Hinrich’s Decision a Good Thing for the Bulls

If you were feeling gloomy because the Bulls won’t have a player contributing to Team U.S.A. this year (due to Kirk Hinrich’s decision to leave the team earlier this week), then fret no more. If you really love the Bulls, their place in Team U.S.A. shouldn’t matter as much as how they do in their regular season. Although a Bulls spokesperson says that Hinrich’s withdraw was due to a family situation, it could also be due to the fact that his stint on the team last year led to a tired and worn-out player at the start of the Bulls 2006-2007 season. Hinrich was hesitant from the beginning about playing for Team U.S.A. this year – he initially declined the offer but then decided to participate. Family issues or not, Hinrich’s decision puts the Bulls in a better place for the start of their upcoming season in October.

Last year Hinrich filled in when point guards were scarce, giving him a promising spot on Team U.S.A. and some great experience against international competition. It looks like this might not have been the case for Hinrich this year as there has been speculation that he was going to have to battle Utah point guard Deron Williams (along with Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups) for the point spot. This could have been another factor in his decision to save himself for his squad in Chicago. So this year we’ll be seeing a more energized Hinrich to start the season and hopefully he’ll be stepping it up for Chicago in a season that could very well go for 100 games.

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A Look at the Chicago Bulls Upcoming Season

The Chicago Bulls didn’t manage to acquire Kevin Garnett this season, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be kicking it into high gear when the season starts in October. The Bulls General Manager John Paxson is content with the schedule for the 2007-2008 season, just as he is with their failed efforts to obtain Garnett. Garnett ended up with the Boston Celtics and Paxson said of his trade talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves, “All I can say is that I had many conversations with Minnesota, but I don’t know if we were ever close…Some people will never understand the myriad of scenarios that are discussed and ultimately why a team does what it does.” It seems that all Bulls fans understand is that Garnett is not there, but hopeful newcomers like JamesOn Curry and Joakim Noah are giving fans something to smile about.

The Bulls first game will be played on Halloween night at New Jersey. Their first home game is against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 2nd. The Bulls will play four games on their first West Coast trip with a break for Thanksgiving and then a trip to New York where they will face the Knicks. They will have 20 back-to-backs, which is lower than years past, and the first one is set for November 17-18 at the Staples Center where they will face the Los Angeles Clippers and the Lakers. There will be no Texas trip for the Bulls this year due to their losses at San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas last year. On December 8th they will play the Boston Celtics at the United Center, where they will face their once hopeful teammate Garnett. The team’s second six-game road trip begins on January 30th in Minnesota. There are 30 television appearances scheduled for the Bulls this season, so there are plenty of chances to catch their games.

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Bulls Hope Noah Will Bring New Energy to the Team

The Chicago Bulls are gearing up for the 2007-2008 basketball season and it’s hopeful that their new players will give Bulls fans something to smile about. Joakim Noah was the 9th pick in the first round for the Bulls, and hopes are high that the 6’11”, 232 lb player will give the Bulls that extra spring that their steps have been missing for quite some time. The 22 year-old power forward from New York lead the University of Florida to consecutive NCAA titles, making them the first team to do so in the last 15 years. Noah played three seasons with the Gators and started 78 of his 108 games played.

Luol Deng, guard and forward for the Bulls, has high hopes for what Joakim Noah will bring to the team. According to press notes Deng has said, “The best thing about him is he’s energetic – he’s young and I think he’ll lift us up in a lot of games. I hope he can be one of the stars in the future, and I wish him nothing but the best”. So, it seems that the Bulls are seeking out the talented younger players in anticipation of bringing a new liveliness to their game. As it goes, the veterans teach and push the rookies, and the rookies inspire and push back at the veterans.

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Bulls Hinrich Leaves U.S. Training Camp

Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich made the decision to pull himself out of U.S. training camp and in turn from the U.S. basketball roster. Hinrich, who played all nine games for the Americans last year in the world championships, cited personal reasons for his withdraw. Speculation is rising that Hinrich may have pulled out due to competition within the team. Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups both joined the team this year, leaving Hinrich in competition with Utah’s Deron Williams for the third point guard spot. Hinrich played a miniscule 13 minutes in the intrasquad scrimmage last month to close the minicamp. Hinrich is not the only one who has made the decision to withdraw through – Greg Oden, Portland’s number one pick in the NBA draft has tonsillitis and the Houston Rockets’ Shane Battier, like Hinrich, also cited personal reasons for his withdraw. The FIBA Americas tournament begins August 22nd and the U.S. needs to finish in the top two in order to seal a spot in the 2008 Olympics.

