Chicago Bulls: Ranking This Season with the Franchise's Best Seasons Ever

The Chicago Bulls are the best team in the Eastern Conference right now.  It’s been a special season for Bulls fans, as the team has built on its success in 2010-2011 to dominate the NBA.  But how special has it been when compared to some of the Bull's greatest sports moments?

How does this season rank among the greatest years in Bulls history?

Number 8: The Current 2011-2012 Season

The Bulls are experiencing a lot of success this year, but this season is incomplete.  Chicago has the best record in the East heading into the playoffs, but there are lingering problems.  Rose is not 100 percent healthy, struggling with nagging injuries.  Luol Deng has similar problems and Rip Hamilton has barely played.  So, can the Bulls get over the hump this year?

Number 7: The 2010-2011 Season

The first season of a new era of Bulls success.  Considering how bittersweet 1993 was, you could almost rank this one ahead because of all the hope fans felt after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.  But a championship is a championship.

After losing out on LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in free agency, Chicago signed Carlos Boozer, brought Omer Asik over from Turkey and added pieces like Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.  The team had great chemistry under new coach Tom Thibodeau and won the most games in the Eastern Conference.  And, Derrick Rose became the NBA MVP.

Number 6: The 1992-1993 Season

1993 was about success marred by bitter disappointment.  The Bulls won their third consecutive title and Phil Jackson coined the three-peat that would become his trademark.  But then Jordan retired (the circumstances surrounding that have never been completely clear) and Bulls fans felt the end of the dynasty slam down on Chicago.  Luckily, Jordan was back in two years but no one knew that then.

Number 5: The 1991-1992 Season

The Bulls got their groove on in 1992!  The team figured it all out in 1991, but the pressure was on to sustain their success the next year.  The Bulls kept running and Jordan was at his peak, winning his second professional championship.  With the Lakers and Celtics in decline, the Bulls looked poised for a historic run of success.   

Number 4: The 1996-1997 Season

The midpoint of the second dynasty.  Everything felt grand in 1997 Chicago: the economy was booming and the Bulls were rock stars!  Fresh off their 72-10 season and fourth title, the Bulls were the most celebrated team in basketball history.  They lived up to the hype: again dominating the NBA and winning the franchises’ fifth championship.  

Number 3: The 1997-1998 Season

The last NBA Championship for the Jordan Dynasty and a bitter-sweetly satisfying year for Bulls fans!  Everyone knew that the team could go off the rails after 1998: Jordan was 36 years old, Rodman was about to go unhinged and general manager Jerry Krause was just itching to fire Phil Jackson and start over.  That made the team’s ability to persevere and scrape their way past a tough Indiana Pacers team in seven games and their rematch with the Utah Jazz extra special. After all, Bulls fans had to savor this last bit of success for almost a decade.  

Number 2: The 1990-1991 Season

The first title season of the first Bulls dynasty!  After years of futility against the Detroit Pistons, Michael Jordan finally learned to share the ball under Phil Jackson’s tutelage.  The Bulls broke through Detroit and crushed Magic Johnson’s fading Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 to win their NBA Championship and start the '90s domination.

Number 1: The 1995-1996 Season

This season was both dominant and especially satisfying for Bulls fans.  Michael Jordan was back in his first full season and saved the franchise with a fourth NBA Championship.  The Bulls were also at their most dominant point in the dynasty, going 72-10 (still the single season win record) and bulldozing their way to the title.