Top 5 players from Chicago Bulls who could've won the NBA Championship but didn't
The Chicago Bulls have had one of the greatest teams in NBA history, but have not had that level of success throughout their history.
Outside the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, who both have 17 championships apiece, the Bulls are one of the more successful NBA franchises with six titles. Amazingly, all of those six championship came in as many appearances in the NBA Finals, thanks to arguably the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan.
With a combination of offensive and defensive genius, the Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990's era. The Jordan-Pippen era was one of the greatest in NBA history, winning six championships that decade, despite MJ being retired for two years.
Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls have not had deep runs in the playoffs in recent years. For the last four years, they have missed out on postseason action. However, the Chicago Bulls' 2021-22 campaign holds promise, as they have put together a rather impressive but underrated team.
They had an exciting offseason, acquiring Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan to join Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. While an NBA Finals appearance is highly unlikely, they stand a good chance of at least making the playoffs.
On that note, here are the top five players from the Chicago Bulls who came close to winning a championship but didn't.
#5 Artis Gilmore
Artist Gilmore was drafted by both the Chicago Bulls in the NBA and the ABA's Kentucky Colonels in 1971. However, he played for the ABA team for five years before featuring in the NBA.
Gilmore made the All-Star selection in the five seasons he spent in the ABA with the Colonels, winning a championship. His six-and-a-half-year stint with the Chicago Bulls was nearly as successful, as he made four All-Star appearances. Unfortunately, he failed to win a championship with the Bulls, making it only as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in the 1980-81 season.
One of the best big men in Chicago Bulls history.
11x All-Star
Franchise leader in Blocks
Franchise leader in FG%
3rd-most REBs in franchise history
9th-most PPG in franchise history
HBD, Artis Gilmore. https://t.co/o5rRpDO9iP
The A-Train led the NBA in field goals for four consecutive seasons, and was the league's career leader in field goal percentage at the time of his retirement.
#4 Chet Walker
The Syracuse Nationals (now Philadelphia 76ers) selected Chet Walker in the 1962 NBA draft. But Walker joined the Chicago Bulls seven years later. Although he won the NBA title during his stint with the Sixers, he failed to replicate the same success with the Bulls.
Walker made four All-Star appearances with the Chicago Bulls, and had his deepest playoff run during the 1974-75 season. He reached the Conference Finals, where the Bulls fell to the Golden State Warriors in seven games.
This date in Bulls history: In 1972, Chet Walker scored 56 points (22 FGs, 12-13 FTs) in a 119-94 victory over the Cincinnati Royals.
Chet the Jet was an all-around athlete. His speed and athleticism earned him that nickname. Walker was also known for his accuracy from the free-throw line, leading the NBA in free-throw shooting (85.9%) during the 1970-71 season.