The Chicago Bulls' last NBA title should be framed as a deficiency, not a legacy

NBA rivalries in 2026, unfortunately, do not project the same energy between fanbases or the teams themselves as they did in the 1980s or 1990s. 

Speaking of the 1990s, the Bulls' last NBA title was captured in June 1998.  In two years, the Bulls will hit a 30th anniversary mark of a milestone that has aged from a major accomplishment to a major title drought.  That’s less of a proud legacy and more of a problematic organizational shortcoming.

A beneficial analysis of the Bulls' title drought and rivalries for Bulls lead front office executive Bryson Graham should complete is to evaluate his franchise in the context of the traditional Bulls’ NBA Eastern Conference rivals of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks.

Chicago Bulls time is a flat red circle

Graham’s predecessor, Arturas Karnisovas, was hired to run the Bulls' front office in April 2020. 

At the conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Bulls finished 11th in the NBA Eastern Conference Standings with a 22-43 win-loss record.  Beneath the Bulls that season in the East standings were the Knicks, 12th in the East standings, the Pistons, 13th in the East standings, and the Cavaliers, 15th in the East standings.

Upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Bulls finished 12th in the East.  However, the New York Knicks are now the reigning NBA Champions.  The Cleveland Cavaliers met a swift Eastern Conference Finals defeat to the World Champion Knicks, appearing in the first conference finals since 2018, and the Detroit Pistons finished the 2025-26 NBA regular season as the East’s top seed.

It’s incumbent on Graham to challenge the Bulls top to bottom, including his boss, to stop viewing the legacy of Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships as something relevant to the NBA of 2026 and beyond.  

Legacies don’t run pick and roll or blitz ball screens.  Great memories from 1993, don’t have ball gravity to create shots.  The Bulls just finished six seasons of deficient basketball because their last front office executive held obstinate views of his own roster and myopic views of his primary NBA competition. 

Arturas Karnisovas ignored trade opportunities, abundant draft classes, and the pitiful reality that his roster builds lacked talent to keep pace with the Pistons, Cavaliers, or Knicks.  Bryson Graham can’t repeat this mistake, and he must advocate for himself to be the culture change the Chicago Bulls have desperately needed since the last dance finished in 1998.

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