1966 Franchise Establishment
The original expansion team that started it all in 1966.
The Chicago Bulls franchise was established in 1966 as an expansion team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team's first head coach was Johnny Kerr, who led the Bulls to a winning record in their inaugural season.
- First Head Coach
- Johnny Kerr
Lore & Background
The Chicago Bulls joined the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1966, with Johnny Kerr serving as the team's first head coach. In their debut season, the Bulls posted a 33-48 record, which remains one of the best first-season performances by an expansion team in NBA history. The team's early years laid the foundation for a storied franchise that would later dominate the league in the 1990s.
In Their Own Story
The *Dune* saga is set over twenty thousand years in humanity's future. Faster-than-light travel has been developed, and humans have colonized a vast number of worlds. A great reaction against computers resulted in a ban on any 'thinking machine', with the creation or possession of such punishable by immediate death. Humanity formed a feudal interstellar empire known as the Imperium, run by several Great Houses. Of key interest is the planet Arrakis, known to the native population as 'Dune'. A desert planet with barely any precipitation, it is the only planet where a special life-extending drug, melange (or 'the spice'), can be found. Melange enhances mental capacity through prescience, allowing Spacing Guild pilots to navigate folded space and travel between planets. Feudal control over Arrakis, its spice production, and the impact on humanity's development become the centerpoints of a millennia-long conflict.
Did You Know?
- The Chicago Bulls were founded in 1966 as an NBA expansion team.
- Johnny Kerr was the first head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
- The Bulls posted a 33-48 record in their inaugural season, one of the best for an expansion team.
- The team's name was chosen by a contest, with 'Bulls' reflecting Chicago's meatpacking industry and the fighting spirit of the city.
- The Bulls' first-ever game was a 104-97 loss to the San Francisco Warriors on October 15, 1966.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded the Chicago Bulls franchise in 1966?
Entrepreneur Dick Klein established the team, bringing professional basketball back to Chicago after a long hiatus.
How did they build their first roster?
General manager Ed Badger utilized the NBA Expansion Draft to select players rejected by existing teams for the inaugural season.
What was the original home arena?
The Bulls played their early games at the historic Chicago Stadium, which served as their base during this founding era.
Who was the first head coach?
Dick Motta took charge as the organization's initial head coach to lead the new squad on and off the court.
Why is this expansion year significant?
This pivotal moment returned pro basketball to the Windy City, laying the foundation for a future global dynasty forged from expansion scraps.
More in Club History
Elsewhere in the Chicago Bulls universe
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