The Chicago Bulls’ six championship banners have all been taken down from the rafters of the United Center.
Minor damage was discovered after heavy metal band Disturbed performed on Saturday, March 8th. The damage is said to be caused by pyrotechnics during the concert. The bottom half of the banners is where there is reportedly where work needs to be done to restore the banners.
The division title banners and conference championship banners in the vicinity were not damaged and remain in place.
Disturbed formed as a band in Chicago in 1994.
“United Center is currently working with the Bulls to explore options to repair these banners,” the United Center said in a statement. “While the banners will not be in place for the remainder of this season, we do anticipate them being back in place next season.”
United Center Without Banners Will Have Eerie Feel
The Bulls famously won six championships in the 1990s led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Phil Jackson was the head coach. Chicago completed two “three-peats,” the first between 1991-93 and the second from 1996-98.
Jordan shocked the world when he retired for two years in between. The Houston Rockets won both championships when Jordan wasn’t in the league, led by Hakeem Olajuwon.
The six championship banners have been a staple of the United Center for nearly three decades now and there will certainly be a strange feel to the United Center without them.
Bulls Headed For Another Play-In Tournament Banner
Chicago is a long way from its glory days, 10 games under .500 and headed for a third straight appearance in the Play-In Tournament.
Having lost DeMar DeRozan in the summer and traded Zach LaVine at the trade deadline, it appeared the Bulls would be headed in the direction of lottery balls.
Instead, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White have led the way in keeping this team in no man’s land. Josh Giddey has also had a good first season in Chicago after being acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso.
The team has won four straight games to sit a game behind the Miami Heat and two back of the Orlando Magic.
Toronto has won six of its last seven games to occupy 11th spot but still remain 4.5 games back of Chicago.
