Life without Chicago Bulls basketball: Day 7 thoughts

The NBA and the Chicago Bulls are now going on a week without any game action. But there was plenty to follow in the Windy City on March 17 and 18.

Although it is now just one week since the NBA officially put their 2019-20 regular season on hiatus, it is just starting to feel like a normal routine. The precautions and pandemic surrounding the novel coronavirus nearly put every big city in the United States on close to full-lockdown. That includes the city in which the Chicago Bulls play in.

The Bulls in particular are entering their eighth day without games. The last game that the Bulls played in was on March 10 at home at the United Center which resulted in a 108-103 win over the Central Division foe Cleveland Cavaliers.

On March 18, the game that the Bulls were supposed against their former star small forward Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat at home. This would be the second game in a span of five days against “Jimmy G. Buckets” and the Heat. But the Bulls would be carrying a record that would likely be at least 20 games under .500. They couldn’t get it right coming out of the All-Star Break.

However, the rather desolate news cycle around the NBA halted on March 17 with one crazy announcement. Let’s get into that along with what else is happening for the Bulls and around the rest of the NBA.

What else is happening

Brooklyn Nets COVID-19 testing

The major news drop around the NBA landscape on March 17 had to do with the reported (Shams Charania of The Athletic) positive testing for novel coronavirus of the Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant.

Apparently there were four Nets players that tested positive for COVID-19, in an official team press release on March 17. But the only one that is identified thus far is KD.

There was a response that came down from New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on March 18 about all the Nets players getting tested for COVID-19 while the rest of the city’s residents that need it can’t get it.

Bulls have first team meeting since leaving Orlando

According to a report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls had their first team meeting since they originally had to depart from Orlando, FL, last week. This meeting was held at the Advocate Center in Chicago and the players apparently were able to keep their distance from each other.

The anniversary of the “I’m Back” message from the GOAT

There is some entertainment and fond memories just over the horizon for Bulls fans. On March 18, NBC Sports Chicago will be showing a documentary on the legendary “I’m Back” memo that came in from all-time great shooting guard Michael Jordan on its 25th anniversary.

A Bulls birthday

The Bulls have one player on the current roster that is having a birthday on March 18. While wishing point guard Kris Dunn a speedy recovery, we also want to wish him a happy birthday. His season came to an end when he injured his knee in a game against the Toronto Raptors.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1240262175605874689

Players back active on social media

https://www.instagram.com/p/B92S2TaAbMj/

Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine broke his social media hiatus that lasted just a couple days with an Instagram post on March 17. He wished his younger sister a happy birthday yesterday.

Rookie point guard Coby White also posted on his Instagram page on March 17 about the current NBA hiatus that has now lasted since March 11.

The sports world continued to mostly stay silent on March 17 and 18, at least in the morning on Wednesday. The NFL is really the only source of sports news for the time being, as the potential signing of Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shook the landscape on March 17.