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A collapse in 12 acts: The endless drama of the Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose is at the center of the basketball universe. It's a few days before Christmas in 2011, and the shy, 23-year-old point guard finds himself in the middle of a suburban Chicago shopping mall as throngs of fans scream for his attention. A few hours earlier, the Chicago Bulls formally announced that they have signed the reigning MVP to a max extension worth close to $100 million. The future was bright for one of the NBA's most prominent franchises.
"I'm tremendously blessed, and I don't take anything for granted and I appreciate everyone," Rose says at the news conference. "And I think I can finally say this now, 'Mom, we finally made it.'"
Now, as Rose makes his way to a table in the middle of the mall, chants of "MVP, MVP" ring out around the complex. Security personnel, some holding guns visible, try to make sure that Rose doesn't get overwhelmed by the adoring public.
Six years later, dreams have given way to a litany of injuries, centered on Rose tearing the ACL in his left knee in the first game of the 2012 playoffs. The organization hasn't been on stable ground since.
As the Bulls prepare to face an old nemesis, now flanked by some familiar faces in Cleveland, here are the 12 moments that defined their fate, from a promising team with the youngest MVP in league history to a bickering and confused club whose return to the precipice of greatness seems far, far away.
Derrick Rose is at the center of the basketball universe. It's a few days before Christmas in 2011, and the shy, 23-year-old point guard finds himself in the middle of a suburban Chicago shopping mall as throngs of fans scream for his attention. A few hours earlier, the Chicago Bulls formally announced that they have signed the reigning MVP to a max extension worth close to $100 million. The future was bright for one of the NBA's most prominent franchises.
"I'm tremendously blessed, and I don't take anything for granted and I appreciate everyone," Rose says at the news conference. "And I think I can finally say this now, 'Mom, we finally made it.'"
Now, as Rose makes his way to a table in the middle of the mall, chants of "MVP, MVP" ring out around the complex. Security personnel, some holding guns visible, try to make sure that Rose doesn't get overwhelmed by the adoring public.
Six years later, dreams have given way to a litany of injuries, centered on Rose tearing the ACL in his left knee in the first game of the 2012 playoffs. The organization hasn't been on stable ground since.
As the Bulls prepare to face an old nemesis, now flanked by some familiar faces in Cleveland, here are the 12 moments that defined their fate, from a promising team with the youngest MVP in league history to a bickering and confused club whose return to the precipice of greatness seems far, far away.
