August 23, 2026
August 23, 2026
1973-74 Chicago Bulls: Sticking to Fundamentals
The Chicago Bulls are now known as one of the best franchises in the history of the National Basketball Association, and that is because of the contributions made by their championship-winning teams in the 1990s, when they built two dynasties of three NBA championships each under the leadership of coach Phil Jackson and star players like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Of course, the history of the Bulls franchise doesn’t begin and end with those teams — the 1973-74 Chicago Bulls, and other early squads, were competitive well before the Jordan era ever got started.
The Bulls had a humble beginning as an NBA franchise, quietly entering the association in the 1966-67 season. However, they immediately began making playoff appearances, thanks to a roster talented enough to carry the team to victory.
The 1973-74 Chicago Bulls went 54-28 in the regular season, finishing five games behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the Western Conference. In conference head-to-head play, the Bulls fared very well, going 5-2 against the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, 4-0 against the Houston Rockets, and 4-2 against the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Seattle SuperSonics.
This Bulls team wasn’t a flashy bunch on the floor; they stuck to fundamentals. During the 1970s, it was more essential for teams to show orchestrated teamwork rather than rely on “hero ball,” where one player took over a game, and this Bulls team embodied that team-first approach more than anything else.
Power forward Bob Love had 1,785 points, 492 rebounds, 130 assists, and 84 steals while making 323 of 395 free throws. Love averaged 21.8 points and 6 rebounds per game. Small forward Chet Walker had 1,583 points, 406 rebounds, and 200 assists while making 439 of 502 free throws. Walker averaged 19.3 points and 5 rebounds per game. Point guard Norm Van Lier had 1,142 points, 548 assists, and 162 steals while making 288 of 370 free throws. Van Lier averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Shooting guard Jerry Sloan had 1,018 points, 556 rebounds, and 183 steals while making 193 of 273 free throws. Sloan averaged 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. Center Clifford Ray had 747 points, 977 rebounds, and 173 blocks while making 121 of 199 free throws. Ray averaged 12.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. Small forward Howard Porter had 684 points and 285 rebounds while making 91 of 115 free throws. Shooting guard Bob Weiss had 668 points, 303 assists, and 104 steals while making 142 of 170 free throws.
Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier made the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Bob Love earned Second Team honors. Along with Chet Walker, Van Lier made the All-Star Game and was also named to the All-NBA Second Team.
While they weren’t the most dominant team in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls certainly had high moments in the regular season, enjoying two long winning streaks. The first ran 12 games, beginning with a 101-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on October 13 and ending with a 116-98 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on November 11. The second streak was just as impressive at 10 games, beginning with a close 99-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 20 and ending with a 112-95 win over the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
One of the most impressive regular-season wins for the Bulls came on February 19, when they easily handled the Phoenix Suns 130-96 at Chicago Stadium. Chet Walker had 25 points and 5 rebounds, Howard Porter had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerry Sloan had 23 points and 9 rebounds. Though he scored only 8 points, Clifford Ray pulled down 13 rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls ended up playing a heavily contested Western Conference Semifinals series against the Detroit Pistons that turned into a full seven-game battle. The Pistons struck first, winning Game 1 on March 30 at Chicago Stadium by a score of 102-87. The Bulls bounced back to win Game 2 on April 1 at Cobo Arena, 108-103. Bob Love led the offensive charge with 38 points, Chet Walker had 20 points and 5 rebounds, and Jerry Sloan had 19 points and 8 rebounds.
In Game 3 on April 5, the Bulls narrowly beat the Pistons 84-83 at Chicago Stadium. Chet Walker had 21 points and 7 rebounds, Jerry Sloan had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Bob Love had 15 points and 8 rebounds. In Game 4 on April 7 at Cobo Arena, the Pistons defeated the Bulls 102-87.
The Bulls again bounced back to win Game 5 on April 9 at Chicago Stadium, 98-94. Bob Love had 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists; Jerry Sloan had 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists; Chet Walker had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists; and Clifford Ray added just 9 points but grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Pistons simply wouldn’t go away, tying the series at three games apiece with a 92-88 win in Game 6 on April 11 at Cobo Arena. The Bulls got the last laugh, though, narrowly beating the Pistons 96-94 in the deciding Game 7 on April 13 at Chicago Stadium. Chet Walker had 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Bob Love had 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they ran into a Milwaukee Bucks team that was at the top of its game. The 1973-74 Chicago Bulls were swept 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals, marking the end of this early era for the franchise as the Bulls began to rebuild the roster and give it a new look with different players.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
August 23rd, 2026 31
August 23rd, 2026 31
August 22nd, 2026 31
