bulls quest for a 3-peat was overshadowed by growing rumors of Michael Jordan and gambling as worked of him betting on golf circulated. On the court it only seemed to spur Michael on as he averaged a Finals record 41 ppg, as the Bulls took the first 2 games in Phoenix. With the series coming to Chicago the Bulls were set to put the nail in the coffin, but the Suns would prove pesky winning Game 3 in triple overtime, and Game 5 to send the series back to the desert. In Game 6 the series appeared destined to reach Game 7 as the Suns had a 4-point lead with under a minute to go. The Bulls would cut the lead in half and hold the suns off the scoreboard setting up a final shot with 5 seconds left. However, with all eyes on Jordan it was John Paxson who end up the hero hitting a game winning 3 pointer form the top of the key, giving the Bulls their 3-peat, as Jordan won his 3rd straight Finals MVP. However, the joy for Michael would be short lived as his father was murdered in a carjacking a month later. Devastated over the summer Jordan decided to retire from the NBA prior to the start of the next season, stunning the entire world.

1993/94: Playing their final season in Chicago Stadium the Bulls would have to win their 4th straight title without Michael Jordan. Without Jordan Scottie Pippen would shine in the spotlight having his finest season and winning All-Star Game MVP, while leading the Bulls to a solid 55-27 record that was just 2 games short of a division title. In the playoffs the Bulls would make quick work of the Cleveland Cavaliers sweeping them in 3 straight. Facing the New York Knicks in the 2nd Round the Bulls found themselves in a defensive war, each game was tight and seemed to be on the brink of turning into an all out brawl as the series went to a 7th game. However, without Jordan the Bulls would fall on the road ending their championship reign.

1994: While the Bulls quest for a 4th Championship was going down in flames, Michael Jordan decided to try a new career, by playing baseball with Chicago White Sox. Often making a fool out of himself, Jordan became a laughing stock first in Spring Trading and then in the minors with Birmingham Barons. In truth Jordan may at one time been a good baseball player, but having not played the sport in 13 years he was rusty hitting around .200. However Jordan was not done with basketball as he played in and hosted a charity game to close out Chicago Stadium, with many of his friends and ex-teammates through out the league.

1994/95: It was clear the new United Center was the Arena that Michael Jordan built, and one of its first events was an all-star gala to retire his number 23. That night a statue was also unveiled outside the new arena featuring Jordan flying through the air. In their 2nd season without Jordan the Bulls struggled at times as they sat on the playoff bubble. However, at the same time Jordan began to feel an itch to return, and on March 18th with the words "I'm Back" the Bulls were a whole team again. Wearing number 45 in honor of his late father, Jordan showed some rust in his first game against the Pacers in Indiana. However, with in short time he would be his old self again hitting a last second game winner against the Hawks in Atlanta, and hanging 55 points on the Knicks in his return to Madison Square Garden. With Jordan getting his legs back the Bulls posted a 9-1 record in April to finish with a 47-35 record good enough for the 5th seed in the playoffs. In the first round the Bulls would swat the Charlotte Hornets in 4 games. However, in the 2nd Round the Bulls would be haunted by ex-teammate Horace Grant as they fell to the Orlando Magic in 6 games. Along the way Jordan showed some fatigue, but made another change, returning to number 23 after a remark, by Magic guard Anferne Hardaway, that number 45 was not the same player as 23.