Kirk Hinrich improved his shooting and scoring stats in the 2006-2007 season with the Bulls, his fourth season playing in the NBA. Hinrich achieved his career high in field goals, three-point field goals, free throw shooting percentage, and a career high of 16.6 average points per game. On the flip side, Hinrich grabbed the fewest rebounds per game of his career and also had the lowest assists average of his career. Hinrich turned down the original offer to play for the U.S. national basketball team in February of 2006 due to the pressure he faced being in the middle of the Bulls season. After the 2005-2006 season ended, Hinrich decided to change his mind and accepted a spot on the team.

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Bulls Sign Former Pittsburgh Panther Aaron Gray

The Chicago Bulls have signed another new face for the upcoming 2007-2008 basketball season. Aaron Gray, who played center for the Pittsburgh Panthers until his graduation this year, will be the newest member of Chicago’s infamous basketball team. Gray was chosen by the Bulls as the 49th overall pick and both sides are equally pleased with the addition – which means a high scorer for the Bulls and a new home for Gray. Gray joins Minnesota Timberwolves player Marc Blount as the only two Panthers currently playing in the NBA.

In March of 2007, Gray was named an “All-American” by the Associated Press after helping lead the Pittsburgh Panthers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament. Gray, who is 7’0” and 271 lbs, was named to the Honorable Mention Team this year in the Pepsi Pro Summer League, in which he averaged 10.2 points per game. As far as his time with the Panthers goes, Gray is the first of the team’s players since the 1980’s to average a double-double – he ranks 6th with the Panthers for his 33 double-doubles and 5th with them for his 39 double-double figure rebounding games. This guy is no stranger to steady high-scoring and he will have plenty to work with when he joins the Bulls and fellow draftees Joakim Noah and JamesOn Curry this October.

To catch all of the action that the rookies bring to Chicago this season, get your Chicago Bulls tickets at StubHub.com.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls a Decade Ago

In anticipation of the upcoming 2007-2008 basketball season, it seemed appropriate to take a little look down memory lane to see where the Chicago Bulls were ten years ago. The 1997-1998 season was challenging for the Bulls, but in they end they came out on top – it wouldn’t be so bad to see history repeated this year. Scottie Pippen, a star forward for the Bulls, missed their first 35 games of the season due to a foot injury. Although they were shaky in the beginning, the Bulls pulled it together mid-season thanks to Michael Jordan, Toni Kukoc, and Dennis Rodman. The Bulls finished the season with a 62-20 record, tying Utah for the number one spot in the NBA.

This was a big season for Michael Jordan – he received All-Defensive First Team honors, All-NBA First Team honors, MVP honors for the fifth time, and All-Star MVP honors for the third time. He averaged 28.7 points per game, which put him at the front of the NBA and gave him his 10th scoring title. Can you say All-Star?

Post-season the Bulls made it to the Finals where they battled the Utah Jazz. The Jazz took Game 1, but the Bulls retaliated taking Game’s 2, 3, and 4. The Jazz took Game 5 with an 88-86 win and it all came down to Game 6. Game 6 was magical – the Bulls trailed by one point in the final minute, Jordan stole the ball and sealed the series with a jump shot with 5.2 seconds to go. The final score was Chicago 87-Utah 86. It was the sixth Finals MVP trophy for Jordan and the end of this golden era. This was the end of the Bulls for Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman, but definitely not the end of the Bulls magic.

Will the Bulls still have that certain magic a decade later? See for yourself when you get your Chicago Bulls tickets at StubHub.com.

Storey Gets Another Shot at the NBA

On December 21, 2006 Bulls center Martynas Andriuskevicius sustained serious head injuries after being punched by former Proviso West player, Awvee Storey. Storey, who hit Andriuskevicius, causing him to fall to the floor and hit his head, was kicked out of the National Basketball Development League last season. Almost a year later Storey is getting another chance to play in the NBA. This was no small injury – Andriuskevicius suffered a fractured skull, a severe concussion, and a two-centimeter hematoma on the left side of his brain. Lucky for Storey, Andriuskevicius was cleared this spring for full-contact practices and has decided not to press charges.

