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The Chicago Bulls, biggest team in sports?

cryptoadam

Banned
In honor of the new docuseries what say you GAF? I am sure some internationals are going to come in here and hype up a soccer team or cricket team, but I think the Bulls dynasty may be the biggest team in professional sports?

They for sure could be argued as one of the best and they have the hardware to go along with it, but I am also talking about culturally. Thanks to Jordan Chicago Bulls merchandise and the Bulls themselves became international superstars and money printing machines. I don't know if there was a team that would of bigger and more world renowned for the period when they were on top.

So I am about to get into the documentary to live back those olden days.

 
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JordanN

Banned
I thought it was the Monstars?

GKdx3Vb.jpg
 

bender

What time is it?
Certainly an amazing team an unlike a lot of what-if scenarios, they have the championships to back it up. Six could have been 8 or more had Jordan not retired or if the team weren't prematurely broken up. I'm not sure if they are the biggest team in sports, but they certainly got me to follow and play what is now my favorite sport.
 
I would argue the Yankees and Lakers are bigger. Celtics up there too. Also, people may hate to admit it, but the Patriots have too be considered even if their success is only 20 years recent. Dallas Cowboys up there. Boston Red Sox deserve a mention.

Jordan alone elevates the Bulls, sure, and Phil Jackson is a HoF coach. The Jordan/Pippen Bulls were amazing, no doubt, but for biggest team in American sports you gotta take into account over a century of pro franchises.

edit

Also, the Bulls haven’t really been relevant in quite awhile, outside of a few decent seasons here or there in the last 15 years
 
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teezzy

Banned
The Detroit Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs every year from 1991 to 2016, and won four times within that period.

Fuck Chicago.
 

cryptoadam

Banned
Im not just talking championships though. I also mean world wide recognition. Everyone knew the Bulls. It was mainly Jordan but he was putting chicago Bulls logos all over the world. And if anything it was really Jordan and the Bulls that launched the NBA into a global phenomenon or thats at least how I remember it. Jordan AND Dennis Rodmam parlayed it into starring movie roles.

Almost everyone who grew up in the 90s probably had some sort of Bulls related merchandise one way or another. Nothing says 90s like a bulls Jordan jersey or Bulls winter beanie.
 
Yeah, yeah, Americans know who the Yankees are. Maybe some football club is popular in Yurop and South America.
But Jordan and the Bulls majorly helped basketball penetrate into Asia and made the creation of the best sports manga possible.

abd70320-eaa1-11e9-bfd4-b7b63b0c0e3f
 

Dark Star

Member
Lakers are bigger.

This.

In the 90's, the Bulls were on fire. These days? Your average person can't even name a single player besides Jordan, who entirely popularized the team (and sport/industry) by himself. That's not a "team" effort IMO. It's not wrong, though. Individual players definitely have the potential to raise the status of teams, just look at soccer/football (Ronaldo, Messi, etc)

In comparison, it seems like the Lakers have been fostering talent since the beginning... Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Shaq, Kobe, and now Lebron along with many other valuable players have been on the Lakers. I think the Lakers have made their mark outside the US, and it's easy to say that they are just as influential.
 
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Im not just talking championships though. I also mean world wide recognition. Everyone knew the Bulls. It was mainly Jordan but he was putting chicago Bulls logos all over the world. And if anything it was really Jordan and the Bulls that launched the NBA into a global phenomenon or thats at least how I remember it. Jordan AND Dennis Rodmam parlayed it into starring movie roles.

Almost everyone who grew up in the 90s probably had some sort of Bulls related merchandise one way or another. Nothing says 90s like a bulls Jordan jersey or Bulls winter beanie.

If you're not just talking championships then it's definitely not the Bulls, it would be the Yankees. Hell as far as the NBA goes I would say the Lakers are a bigger team. ( Dark Star Dark Star posted above me as I was replying with the points I was going to make).

Yeah, yeah, Americans know who the Yankees are. Maybe some football club is popular in Yurop and South America.
But Jordan and the Bulls majorly helped basketball penetrate into Asia and made the creation of the best sports manga possible.

abd70320-eaa1-11e9-bfd4-b7b63b0c0e3f

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_Japan_Tour

Babe Ruth and the Yankees did it 60 years before. They were the catalyst for baseball in Asia and there have been more Asian players in the majors than the NBA. I know that largely has to do with baseball being a sport that anyone can play, but baseball is huge in certain parts of Asia.
 
Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid from football would all be right up there as well as some MLB/NFL teams too (I wanna guess Cowboys and Yankees). Each year bounces between the highest dollar count for those sorts of teams. If you're talking popularity then Bulls would be my biased guess as someone that lived in the states for years during the time of MJ @ Bulls.
 

recma12

Member
I am sure some internationals are going to come in here and hype up a soccer team or cricket team

No, I'm German and also believe the 90s Bulls were the biggest team at a certain point in time (mid 90s) in world sports ever.
There clearly was a lasting impact, just look at the Jordan Brand, Space Jam and tbh you still see Bulls gear on the street/in stores, even tho nobody knows who's on the Bulls roster.
Hell, I remember that the Bulls games (tape delay) were on basic TV every day, watched them after school.