1995/96: With Michael Jordan returning for a full season the Bulls strengthen their team by acquiring the often enigmatic Dennis Rodman, who despite constant distraction with his unusual off-court behavior, which included cross-dressing and changing hair colors, was the league's premier rebounding. The Bulls would come flying out of the gate winning of their first 11 games. After a late November loss to the Supersonics in Seattle the Bulls played even better winning 31 of their next 32 games as they set their sites on the record of wins in a season sitting at 41-3. The Bulls were simply unstoppable all year as Jordan returned to his post as the best player in the NBA winning the scoring title and MVP. The rampage continued all season as the Bulls lost consecutive games just once and did not lose their first home game until April on the way to an incredible 72-10 record, which bettered the old mark by 3 games. A true champions knows that a great regular seasons is whipped out if you fail in the playoffs and the Bulls were not about to let that happen as they blitzed through the Eastern Conference, sweeping the Miami Heat in the first round before beating the New York Knicks in 5. In the East Finals the Bulls would get revenge on the Orlando Magic as number 23 made Anferne Hardaway pine for the days on number 45 in a 4 -game sweep. In the finals the Bulls appeared to be heading for a sweep as they won the first 3 against the Seattle Supersonics. However, the Bulls would stumble and the Sonics would win 22 straight to send the series back to Chicago. Back in the windy city for Game 6 Jordan would not be denied winning his 4th Finals MVP as the Bulls closed out the Sonics on Father's Day, an emotional Michael Jordan dedicated the Championship to his late father.

1996/97: The Bulls were a traveling circus at times with Dennis Rodman whose bizarre behavior led to a suspension after he hit a cameraman. However, with Michael Jordan winning the scoring title for the 9th time in his career the Bulls again were unstoppable, falling 1 game short of another 70-win season at 69-13, tying the old single season win record they had broken a year earlier. In the playoffs the Bulls quickly shot down the Washington Bullets in 3 straight. The Bulls would go on to reach the Finals again by beating the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat each in 5 games. In the Finals the Bulls would find things much harder as they faced the Utah Jazz, coached by former Bulls great Jerry Sloan. Facing Karl Malone, who beat him out for the MVP, Jordan took over the first 2 games winning Game 1 with a buzzer beater, and scoring 38 points in Game 2. However, as the series shifted to Utah the Bulls found themselves in a battle as the Jazz rallied o even the series. Hours before Game 5 it was doubtful Michael Jordan would even played as he hampered by a stomach virus. However, Jordan would go out and as his legend grew beyond leaps and bounds, often wobble legged Jordan show ho scored 39 points including a last minute 3-pointer to give the Bulls a 3-2 series lead. Back in Chicago for Game 6 the Bulls found themselves in another battle before Steve Kerr nailed the series winner from 3-point range in a shot reminiscent of John Paxson's Game winner 4 years earlier.

1997/98: With Scottie Pippen starting the season on the injured list the Bulls would get off o a slow start. However, Michael Jordan would carry the team on his back all season, winning his 10th scoring title and 5th MVP while leading the Bulls to another Division Title with a 62-20 record. As the playoffs started it became apparent the team would be broken up following the season as troubles between GM Jerry Krause and Coach Phil Jackson came to a head. Despite the distraction the Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets before beating the New York Knicks in 5 games to advance to the Easter Finals. However, the Eats Finals would not be as easy as they need 7 games to fend off a pesky challenge from the Indiana Pacers. In a NBA Finals rematch with the Utah Jazz, the Bulls split the first 2 games in Utah, after winning Game 3 and 4 back at home the Bulls appeared ready to have another United Center Celebration. However, Jordan's last second shot missed the mark and the series went back to Utah. In Game 6 the Bulls would be in the same situation down by 1 with 10 seconds left. On dense Jordan kept the game close by stealing the ball from Karl Malone. Then with time winding down he hit a 3-pointer to give the Bulls their 6th title in 8 years. In what would be his last shot as a Bull Michael Jordan ended his Bull career in grand style his 6th finals MVP.

1998/99: While the players and owners were embroiled in a 5-moth lockout that wiped out half the season the Bulls Dynasty was beyond destroyed from within. Coach Phil Jackson was not offered a new contract, Scottie Pippen, Luc Longley and Steve Kerr left in sign-and-trade deals, and Dennis Rodman and Jud Buechler signed elsewhere as free agents. While Michael Jordan retired again. With new coach Tim Floyd the Bulls were shell of their former selves. The break up was started by GM Jerry Krause and Owner Jerry Reisndorf who felt they did not get the credit they deserved in building the Championship teams, while refusing to offer contracts to the people who were responsible namely Phil Jackson, who if he had been resigned would have meant the rest of the team would have wanted to stay too. However, instead the team left behind was terrible finishing in last place with a 13-37 record.

