Chicago Bulls · Franchise era 1 of 7
The expansion team that competed immediately: the Chicago Bulls story
Franchise era
1966–67—1975–76
The expansion team that competed immediately
Chicago Bulls
The story in one sentence
Chicago reached the playoffs in its first season and built a bruising 1970s contender around Sloan, Love, Van Lier, Walker and Tom Boerwinkle.
Defense and toughness before the dynasty
Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Norm Van Lier and Chet Walker gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for artis gilmore and the long middle.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Chicago's story contains the sport's most famous dynasty, but it is larger than one decade: the Sloan–Love teams established the franchise, Jordan and Pippen made it global, and Derrick Rose gave the city its first true post-dynasty contender.
1974
Eastern Conference First Round: Chicago Bulls vs Detroit Pistons
1974
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks
1975
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Chicago Bulls vs Golden State Warriors
After 1975–76
What came next
Gilmore supplied an elite interior anchor, but Chicago spent most of the period searching for the next durable core.
The core