The Chicago Bulls are the top seed in the East during these playoffs. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? It kind of is. The Bulls have not been in this position since 1998 when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson were still leading the franchise. But, the Bulls are back on top- at least for now. Led by superstar Derek Rose, the Bulls have once again managed to have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The interesting part of this story is that this used to be a customary position for the Bulls just a few years ago. Jordan’s Bulls were by far the best NBA team of the 1990s. I do not really think any basketball fan can dispute this statement. The Bulls won six championships during this decade. They were the top seed in the East for almost every single one of those years. In the 1995-1996 season, the Bulls achieved a 72-10 record (the best of any other NBA team in history).
However, the franchise struggled greatly after Jordan, Pippen, and Jackson left in 1998. Until this year, the Bulls almost never made the playoffs. When they did, they lost in the early rounds.
Nevertheless, there is something different about this team this season. It seems like its players have magically remembered how to win; it seems like the Bulls want to re live their glory years. Derek Rose seems like a man possessed by the ghost of Michael Jordan. He appears determined to bring a title back to the windy city.
This feat, however, will not come easy by any means. The East is packed with very good teams like the Celtics, the Heat, and the Magic. Rose and his teammates have a long and difficult road ahead of them. Still, it would be pretty epic if Chicago could once again be atop the NBA.
The PAST
THE PRESENT
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