That said, Barcelona, Real, Manchester, Bayern etc. are almost as relevant to the world population as the 90s Bulls EVERY DAMN SEASON. You just gotta understand that world football is on a different planet than US sports.
Especially now that football is getting bigger in the US.

Just in the past decade or so, there were:

- Guardiola's Barca team 2008-2011
- the Bayern & Germany core of players (Neuer, Lahm etc.) that won UCL 2013/ World Cup 2014
- Cristiano's Real Madrid team that won 3 consecutive UCL
- Klopp's historic Liverpool team

I think all of those teams are just as famous as the 90s Bulls worldwide and people even know more than 2 players (most people only remember MJ & Scottie).
But like I said above, the hype Jordan and the Bulls generated back then was probably the biggest peak ever.
Especially since interest dropped off so much once MJ retired. These football teams stay relevant annually, but I couldn't even name one starter on the 2020 Bulls tbh
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
Huge basketball fan and Lakers crew. Going with LAL man. No better team in the league. Boston Celtics has more championships, but the Lakers are #1

Too bad about the season though. Hope it will continue in June? Maybe July?
 

jts

...hate me...
When I was a kid, Bulls merchandise and shit was everywhere, it was just cool as fuck to have a Bulls cap or something. This is in europe where we don't care as much about b-ball, and in the 90s when there was way less sales outlets for this kind of stuff, which existed in way smaller amount than nowadays as well. You'd catch these items at big box stores and from the few dedicated sports stores mostly.

I guess Brazil's soccer team also up there. Yankees logo has always been massive too.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
Nah. Manchester United.

It helps that the entirely world likes football, and only about 3 countries give a shit about basketball.
Fuck that pussy ass excuse for a sport man. I respect it only because it brings people together and can be a hell of a cardio workout. Idk the sport well. I just know those dipshits flop around and fake injuries. Faking injuries is part of the game. Fuck that, that’s a bonafide disgrace of a sport. For someone like me, who is forced to live with constant recurring injuries and probably will have to the rest of my life, I know the process all too well. It’s nothing to play with. And for so called ‘professionals’ to be pretending to that degree? Nah fool. Those aren’t men. Lil boys is all. There’s a pecking order, soccer is dead last when it comes to respect. Everybody knows those players get down like bitches. Fucking punk ass actors..
 
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Greedings

Member
Fuck that pussy ass excuse for a sport man. I respect it only because it brings people together and can be a hell of a cardio workout. Idk the sport well. I just know those dipshits flop around and fake injuries. Faking injuries is part of the game. Fuck that, that’s a bonafide disgrace of a sport. For someone like me, who is forced to live with constant recurring injuries and probably will have to the rest of my life, I know the process all too well. It’s nothing to play with. And for so called ‘professionals’ to be pretending to that degree? Nah fool. Those aren’t men. Lil boys is all. There’s a pecking order, soccer is dead last when it comes to respect. Everybody knows those players get down like bitches. Fucking punk ass actors..
I completely agree. Football is a shit sport.
 

Mista

Banned
To the people that said the Lakers, you’re the real MVP! Damn right it is!

But my pick is Real Madrid. Madrid is everything in sports. History and recognition
 

DKehoe

Member
Can someone explain the appeal of sports please

Watch people perform at an elite level under incredible pressure.
Naturally creates storylines that you can follow from season to season.
The aesthetics of a well executed manoeuvre.
Builds a sense of community among fans
Big personalties coming into conflict
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
And the more you play, the deeper your love for the game becomes. I only love basketball

But some people are blessed enough to have many sports that they love. They open up so many doors in life, that it’s just impossible to fully describe. Sports are an invaluable way of life. I always felt great disdain towards those that used to tell me condescendingly that sports are just there to distract the masses from the bigger picture, like sports are just some kind of trap to keep people away from reality...Couldn’t be further from the truth. Sports are a part of this reality and they can help play a part in teaching us many things about life. Sports are great motivators to stay active and live healthy. They bring inspiration, keep people moving and active and laughing and feeling good / having fun. The way life should be lived
 

recma12

Member
To the people that said the Lakers, you’re the real MVP! Damn right it is!

But my pick is Real Madrid. Madrid is everything in sports. History and recognition

Historically, yes the Celts & Lakers are the premier NBA ballclubs.
The Bulls were like a 10 year thing, team hasn't been relevant before and after Jordan.

But yes, it's probably Real Madrid worldwide & across all demographics.

The Brazilian national football team
Nah. Manchester United.

It helps that the entirely world likes football, and only about 3 countries give a shit about basketball.

What year is this?
ManU & Brazil haven't been relevant at the highest level for ages.

ManU became 2nd tier when Ronaldo left, Brazil has only made one World Cup semifinal since 2002 and they lost 1:7.
At home.
 

Azurro

Banned
The Chicago Bulls are dead, they were a thing for a very limited amount of time and basketball is just limited in its appeal. Real Madrid and Barcelona have decades of tradition and are the biggest teams in the world.
 

