“The Chicago Bulls are irrelevant.” Did you ever think there would come a time when someone would call the Chicago Bulls irrelevant? The same Chicago Bulls that won six championships in eight years, who became the sports team everyone looked up to, the same cultural phenom that made basketball truly global? Well, that time has come, especially considering the nightmarish couple of decades the Bulls have had. NBA legend Charles Barkley creatively brought that to light while pointing to just how easy the Bulls have it compared to three of their rivals.

Playing for big-market teams in the NBA is tough. When it’s a franchise like the Bulls, with a legacy written by the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, those are even bigger shoes to fill. As of now, the Bulls are holding on to a Play-In spot. However, the 1993 NBA MVP believes that if it were their Eastern Conference counterparts—the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, or the Philadelphia 76ers—in this position, things would be much worse for them. 

The Chicago Bulls have gotten used to getting second chances

In an interview with ESPN Chicago, Barkley claimed, “There is no way [the fans] can be happy with that thing going on with the Bulls.” This came after one of the hosts said, “Compared to other big cities, [Chicago] fanbases are very willing to give people second chances. I think this is an easier place to play than other places.” In light of recent events—specifically the Bulls’ Ring of Honor ceremony—where fans in the United Center booed the late general manager Jerry Krause, the Chicago crowd may just be a little tough. However, Barkley believes the others have it tougher.

“If the Celtics were playing that bad or the 76ers or the Knicks were playing that bad, the fans would burn down the stadium. There is no way what’s happening with the Bulls they would let go in Philly, Boston, or New York. There is no way possible,” the 11x All-Star stated. To put into perspective just how much the Bulls are struggling, here’s a question for you. What do they have in common with the Celtics, Bucks, and the 76ers this season?

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All of them have a 20-something record this season. However, in the case of the Bulls, the number in the 20s corresponds to the losses, not the wins. After trading for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in 2021 to team them up with Zach LaVine, the Bulls were expected to make that step up to place themselves in championship contention. However, things didn’t pan out the way they hoped.

After missing the Playoffs for four consecutive years, the team slowly showed signs of improvement, with DeRozan and LaVine making the All-Star team that season. Halfway through the 2021-22 season, the Bulls were on top of the Eastern Conference. But then, one of the key players on the team, Lonzo Ball, got injured and hasn’t played since. Although they made the Playoffs that season, it’s all gone back to square one since. And Barkley believes it’s time for extreme change.

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Charles Barkley wants the Chicago Bulls to blow things up

Having witnessed everything the Bulls have done in recent years, Barkley feels that making some trades is long overdue. He said, “They should have broken the team two years ago. Maybe three years ago. Because they’re irrelevant.” The Bulls might have been hoping for Lonzo Ball to return and climb back up the standings. However, this has not worked out, as Ball has remained out. And as time has passed, the value of each player on the team has gone down.

In the absence of a leader—which Lonzo Ball was proving to be—Bulls insider K.C. Johnson believes the Big 3 haven’t been able to step up and take charge. As reported by Sports Illustrated, Johnson wrote, “A big issue, and each of LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic have alluded to this separately at times, is the lack of a true pecking order. Sometimes, each player seems as if they’re deferring too much to the others.”

The franchise has accepted its failures, though, and is currently on the trading block, as per reports. Zach LaVine was expected to be traded earlier last month. He did not play for over 10 games but has now returned to the team. ESPN insider Michael Wilbon reported that there is currently no market for the two-time NBA All-Star. Barkley understood this, though. He said, “You just got to start the rebuild, got to take pennies on the dollar.”

Barkley believes that to get where they want, the Bulls need to start somewhere. The earlier they get to rebuilding the team, the earlier they get results. What do you think of Charles Barkley’s comments on the Chicago Bulls? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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