6. Bob Love & Chet Walker (1970-71)
Just missing the top five here we have a pair of throwback legends in Bob Love and Chet Walker. These two defined Bulls basketball in the early 70s, with each player giving the best years of their career to Chicago in a span that lasted from 1969 to 1975.
These two stars shined particularly bright in the 1970-71 season, where the two combined for 47.2 points and 15.5 rebounds per game en route to each player making an appearance at the 1971 All-Star Game. The combined effort from these two would propel the Bulls to their first winning record in franchise history at 51-31 (a mark they’d improve on to 57-25 just one year later).
Bob Love and Chet Walker deserve to be remembered for the impact they had for the Chicago Bulls franchise in the early 70s.
Love and Walker did a great deal to help build up the image of the Bulls as a winning franchise after several years spent at the bottom of the division following their creation. Unfortunately, they were unable to convey this into postseason success, as much of the roster was still significantly undermanned outside of Chicago’s star duo.
What’s impressive is that from that 1970 to 1975 period, the Bulls never missed the postseason once with this pair on the roster, something that already can’t be said for the previously mentioned LaVine and DeRozan. It’s also worth noting that in 1974 and 1975 they advanced all the way to the Conference Finals, going all seven games with the Warriors in the latter series. Had their primes not overlapped with the Lakers in the early 70s, it’s very possible we remember these two legends in a much brighter light.