The team dominated the NBA during the1990-2000 decade and won six championships between 1991 and 1998. They won an astounding two "three-peats" under the eye of legendary coach Phil Jackson, with the help of the Jordan- Pippen duo. Despite not being able to achieve that level of success again, the current team is slowly becoming a force to reckon with.
Early Years
The team had a bright start in the NBA, despite not making any major headway in the championship race. However, the foundations of a strong program had been laid down, something that later generations of Bulls players could build upon. The team had their first success in the 1975 season, when they won the Division title. They made it to the Conference finals but were beaten 4-3 by the Golden State Warriors.
The Bulls had a somewhat dismal run the following seasons, as they failed to capitalize on the good start of their NBA career. Their fortunes would however change with the 1984 NBA Draft, during which they picked shooting guard Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan Era
Jordan’s rookie year with the Bulls saw him setting new franchise records for most steals and scoring. He led the Bulls to the playoffs but they lost in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks. The following years, the Bulls were able to make it the Playoffs again and again, but success eluded them.
In the 89-90 season Phil Jackson was promoted to be a head coach. This led to a revival of their fortunes, as the Bulls, led by Jordan, were able to complete a "three-peat" in the following seasons (91-93). A three-peat refers to three back to back NBA title wins. No other team had been able to do achieve a three-peat since the legendary Celtics team of the 1960’s.
Jordan shocked the world community in 1994, by announcing his retirement from basketball following his father’s murder. However he came out of retirement in 1995 and helped the Bulls to an amazing second three-peat, as they won the championship again during the 95-98 seasons.
Main Rivalry
Despite sharing rivalries with many teams, like the Miami Heat and the New York Nicks, the Bulls’ main rivals have been the Detroit Pistons. Their rivalry started during 1988 when the Pistons knocked out the Michael Jordan led Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Since then the two teams met in the playoffs for four consecutive years, with the Pistons winning every time. However the Bulls came out on top during the 1991 Conference finals when they swept aside the defending champions in straight games. The rivalry was one of the most intense in NBA history, as strong physical displays were put up by both teams with the fans vocally backing each team. For Chicago fans, "Detroit Sucks" was commonly chanted during matches.
Present Day
Following the retirement of Jordan, the Bulls had a slump and did not have any notable seasons. However the team has been on the rise since 2008, with the arrival of Derrick Rose, who was named the regular season MVP in the 2010-2011 season. During the 2011-2012 season, new coach Tom Thibodeau coached the Bulls to 62 wins in his debut season. So the team’s future looks bright. Catch this legendary franchise in action, and get a chance to witness the best basketball action from the NBA.