Recently, ESPN did a 64-player bracket of the greatest college basketball player of all-time.
How may that bracket look if it was done with the 64 greatest Chicago Bulls players of all-time? After taking a look at the New York Knicks, let’s give Chicago their own NCAA Tournament feel.
Some things to note: only the player’s time with the Bulls was considered. The player must have suited up at least 100 times for Chicago in order to be considered. The length of time with the team mattered. The regions are named after who ended up as the one seed.
Jordan
(1) Michael Jordan
Known by many as the GOAT, it shouldn’t be necessary to go through Jordan’s accolades to understand why he is positioned here.
(2) Chet Walker
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, Walker was an All-Star in four of his six seasons with Chicago as he averaged 20.6 points and 6.1 rebounds with the team.
(3) Norm Van Lier
Ranking fourth in franchise history with 3,676 assists and 724 steals, Van Lier made three All-Star appearances in his seven years with the Bulls.
(4) Joakim Noah
The Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14, Noah was also a First Team All-NBA member that season and had four seasons averaging a double-double in points and rebounds.
(5) Kirk Hinrich
Hinrich is among the Bulls’ all-time leaders in a multitude of categories including made three-pointers (1,049 - first), games (748 - third), assists (3,811 - third), steals (857 - third), and points (8,536 - eighth).
(6) Jalen Rose
While he played just 128 games for the Bulls, Rose was very productive posting averages of 21.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
(7) Carlos Boozer
His numbers dipped from what he previously was doing with Utah, but Boozer was still a nightly double-double threat averaging 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in 280 games with the Bulls.
(8) Clem Haskins
Haskins had a 1969-70 season in which he averaged 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists.
(9) Ron Mercer
Mercer barely reached the 100-game minimum threshold (101 games for the Bulls), but he averaged 18.6 points in his time there.
(10) Eddy Curry
Taken with the fourth pick in 2001, Curry led the NBA in field goal percentage in 2002-03.
(11) Tyson Chandler
While he wasn’t much of a scorer in his five seasons with Chicago, Chandler provided much value on the defensive end and averaged 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks with the team.
(12) Andres Nocioni
A hard-nosed player, Nocioni averaged at least 13 points in three different years while with the Bulls.
(13) Brad Miller
Miller had two stints totaling 214 games for the Bulls where he averaged 10.0 points and 6.6 rebounds.
(14) Bobby Portis
Mostly used in a reserve role, Portis provided a good amount of production (averages of 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds) in somewhat limited minutes (19.3 per game).
(15) Dwight Jones
Much like Portis, Jones thrived as a reserve with his best year in Chicago coming in 1981-82 with averages of 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.
(16) Mike Dunleavy
Dunleavy played three seasons with the Bulls and nearly connected on 40 percent of his three-point tries.
Pippen
(1) Scottie Pippen
While he may have been seen as playing second fiddle to Jordan, Pippen won six championships, made seven All-Star teams, eight All-Defensive teams, and seven All-NBA teams while with Chicago.
(2) Jimmy Butler
Butler was an All-Star in each of his last three years with Chicago, was named to the All-Defensive Second Team three times, and was the 2014-15 Most Improved Player.
(3) Dennis Rodman
While be played just three seasons with the Bulls, Rodman won a championship with them each year and averaged an absurd 15.8 rebounds.
(4) Luol Deng
Deng is fourth in franchise history in points (10,286), fifth in steals (639), sixth in games (637), ninth in rebounds (4,078), and 10th in blocks (360).
(5) Orlando Woolridge
The sixth overall pick in 1981, Woolridge played his first five seasons with the Bulls and averaged more than 20 points a contest in each of his last two years there.
(6) Quintin Dailey
Dailey was one of the top sixth men with Chicago (started in just 74 of 272 games) as he averaged over 15 points in all four of his seasons for the Bulls.
(7) Dave Greenwood
Averaging a double-double in 1983-84 (12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds), Greenwood grabbed the eighth-most rebounds in team history (4,222) and blocked the eighth-most shots (526).
(8) Tom Boerwinkle
Spending his entire 10-year career with the Bulls, Boerwinkle finished with double-digit rebounding averages five times.
(9) Lauri Markkanen
Through his first 170 career games, Markkanen (First Team All-Rookie member in 2017-18) has averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds.
(10) Clifford Ray
Ray averaged 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his three years with Chicago.
(11) Steve Kerr
The owner of the highest three-point percentage in NBA history at 45.4, Kerr won three titles with the Bulls.
(12) Metta World Peace
Known as Ron Artest at the time, World Peace started his career with the Bulls and began showing his defensive prowess that made him feared throughout his career averaging two steals in 175 games.
(13) Ricky Sobers
The 1979-80 season was the best for Sobers in a Chicago uniform as he averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals.
(14) Mark Landsberger
Landsberger was another player who proved to be effective (averages of 7.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 196 games) despite not playing a lot of minutes (20.5 per outing).
