The premier reference for making Chicago Bulls fandom a lifestyle instead of just a sports preference, this collection of essential team knowledge and Bulls-related activities distills the past 50 years of NBA basketball into a fun checklist that will appeal to fans of any age. It’s one thing to have been to the United Center and rooted for Derrick Rose, to relish highlights of a young Michael Jordan, or even to know that all six championship teams were led by Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Coach Phil Jackson. But it is a whole other level of fan commitment to know who Benny the Bull is named after, which player once grabbed 37 rebounds in a single game, and how the Bulls missed out on Magic Johnson in the draft. These facts and trivia—as well as important dates, player nicknames, key jersey numbers through history, and even the best places to eat before or after a game—are included in this resource that will enlighten new fans and initiate them into proper Bulls fandom, or remind die-hard fans why theirs is the team to follow year after year. Kent McDill is a sportswriter for NBA.com and has been a journalist for more than 30 years, including covering the Chicago Bulls beat for the Daily Herald , traveling with the team from 1988 to 1999, and being the only beat writer to cover all six championship teams. He is the author of Bill Wennington’s Tales from the Bulls Hardwood . He lives in Park Ridge, Illinois. 100 Things Bulls Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die By Kent McDill Triumph Books Copyright © 2012 Kent McDill All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60078-650-1 Contents Acknowledgments, Introduction, 1. Michael Jordan, 2. 72–10: Best Record Ever, 3. Scottie Pippen, 4. 1991 World Champions, 5. Dennis Rodman, 6. 1996 World Champions, 7. Chicago Stadium, 8. The United Center, 9. Jerry Krause, 10. Phil Jackson, 11. The 1984 NBA Draft, 12. Jordan's Rookie Season — 1985, 13. 1998 World Champions, 14. The Introductions, 15. The Bulls Get Their Start, 16. Johnny "Red" Kerr, 17. 1992 World Champions, 18. 1993 World Champions, 19. The Years In Between, 20. Jordan's Return, 21. 1997 World Champions, 22. Rose as MVP, 23. Doug Collins, 24. Jordan at All-Star Games, 25. Jordan in Slam Dunk Contests, 26. Jordan's Injury, 27. Jordan Scores 63, 28. Attend a Game at the United Center, 29. The Triangle, 30. Phil Jackson, Philosopher, 31. Be Like Mike, 32. Tom Thibodeau, 33. Phil Jackson's Assistant Coaches, 34. Jordan Retires, 35. Bill Cartwright, 36. Scottie Pippen's Bad Times, 37. John Paxson, 38. The First Team, 39. Dick Motta, 40. Jerry Sloan, the Player, 41. Jerry Sloan, the Coach, 42. The Rodman Trade, 43. Three-Point Shootout, 44. Toni Kukoc, 45. The First Three-Headed Monster, 46. The Second Three-Headed Monster, 47. It's Over, 48. Bob Love, 49. Bulls In the Olympics, 50. The Year Jordan Wasn't MVP, 51. The Jordan Statue, 52. Norm Van Lier, 53. Derrick Rose, the Rookie, 54. Rod Thorn, 55. Reggie Theus, 56. Jerry Reinsdorf, 57. The Shot (Cleveland), 58. The Detroit Pistons, 59. Hall of Fame, 60. 2011 — Vision of the Future, 61. Jordan Scores 69, 62. The Ray/Thurmond Trade, 63. Jordan as a Wizard, 64. The Jordan Rules, 65. Lucky Lottery Ball, 66. Rose or Beasley?, 67. Jordan as a Charlotte Bobcat, 68. Jay Williams, 69. Bulls in Paris, 70. Jordan the Actor, 71. Chet Walker, 72. Post-Dynasty Years, 73. First Winning Team, 74. Year Number Two, 75. Horace Grant, 76. The Duke Connection, 77. Rodman the Actor and Entertainer, 78. Joakim Noah, 79. The Driver, 80. The Jordan Rules (The Book), 81. 57 Wins!!!, 82. The Shot (Utah), 83. The Hand Switch, 84. Artis Gilmore, 85. Uniforms and Shoes, 86. Jersey Numbers, 87. Benny the Bull, 88. Ron Harper, 89. Jordan's Kids, 90. Luvabulls and Others, 91. The Bus Ride to Milwaukee, 92. Al Vermeil and Erik Helland, 93. Superfans, 94. Favorite Starting Five, 95. Players Denied Titles, 96. Record Holders, 97. The Next Jordan, 98. Early Ownership, 99. Funniest Bull, 100. Pat Williams, Sources, About The Author, CHAPTER 1 Michael Jordan Nobody knew. If they tell you they knew, they're lying. When Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984, he did so with a reputation, but not the reputation he left the team with some 14 years later. Following his three-year collegiate career at North Carolina, Jordan came to the Bulls with the expectation that he would be a wonderful athlete to watch, a tremendous dunker, a high-flying talent like the Bulls had perhaps never known. But no one knew about Jordan's relentless competitiveness, at least not to the level he eventually displayed. No one knew that he would be impossible to stop offensively. In his first season with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 points and shot over 50 percent from the field. He led the Bulls to the playoffs that first year despite the team having a 38–44 record. The Bulls lost to the Milwaukee