Just before last season, I penned a feature story on the NBA team I found to be the most interesting: the Chicago Bulls.
I wrote about the blaring saxophones and jazz music that used to serenade the fans that poured out of a packed United Center—usually following Bulls victories—during the 1990s and into the 2000s. That music stopped, literally and figuratively, quite abruptly during a four-year downturn in which the franchise had the league’s worst winning percentage after trading away Jimmy Butler. But there seemed to be real hope for a renaissance this time last year.
After trading for DeMar DeRozan, and acquiring guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, Chicago jumped out to a hot start fueled, surprisingly, by its defense. Ball and Caruso served as blitzing ballhawks in the late stages of games, often making up for three players less known for their defense. DeRozan made history with his clutch shotmaking. And amazingly, the Bulls, as late as Feb. 4 of this calendar year, had sole possession of first place in the East.
