2001–02 Chicago Bulls season

The 2001–02 Chicago Bulls season was the 36th season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association. After finishing with the worst record the previous season, the Bulls received the fourth overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and selected center and high school basketball star Eddy Curry, and acquired center, top draft pick, and high school basketball star Tyson Chandler from the Los Angeles Clippers, who selected him with the second overall pick. During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Bulls forward Charles Oakley from the Toronto Raptors, acquired Greg Anthony from the Portland Trail Blazers, and signed free agents Eddie Robinson, and Kevin Ollie. Oakley had played three seasons for the Bulls from 1985 to 1988.

However, the Bulls still struggled losing 23 of their first 27 games of the regular season, posting a ten-game losing streak in November. Head coach Tim Floyd resigned on Christmas Eve after a 4–21 start to the season, then after two games under assistant Bill Berry, the team hired former Bulls center Bill Cartwright as their new coach. At mid-season, the Bulls traded Ollie along with Ron Mercer, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Jalen Rose and Travis Best, while Anthony was released to free agency, and later on signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bulls struggled all season long finishing in last place in the Central Division with a 21–61 record; their record was also tied with the Golden State Warriors as the worst regular-season record in the league.

Rose averaged 23.8 points and 5.3 assists per game in 30 games with the Bulls after the trade, while second-year forward Marcus Fizer averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Best provided the team with 9.3 points and 5.0 assists per game in 30 games. In addition, second-year guard Jamal Crawford contributed 9.3 points per game, but only played just 23 games due to a torn ACL, while Robinson provided with 9.0 points per game, but only played just 29 games also due to injury, and rookie shooting guard, and second-round draft pick Trenton Hassell contributed 8.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Curry averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, Chandler averaged 6.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, Fred Hoiberg contributed 4.4 points per game, and Oakley provided with 3.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fizer was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Sophomores team. The Bulls finished ninth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 776,311 at the United Center during the regular season.

Following the season, Oakley signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards, and Best signed with the Miami Heat. (See 2001–02 Chicago Bulls season#Regular season)