The Chicago Bulls and the Fleeting Mirage of Greatness

Michael Jordan led the Bulls to greatness, but he has also made them look like something that they never were and have not been since he left: a winning organization

If you asked a random basketball fan on the street to name the 3 most successful franchises in NBA history, what would their response be? Chances are they might mention the Lakers and Celtics immediately. But what would the third team be? Would it be the Spurs with their long-running dynasty and history of playoff appearances, or maybe even the Warriors when accounting for the Stephen Curry era in addition to the very fun Run TMC era as well? Or perhaps, they would mention the Chicago Bulls. After all, they won six titles in the 90s! They had Michael Jordan, the greatest shooting guard (and perhaps overall player) of all time, and had a mastermind of a coach in Phil Jackson. Surely, this is a team that we could all associate with winning.

There is a phrase that former president Barack Obama used at a campaign event where he said “you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig”. The expression means you can dress something up all you want, but doing that doesn’t change what it is. For the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan was that lipstick. The Bulls are often regarded as a bit of a sleeping giant and a good organization, but in reality, they are simply a…