From the Archives: What 1966 Says About Chicago's Rebuild

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Wednesday, September 23

The Bulls' first season in 1966-67 remains the only expansion debut to reach the playoffs, and this year's roster is being built to get back there without a miracle. Six decades later, a rookie taken fourth overall and a former Bull turned assistant coach are the newest threads in a history that keeps circling back to the same test.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

The original expansion miracle. Dick Klein got the Bulls their franchise on January 16, 1966, the third team in Chicago after two failed predecessors. Johnny Kerr coached that first roster to a 33-48 record and a playoff berth, the only expansion team in NBA history to pull that off. This year's team opens 0-0, no miracle required, just a plan.

Gibson's path back. Taj Gibson retired as a player on September 14 and joined Tiago Splitter's staff as an assistant coach the same day. The Bulls added six names to their Ring of Honor last September, including assistant coach Johnny Bach, a reminder that this franchise has always kept its own close once the playing days end.

Third pick, decades apart. Michael Jordan went third overall in 1984, behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie, a slot that became the launching point for six championships. This year's rookie Caleb Wilson arrived fourth overall, one spot removed from that same range of the board. Different draft, same bet: that a lottery pick anchors the next era.

The distance from 72-10. The 1995-96 Bulls went 72-10, an NBA record that stood until 2015-16 and still stands as the franchise mark. Last season's team finished 31-51, with the league's 25th-ranked offense and 22nd-ranked defense. The gap between those two rosters is the whole case for patience with this rebuild.

Same wall, new team. The Pistons eliminated Chicago three straight postseasons from 1988 to 1990, the rivalry that forged the team before Jordan broke through in 1991. The Heat have now done the same trick in the play-in round three years running, 2023 through 2025. The identity question hasn't changed, just the name on the other bench.

New man in charge. Jerry Reinsdorf bought control of the franchise in 1985, a year before the Jordan era began in earnest. Bryson Graham became the Bulls' basketball operations chief on May 4 this year, after Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were fired that April. The trades and additions since, from Nic Claxton to Norman Powell, all run through him now.

On deck Preseason opens October 7 against the Suns, with games against the Grizzlies, at the Nuggets and at the Bucks to follow before the regular-season opener October 21 at Toronto.

Has an expansion Bulls team ever made the playoffs?

Yes. The 1966-67 Bulls went 33-48 under Johnny Kerr and reached the playoffs, the only expansion team in NBA history to do so in its debut season.

What is Taj Gibson's role with the Bulls now?

Gibson retired as a player on September 14, 2026, and joined Tiago Splitter's coaching staff as an assistant the same day.