Following the demise of their dynasty after the 1997-98 season, the Chicago Bulls found themselves stuck in the mud for a while. From making questionable draft picks to signing free agents for more than they were worth, the Bulls were a shadow of their former selves. However, in the 2010-11 season, the team found its footing once again.
Led by explosive guard Derrick Rose and a roster that genuinely loved playing for and being with one another, the Bulls once again rose in the Eastern Conference and won an impressive 62 games during that season. And while the skill level of the Bulls' players during that campaign was undeniably top-notch, that was not what former All-Star Luol Deng remembered the most from that team.
Oftentimes, what hinders NBA teams from ascending the ladder isn't just the lack of talent but more so the lack of chemistry. This isn't surprising given that franchises employ grown men and young players who each have their own unique personalities and egos. However, the 2010-11 Bulls were an exception to this norm.
According to Deng, everyone knew who the team's alpha was: Derrick Rose. Nobody disputed that and everyone gave their all to support the uber-athletic Chicagoan.
"When you look back, we had an MVP that everybody bought into on the team, everybody loved," Deng proclaimed . "Everybody wanted him to get that MVP. We knew how good Derrick was, and everyone played their role."
Deng, a 6'9" forward from Duke, was no chopped liver. A tenacious forward who was equally effective on both ends, he eventually earned his due and was named an All-Star. However, although he was immensely proud of the achievement, a part of him felt timid about it.
"I remember the year that I was an All-Star, I almost felt shy about it," he remarked. "I felt like, 'Don't even say it.' Even when I found out I just felt like there's guys on the team that play just as hard."
Basketball is a numbers game, and that holds true even more in the NBA, where salaries and accolades are often tied to statistical achievements. But for Deng and for that Bulls team, it was never about the numbers. It was always about the team.
"I remember my first year when me and Derrick went to the All-Star (in 2012), I felt like Jo was an All-Star. But I got it. So I was like, 'Man.' That's how much we loved each other," he expressed. "We didn't really care about All-Star or all these numbers. It's one of those things where you wish you could go back to where you just hooped. It was just hooping."
Rose, who became the league's youngest MVP winner in 2011, said the bond between the Bulls players at that time was something that took them to the cusp of winning it all.
"We played unselfishly. Everybody had one common goal, and that was to win the championship," D-Rose commented. "But we knew that it was going to be very tough. I think everybody was just cool with each other on and off the court. We had that bond that you need, that chemistry that you need for your team to go pretty deep in this league."
With Rose laying waste to any defense placed before him and a roster that complemented his style of play, the Bulls made it as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, where LeBron James and the Miami Heat halted their run. But that bond between the Bulls players during that season is something that Deng, Rose and every member of that squad will never forget.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