(15) Robin Lopez
Lopez started 181 games for the Bulls from 2016-17 until 2018-19 averaging 10.5 points and 1.1 blocks.
(16) Craig Hodges
Winner of three straight Three-Point Contests from 1990-92, Hodges was a member of the Bulls’ first two championship teams.
Rose
(1) Derrick Rose
While the end of his Bulls’ tenure is known for his inability to stay healthy, Rose was the 2010-11 MVP, 2008-09 Rookie of the Year, and averaged 19.7 points to go with 6.2 assists in 406 games for Chicago.
(2) Jerry Sloan
Playing 10 seasons for the Bulls, Sloan was twice an All-Star, an All-Defensive member six times, and played the fourth-most games in franchise history (696).
(3) Reggie Theus
Twice an All-Star while with Chicago, Theus averaged a career-best 23.8 points in 1982-83.
(4) Toni Kukoc
Kukoc was a member of the Bulls second three-peat, was the 1995-96 Sixth Man of the Year, and displayed an all-around game with averages of 14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with the team.
(5) Elton Brand
Named Rookie of the Year in 1999-00, Brand only played two seasons for the Bulls but averaged a double-double during that time (20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds).
(6) Charles Oakley
Before being traded to the Knicks, the rugged Oakley averaged 13.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons for Chicago.
(7) Pau Gasol
Gasol was an All-Star in both of his seasons with Chicago averaging 17.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
(8) Bill Cartwright
He didn’t put up huge numbers due to playing with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but Cartwright was an unsung player as the starting center for the Bulls’ first three championships.
(9) Taj Gibson
In Bull's history, Gibson ranks fifth in blocks (695) and 10th in games (562).
(10) John Paxson
Paxson was a member of the Bulls’ first three championship teams while placing fifth in team history in games (645) and seventh in assists (2,394).
(11) Wilbur Holland
Playing in all 82 games, Holland averaged 16.6 points in 1977-78.
(12) Nikola Mirotic
Mirotic has made the fifth-most threes in team history with 432 and averaged 11.4 points in 243 games.
(13) Stacey King
King was a key reserve on the Bulls during their first three-peat averaging 6.0 points in 15.3 minutes.
(14) Larry Kenon
In the 1980-81 season, Kenon posted averages of 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds.
(15) Scott May
May was productive in his first two seasons in the league combining to average 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.
(16) Brad Sellers
Sellers started 76 games in 1987-88 and averaged 9.5 points.
Love
(1) Bob Love
Named an All-Star for three straight seasons from 1970-71 to 1972-73, Love averaged at least 21 points for six straight seasons from 1969-70 to 1974-75.
(2) Artis Gilmore
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, Gilmore was an All-Defensive Second Team member in 1977-78 and averaged 19.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 482 games with Chicago.
(3) Horace Grant
The starting power forward on the Bulls’ first three championship teams, Grant was an All-Star in 1993-94, is sixth in team history with 579 blocks, and is seventh with 4,721 rebounds.
(4) Bob Boozer
He played just three seasons for the Bulls, but he was an All-Star in 1967-68 and averaged 20.4 points and 8.7 rebounds while on Chicago.
(5) Ben Gordon
The 2004-05 Sixth Man of the Year as a rookie, Gordon twice averaged over 20 points a game and is second in Bulls history with 770 made threes.
(6) Zach LaVine
LaVine ranks 12th in the NBA in 2019-20 with his 25.5 points per game and 10th with his 184 made three-pointers. As mentioned by ESPN, he will take part in a H-O-R-S-E competition starting on Sunday.
(7) B.J. Armstrong
Named an All-Star in 1993-94, Armstrong won three titles with the Bulls and was an excellent shooter as evidenced by his 43.7 three-point and 86.2 free throw percentage with Chicago.
(8) Mickey Johnson
Johnson averaged a double-double in 1976-77 and was a 15+ point scorer in each of his last four years with the team.
(9) Ron Harper
He put up points in bunches previously with the Cavaliers and Clippers, but Harper sacrificed his numbers on a loaded Chicago team and won three championships as a starter in the backcourt with them.
(10) Luc Longley
The starting center for three championship teams, Longley averaged 8.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 261 games for Chicago.
(11) Bob Weiss
The starting point guard for the Bulls in the early 1970s, Weiss dished out 2,008 assists - which is good for eighth in team history.
(12) Ben Wallace
He didn’t have the impact defensively as he did in Detroit, but Wallace still averaged 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals in 127 games for the Bulls.
(13) Dave Corzine
Corzine was a starter in a little over half of his 556 appearances for Chicago and is seventh in franchise history in blocks (573).
(14) Ronnie Lester
The full-time starting point guard for the Bulls in 1981-82, Lester posted averages of 11.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals that season.
(15) McCoy McLemore
McLemore’s career-best season in 1967-68 when he averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.
(16) Kris Dunn
He’s had a disappointing 2019-20, but Dunn has averaged 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals in his 149-game Bulls tenure.