1999–2000 Chicago Bulls season

The 1999–2000 Chicago Bulls season was the 34th season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls won the NBA draft lottery, and selected power forward Elton Brand out of Duke University with the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and also selected small forward Ron Artest out of St. John's University with the 16th overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Hersey Hawkins from the Seattle SuperSonics, and signed free agent Fred Hoiberg, and re-signed former Bulls guard B. J. Armstrong, and former Bulls center Will Perdue, who both won three NBA championships from the team's first three-peat in the early 1990s.

Despite the addition of Brand, Artest and Hawkins, the Bulls continued to struggle as the team lost 26 of their first 28 games of the regular season, posting 10 and 11-game losing streaks respectively. As the season progressed, the team signed free agent Chris Carr, who was previously released by the Golden State Warriors, and also signed three-point specialist Matt Maloney. The Bulls held a 10–37 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Toni Kukoč to the Philadelphia 76ers, and acquired John Starks from the Warriors in a three-team trade. However, after just four games with the Bulls, Starks was released to free agency. The Bulls finished in last place in the Central Division with a 17–65 record.

Brand averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and was also named the co-NBA Rookie of the Year along with Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets. In addition, Artest averaged 12.0 points and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, while Carr contributed 9.8 points per game off the bench, Hoiberg provided with 9.0 points and 1.3 steals per game, but only played just 31 games due to a knee injury, and Hawkins contributed 7.9 points per game. Meanwhile, Randy Brown provided with 6.4 points and 3.4 assists per game, Maloney contributed 6.4 points per game, and Dickey Simpkins averaged 4.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Brand was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team. Brand scored 16 points along with 21 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, and was named the Rookie Challenge Game's Most Valuable Player, as the Rookies defeated the Sophomores team in overtime, 92–83. Despite a stellar rookie season, Artest was not selected for the Rookie Challenge Game.

The Bulls led the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 907,064 at the United Center during the regular season. Following the season, Hawkins re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, while Brown signed with the Boston Celtics, Maloney signed with the Atlanta Hawks, and Carr, Armstrong, Simpkins and Perdue were all released to free agency.