Storey, who played for both the Washington Wizards and the New Jersey Nets before being kicked out of the NBDL, spent the last 8 months playing in the German league. The 6’6”, 225 lb. forward just signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks and should be back in the NBA action this season. Storey’s Chicago-based agent defends him, saying that the fight was totally out of character for this “cool guy” who says he’s “learned tremendously from the situation”. The next Bulls-Bucks matchup should be an interesting one. If Andriuskevicius does play this season (which at this point it’s looking like he will), then it’s looking like he and Storey might want to steer clear of each other on the court.

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Chicagoland All-Star Classic Weekend Held at the Bulls Home Stadium

This is a big week for basketball in Chicago. The Chicagoland All-Star Classic Weekend is happening and it’s all for a good cause. The weekend’s events will be benefiting The 8 Foundation, started by Antoine Walker of the Miami Heat, and also The Support Group. The 8 Foundation’s mission is to “provide positive life experiences for disadvantaged youth in single parent households” – and that is exactly what this week is about. Why Chicago? The Chicagoland area is the birth place of more active NBA players than anywhere else so it seems like a fitting place to host the Chicagoland All-Star Classic’s (CLASC) fun events.

The week kicked off on August 6th with a basketball camp for 350 girls and boys hosted by NBA athletics and of course participants in the CLASC. There’s a celebrity golf outing on August 9th and both a teen summit and the CLASC comedy show on August 10th. August 11th features a celebrity softball game and there is a health and wellness fitness festival on August 12th. The biggest event of the week by far is the sixth annual Chicagoland All-Star Classic, which takes place on August 12th. This non-profit basketball game is the second largest game in the country in which more than 20 of the NBA’s best players come together in the Bulls home stadium, the United Center.

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JamesOn Curry is Bulls Newest Arrival

The Chicago Bulls have officially announced the signing of the 2007 second-round draft pick JamesOn Curry. Curry, 21, was a junior at Oklahoma State and played shooting guard and point guard for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Curry, who’s 6’3” and 190 lbs, was the 51st pick overall. He averaged 17.3 points and shot 41 percent from the 3-point range last season and was the Cowboys’ second-leading scorer for the past two seasons. He finished 13th in Oklahoma State’s history in scoring, ninth in assists, and third in the 3-point range. It’s an understatement to say that Curry was a standout player in college and easy to see why the Bulls picked him in the second-round.

Curry is a native of Pleasant Grove, North Carolina and broke the North Carolina high school record for most points scored in four years while playing at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane, North Carolina. He scored a total of 3,307 points throughout his four years as a high school player. Curry wanted to play college ball in his home state and was originally signed with the North Carolina Tar Heels but a guilty plea to six felony drug counts led to the fall-through of his scholarship. Luckily, Oklahoma State’s Eddie Sutton decided to give him a chance – he definitely proved himself there and will now be wearing number 20 for Chicago this season.

Keep an eye out to see how this guard stacks up when the Bulls start their season on October 31st. Get your Chicago Bulls tickets at StubHub.com.

No New Big Names for the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will kick off the 2007-2008 basketball season against the New Jersey Nets on October 31st and so far the potential for acquiring at least a few big-name players is not looking good. Kevin Garnett has already been traded to the Boston Celtics and it looks like Pau Gasol won’t be on the market this time around, as was the talk of the town last season. The Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards agreed that the Grizzlies will take Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro, in exchange for a future first-round pick. This will make Gasol happy – and is a sure sign that he will be sticking with the Grizzlies – as Navarro is one of his best friends. What does this mean for the Bulls?

The Chicago Bulls had the chance to get Gasol but let the deadline pass because the proposed trade could have killed their season before it even began. ESPN’s John Hollinger has been critical of the Bulls decision to pass up Gasol, saying, “They needed Gasol to have a legit shot at the whole enchilada…Gasol might be the most underrated player in the league at this point. He was exactly what the Bulls needed – a post scorer who can pass and set up their jump shooters.” Even so, the Bulls lack of a big-name doesn’t really project anything about the upcoming season. The concern is for building the team at this point – and we’ll just have to wait until October to judge their decisions.

Make your own judgment when you watch the Bulls play live. Get your Chicago Bulls tickets at StubHub.com.

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