DKehoe

Member
What year is this?
ManU & Brazil haven't been relevant at the highest level for ages.

ManU became 2nd tier when Ronaldo left, Brazil has only made one World Cup semifinal since 2002 and they lost 1:7.
At home.

United won the league twice and made a Champions League final after Ronaldo left. I don't see how you can claim him leaving is when they took a step down. The obvious turning point for United was Ferguson retiring. United still sold more shirts than anyone else last year and it was the same for the year before. They've been a bit of shambles on the pitch for a while now but they're still very arguably the biggest team in the world in terms of name recognition. The English league is much bigger worldwide than the Spanish one, which has helped keep United compete in that regard with Real Madrid and Barcelona despite not having the same success recently.

Brazil have been THE team to beat since the 50s. Ask someone who doesn't know anything about football "which country is good at playing football" and they'll say Brazil. The 1:7 loss was a huge story specifically because it was Brazil. I'm talking big picture with them, a dynasty spanning decades.
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
Last year the Chicago Bulls total revenue was round 300 million dollars. Not bad.

FC Barcelona closed 2019 at over 1 billion us dollars.

So yeah.
 

Greedings

Member
Historically, yes the Celts & Lakers are the premier NBA ballclubs.
The Bulls were like a 10 year thing, team hasn't been relevant before and after Jordan.

But yes, it's probably Real Madrid worldwide & across all demographics.




What year is this?
ManU & Brazil haven't been relevant at the highest level for ages.

ManU became 2nd tier when Ronaldo left, Brazil has only made one World Cup semifinal since 2002 and they lost 1:7.
At home.
Whether the teams are good now or not has very little baring on their fame. ManU and Brazil were dominant for so long that they developed a following all over the world.

Whenever I travel, whether Europe, America, Africa or Asia, the locals always ask about ManU when I say I'm from England. Never heard any other team mentioned. That's been consistent for like 15 years too. Worst part is I absolutely hate football.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
In the 90s, the Bulls and MJ were probably the biggest team in the world. You see in the first part the reaction he got in France. Imagine if Manchester United came to the US in 1997. Crickets.

But that was a long time ago. The Bulls have been irrelevant since 1999, outside of a brief period when Rose was great. This is why I like this doc actually. People are so quick to anoint guys, hell they were doing it right after Jordan left, like Grant Hill, he's the new MJ, Kobe, he's the new MJ. But now especially, since you have one or two generations that never saw him. Hopefully people watch this and understand why Kobe and LeBron don't come close.
 
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TacosNSalsa

Member
Jordan perhaps . Not the Bulls as a whole . They were my favorite team at the time and they had AMAZING players . Kukoc, Kerr , Rodman , Pippen(ofcourse) were all incredible players and loved watching them played together , they were sooooo cohesive as a team but they were really overshadowed by Jordan .
 
Fuck that pussy ass excuse for a sport man. I respect it only because it brings people together and can be a hell of a cardio workout. Idk the sport well. I just know those dipshits flop around and fake injuries. Faking injuries is part of the game. Fuck that, that’s a bonafide disgrace of a sport. For someone like me, who is forced to live with constant recurring injuries and probably will have to the rest of my life, I know the process all too well. It’s nothing to play with. And for so called ‘professionals’ to be pretending to that degree? Nah fool. Those aren’t men. Lil boys is all. There’s a pecking order, soccer is dead last when it comes to respect. Everybody knows those players get down like bitches. Fucking punk ass actors..
>"Fuck that sport with flopping"
>"I love basketball"

wew lad
 

008

Banned
Im not just talking championships though. I also mean world wide recognition. Everyone knew the Bulls. It was mainly Jordan but he was putting chicago Bulls logos all over the world. And if anything it was really Jordan and the Bulls that launched the NBA into a global phenomenon or thats at least how I remember it. Jordan AND Dennis Rodmam parlayed it into starring movie roles.

Almost everyone who grew up in the 90s probably had some sort of Bulls related merchandise one way or another. Nothing says 90s like a bulls Jordan jersey or Bulls winter beanie.

they aren’t the most popular team in their own sport.

nobody cares about them these days
 

cryptoadam

Banned
they aren’t the most popular team in their own sport.

nobody cares about them these days

I aint talking about these days though. I am talking about during their era. Has there been a team that was more well known and rennowned then the 90's Bulls during their era?

Yankee's maybe but I don't know if people in 3rd world countries were wearing Yankee gear. But you could go to timbuck Africa or some Commie ruled ex soviet satellite in the 90's and say Bulls or Jordan and everyone would know who you are talking about it.

They are like the Micheal Jackson of sports teams. Micheal isn't as popular today and Justin Beiber probably has more downloads then MJ. But that doesn't stop people from saying MJ at his peak was probably the biggest star in the world and that outside of an Elvis and Beattles no one has came close to him.
 

Airbus Jr

Banned
Chicago Bulls ? What year is it?

Curently the best team is Golden State Warrior ( even though they lost to Raptors last season)
 
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