1999/00: First Round Draft pick Elton Brand has a stellar rookie season, sharing Rookie of the Year honors while averaging 20 points and 10 rebound a game. However, the Bulls struggle continued as they finished in last place with a terrible 17-65 record. Meanwhile in Los Angeles Phil Jackson emerged form a 1-year sabbatical to lead the Lakers to a NBA title. Even more embarrassing Michael Jordan joined the Washington Wizards front office after not being offered a job by the Bulls.

2000/01: After failing to land one of the stellar young free agents the Bulls were clearly a franchise that was without a clear direction. GM Jerry Krause's whole rebuilding strategy of tearing the team down came with the hopes he could work some magic in the free agency market. However, his failure only made his moves seem worse, as the Bulls had their worst season in franchise history finishing with a league worst 15-67 record.

2001/02: After 3 years languishing in last place GM Jerry Krause decided to start from scratch trading Elton Brand their most promising player to the Los Angeles Clippers for an additional first round draft pick. The pick was used on High School star Tyson Chandler, who joined number 1 overall pick Edie Curry. The Bulls were gambling that the pair of high school stars could energize the struggling franchise. Instead the struggle continued leading to a coaching change early in the season as Tim Floyd resigned. He would eventually replaced by Bill Cartwright. Under Cartwright the Bulls would improve, but more retooling was not over as they acquired Jalen Rose Travis Best and Norman Richardson from the Indiana Pacers for Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie. However, it was not enough to lift the Bulls out of the cellar as they finished with an awful; 21-61 record. Adding insult to injury was the return of Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform, as he received a thunderous 5-minute standing ovation, which proceeded boos for the current crop of Bulls. In addition Phil Jackson weaved his 3-peat magic again for the Los Angeles Lakers. For the Bulls demise state GM Jerry Krause would receive full credit.

2002/03: GM Jerry Krause would finally step down as the Bulls got off to another slow start losing 15 of their first 19 games. As John Paxson became the Bulls new General Manager, the young team built by Krause finally began to show some promise as they posted a solid 27-14 record at the United Center. However, on the road the Bulls struggled badly winning just 3 times in 41 games as they finished in 5th place with a record of 30-52.

2003/04: Despite a possible career ending injury to Jay Williams suffered in an off-season motorcycle accident, there was optimism entering the season as Scottie Pippen returned to lead the "Baby Bulls." However Pippen was just a shell of his former self as injuries and year of wear and tear had taken their toll. The Bulls would get off to a terrible start holding a 4-12 record at the end of November when Coach Bill Cartwright is fired and replaced by Scott Skiles. At the same time they began to retool their roster trading away Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall to the Toronto Raptors for Antonio Davis in a multiple player deal. However the deal could not salvage yet another lost season for the Bulls who went on to finish in last place with a terrible 23-59 record. As Pippen's Bulls comeback ended with injury in February as the Hall of Famer went on to retire following the season.

2004/05: The Bulls stumbled out of the gates as they dropped their first 9 games on the way to a horrendous 1-10 November. As December began the Bulls would not fair much better as they were 3-14 on December 14th. The Bulls would play .500 for the next few weeks and as January begin they would suddenly catch fire winning 12 of 13 to spring over .500. When most expected the young Bulls led by 3 outstanding rookies Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and Chris Duhon they would only get better as the season wore on winning 9-straight at the end of March on the way to making the playoffs for the first time since the 1998 Finals, as they finished in 2nd Place with a 47-35 record, as Ben Gordon who became a force off the bench won the 6th Man while finishing 2nd a in Rookie of the Year voting. Down the stretch the Bulls would be bitten by the injury bug, as Deng missed of April and the postseason, while Eddie Curry, who had a breakout season with 16.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg was sidelined due to a heart ailment. In the playoffs the Bulls would face the Washington Wizards and would get off to a good start winning the first 2 games at home. However, as the series shifted to Washington the Bulls struggled losing Games 3 and 4. Needing a win at home in Game 5 to stem the tide the Bulls suffered a heartbreaking loss as Gilbert Arenas nailed a 14-footer at the buzzer to give the Wizards a 112-110 win. The Bulls would not recover as they would fall in 6 games losing 94-91 in Game 6.

