An Open Letter to Chicago Bulls Fans

By Robert Stein | Jun 20, 2016

Apr 9, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at the United Center. Chicago won 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

As LeBron James celebrates his third championship, teams in the Eastern Conference like the Chicago Bulls have to wonder what it takes to get past the NBA’s King.

Dear Chicago Bulls fans everywhere,

I am writing this letter not to inform you of unprecedented or unheralded news, but instead to provide reassurance to a wounded aggregate known as the Chicago Bulls fan base.

Once again, we are subject to watching a LeBron James-led team accomplish the goals that our very own Chicago Bulls team managed to fall drastically short of achieving year after year. While not even managing to secure a playoff spot this season, I do not dare consider the Bulls a direct rival of the Cavaliers or the King himself.

I am aware the Bulls are not the only team that has been forced to end every season either at the hands of King James or only to see his team advance in the playoffs, while our team goes home for the summer.

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Since his entrance into the league in 2003, every Eastern Conference team has had to deal with the repercussions of being in the same conference as the self-appointed king and his handpicked minions.

However, I receive no consolation in the fact that other franchises have suffered similar ongoing defeats. Chicago is the home of the single-greatest team ever (1995-96, 72-10 regular season record and the NBA title) and the greatest player ever.

We are fans of the Chicago Bulls.

On the heels of another LeBron James championship, I write this letter to awaken the sleeping giant that is Bulls Nation. I write this letter to encourage the members of Bulls Nation to not lose hope in our beloved franchise, but instead, to take pride in the role of the underdog and once again summon the spirit of a highly-doubted fighter as the Bulls make their return to NBA relevancy soon.

I understand the burden that I am asking you to carry as we embark on this journey.

I am not immune to the pain of watching management blunder away countless franchise-altering opportunities for greatness. Each time I watch the San Antonio Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge score a basket, I recall that Tyrus Thomas took his place in Chicago in a draft night trade and who the Bulls management was POSITIVE would be a NBA superstar.

Poor drafting of players like Marquis Teague, when future NBA stars like Draymond Green were still available, and terrible offseason signings of past-their-prime players like Ben Wallace, Richard “Rip” Hamilton and Pau Gasol have all held back this Bulls franchise, but the onus of defeat stretches beyond just the Bulls’ management.

Self-inflicted losses have hurt the Bulls as much as organizational front office implosions have. Talented players not being able to check their egos and accolades at the door has taken a team with a fair amount of talent and instead, has turned them into a franchise seemingly in need of a major rebuild.

Game after game this season, I watched as teams that could not even assemble a list of their franchise’s all-time best players to overcome the amount of talent the Bulls had, managed to beat the Bulls easily without an active superstar in their lineup. (Losing twice to this season’s Brooklyn Nets (21-61) is heartbreaking.)

It’s time to man up, leave our bravado in the past and return to the hard hat, lunch pail team that Chicago grew to love over the years, specifically in the 1990’s.

Regardless if Joakim Noah stays or leaves this summer, this team must embody the spirit of the underdog and once again adopt Noah’s mentality of, “What’s so good about Cleveland?”

I understand that the road ahead is foggy, but the end of the road may not be as far away as we think. As sure as a skinny kid from Chicago could become the youngest MVP in league history, this Bulls franchise can return to basketball greatness.

The Bulls will have enough salary space this summer to add to a strong core of players with Rose and Butler and the team is expected to make an attempt at moving up in Thursday’s NBA draft and potentially drafting our next franchise player. (Providence’s Kris Dunn is rumored to be that guy.)

There is hope my friends, I can assure you that our time is growing near.

“You see you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity.”

Next: Our representation in FanSided's 2016 NBA Mock Draft with the No. 14 pick

I’ve always liked that quote.

Tupac Shakur made it famous and Derrick Rose has further used this statement to promote his own personal brand with Powerade.

As much as I like this quote, it’s time we stop looking for someone to celebrate our tenacity and no longer be content with our emergence from the concrete, but instead, reach for more and become what I know we are: the best franchise in the NBA.

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