Caleb Wilson started his NBA career exactly like Michael Jordan. He scored 16 points in his debut and 21 in his second game, the same as Jordan in 1984. Both of those second games were in Milwaukee. Three games in, the comparison is getting harder to ignore.
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Wilson followed it with his best game yet: 30 points, 14 rebounds and three assists against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. He became the first Bulls rookie with a 30-and-10 game since Lauri Markkanen and only the 13th player in franchise history to record a double-double before turning 21.
At 20 years and 98 days old, he is the second-youngest Bull to post a 30-and-10 game, behind only Luol Deng. He is also the first player since Terry Cummings in 1982-83 to put up at least 30 points and 14 rebounds in one of his first three career games.
The Bulls fell to the Wizards 124-120 despite Wilson’s effort. But his individual numbers through three games now stand at 67 points, second all-time in franchise history for any player’s first three career games, trailing only Jordan’s 74.
That puts Caleb Wilson one night away from a real piece of Bulls history. He enters Chicago’s matchup with Boston needing 33 points to pass Jordan for the most points scored through a player’s first four career games in franchise history.
He’s also tied for the highest scoring average among all rookies league-wide this season at 22.3 points per game. A number that would have seemed implausible for the No. 4 overall pick before the season began, let alone one being measured directly against the greatest player in franchise history just four games in.
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Wilson has invited the comparison himself. Asked by ESPN before the draft about his competitive edge, he pointed straight to the Bulls legend.
“I always find something to make it personal, honestly. Just like Michael Jordan. I try my best to find something to piss me off,” Wilson said. “It’s hard for me to be friends with someone off the court and then try to be competitive on the court. I just can’t do it.”
Jordan’s rookie season ended with him averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists on his way to Rookie of the Year. Last season, Dallas’ Cooper Flagg became the first rookie since Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, and even he averaged 21.0 points.
Tonight’s game against Boston will either extend that comparison into record-breaking territory or mark the point where Wilson’s season starts looking like his own, rather than an echo of Jordan’s.
The Bulls (1-2) visit the Celtics (1-1) at TD Garden. Boston bounced back from an opening-night loss at Detroit to beat the defending champion New York Knicks 107-103 on Friday, as Jayson Tatum finished with 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Chicago comes into the contest having not won in Boston in the last three matchups. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, as fans can catch the game on NBC Sports Boston.