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Michael Jordan said during the final episode of “The Last Dance” that he would have signed a one-year deal and tried to round up the rest of the Chicago Bulls players in order to try for a seventh title.
Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf argued that bringing back everyone for a run at another title was going to be impossible because of the team’s salary-cap situation.
MICHAEL JORDAN, JERRY REINSDORF ON WHETHER CHICAGO BULLS COULD HAVE GONE FOR 7TH TITLE
The 1997-98 Bulls team never got another chance at a championship and in fact, the Bulls haven’t gotten close to holding up the Larry O’Brien Trophy since Jordan retired from the NBA for a second time, the team traded Scottie Pippen and the team got rid of Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr.
The Bulls have not been to an NBA Finals since 1998. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Once the Bulls’ championship roster disbanded and Phil Jackson left the team, the organization brought in Tim Floyd – who was cast to usher in a new era. Floyd had three consecutive losing seasons and was fired during the 2001-02 season after starting the year 4-21.
Floyd was just one of 10 coaches who the Bulls went through from 1998 to 2020. Bill Berry, Bill Cartwright, Pete Myers, Scott Skiles, Jim Boylan, Vinny Del Negro, Tom Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg, and Jim Boylen were just among the coaches who either couldn’t either get to the playoffs or make it to the Finals. The team only had 50 or more wins three times in that span.
HOW THE 1997-98 CHICAGO BULLS FINISHED THEIR NBA CAREERS
Since the Jordan era ended, Chicago has made the playoffs 11 times but has no NBA Finals appearances. The team made the Eastern Conference Finals once – in 2011 but lost to the Miami Heat.
Chicago has seen good players come and go. Derrick Rose was the 2011 NBA MVP. Jimmy Butler was a three-time All-Star before he was traded. Joakim Noah was the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year.
But still, no rings
Derrick Rose is among the best players to play for the Bulls since Jordan retired. (AP)
In the last three seasons, the Bulls have missed the playoffs. Hoiberg led the 2017-18 Bulls to a 27-55 and was 5-19 at the start of the 2018-19 season and replaced by Jim Boylen, who has guided Chicago to a 22-43 record before the 2019-20 season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bulls are still looking for that seventh title but there appears to be some hope in their sails going forward.
In April, Chicago hired Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to run their basketball operation. Marc Eversley was then hired to become the new general manager.
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Chicago has also built a decent young corps with Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, and Coby White on the team. The team is also rumored to be linked to impending free agent Anthony Davis should he hit the market and fail to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s not out of the question that the Bulls could be one or two moves away from at least getting back to being a contender in the Eastern Conference. A superstar coupled with some of their young players would make it very possible for the Bulls to have high playoff hopes.
It started with the change in the front office and could continue with the results on the court.