2005/06: Coming off their first playoff appearance since 1998, the Bulls were not ready to stand pat as they dealt away Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks for Michael Sweetney, Tim Thomas and a 2006 draft pick. At first the Bulls missed Curry as they struggled much of the first half of the season as they were 23-29 at the All-Star Break. The Bulls continued to struggle into March as they were in last place with a 29-39 record on March 22nd. With there playoff hopes fading the Bulls needed to get hot to get back into the postseason. The Bulls would do that and more as won 12 of their last 14 games to finish in 4th Place with a .500 record at 41-41, and slipped playoffs as the 7th Seed. Facing the Miami Heat in the first round the Bulls played well in their first two games on the road, but lost both as the Heat proved to talented. However, as the series shifted to Chicago the Bulls looked like the Championship contender as they won a 109-90 blowout in Game 3 and evened the series with a 93-87 win in Game 4. The Heat would recover as the series went back to Miami as they beat the Bulls 92-78 in Game 5, and went on to take the series in 6 games, eventually going on to win the NBA Championship. Following the season the Bulls would fill their hole in the middle by signing Free Agent Center Ben Wallace to a 4-year $60 Million Contract. In Detroit Wallace became the defensive star of the NBA winning 4 of the last 5 Defensive Player of the Year Awards since 2002.

2006/07: Early in Ben Wallace's tenure in Chicago, more attention was drawn to his head then his defense as he expressed displeasure with Coach Scott Skiles policy against headbands, as the Bulls got off to a disappointing 3-9 start, despite starting the season by blowing out the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat on the road 108-66. However, beginning with a home and home sweep of the New York Knicks the Bulls found their grove, winning seven in row, and 16 of their next 19 games as they ended 2006 with a decent 19-12 record. January would bring hard times for the Bulls as they posted a 7-8 record, as they fell behind in their battle for the division title. However, they would finish strong winning 16 of their last 22 games as they had the third best record overall in the Eastern Conference at 49-33, earning them home court against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls would get off to a strong start in the playoffs as they had a 96-91 victory in Game 1, with Luol Deng scoring a game high 32 points. In Game 2 the hero was Ben Gordon with 27 points as the Bulls slammed the Heat again 107-89. As the series shifted to Miami the Bulls were the ones who stayed hot scoring 32 points in the 4th Quarter to take a 3-0 series lead with a 104-96 win. The Bulls would go on to complete the sweep of the defending champions winning their first series since the Michael Jordan era with a dominating 92-79 win. Facing the rival Detroit Pistons in the second round the Bulls were in for a rude awakening as they were shut down in Game 1 losing 95-69. After another blowout loss in Game 2 the Bulls hoped a return to Chicago could give them the spark they needed. However, the Pistons had all the answers again out scoring the Bulls 53-30 in the second half to take a 3-0 series lead with an 81-74 win. The Bulls would avoid the sweep with a 102-87 win, led by the balanced scoring of Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. With Gordon scoring 28 points in Game 5 the Bulls would continue to stay alive with 108-92 win in Detroit. However, the experienced Pistons would shut down the Bulls in Game 6 winning 95-85 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

2007/08: After making it to the second round the Bulls entered the season with a renewed confidence they could rejoin the NBA elite, while the preseason was full of rumors of a possible trade to acquire Kobe Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the trade rumors served more to distract the Bulls, as they lost their first four games on the way to a terrible 2-10 start. Unlike the previous year the Bulls were unable to overcome the shaky start, as they held a 9-16 record on Christmas Eve, when Coach Scott Skiles was fired, with Jim Boylan taking over as the interim coach.