The Chicago Bulls are the third NBA team to hail from Chicago, following the Packers/Zephyrs, who are now the Washington Wizards, and the Stags (from 1946 to 1950). The team's first season began in 1966 and ended the season with the best record ever by an expansion team, making them a challenger in the playoffs. The first two years in the league, the Bulls played in the International Amphitheatre, then moved to Chicago Stadium.

Over the next few years, the Bulls put themselves together in competitive fashion but never quite achieved the level of the best in the sport. In the 1970's, they became a very defensive team and managed to win a single division title, never making it to the finals. By the late 1970's and the early 1980's, the Bulls were at the bottom of the league. The turnaround came in 1984, with their third pick in the NBA Draft, where they picked up Michael Jordan, who would go on to set records and have the nation referring to him and the best NBA player of all time.

After several moves in the league over the off seasons between 1987 and 1989, the new starting lineup for the Bulls included Jordan, Paxson, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright, who, although taking time to find their chemistry, would mesh to form the beginning of the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The team, under Jordan, would win six NBA Championships.