Getty Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls looks to pass against the Brooklyn Nets.
When it’s time to announce the Chicago Bulls’ starting lineup at the United Center, the lights go out for a moment, creating a mostly dark arena. Then, the place is illuminated with red tones as the electronic signage wrapping around the stadium flashes various red graphics while red spotlights travel throughout the environment.
The massive video scoreboard — which features 8,600 square feet displays and debuted during the 2019-20 season — then plays what has become an iconic introduction video. The video has been adjusted throughout the years, but the general concept of it has remained the same.
The video takes the audience around Chicago, showing overall shots of the city’s famous skyline, looks at the Chicago River, and scenes of numerous buildings downtown. Large shadows of bulls are seen overtaking the city, casting upon places like the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Theatre.
Building in tempo, the instrumental music that accompanies the video also becomes more aggressive as time passes.
The Chicago Board of Trade Building appears onscreen, and bulls — the animals, not the basketball players — suddenly emerge from the side of the building. The scene goes back to the Theatre District on West Randolph Street. Bulls have also appeared on the side of a building near the James M. Nederlander Theatre and elsewhere. These animals are taking to the streets, some running beneath the “L” trains, as they head west to the United Center.
Some bulls enter the arena through the United Center Atrium, passing the Michael Jordan statue on the way in. Other bulls come in via the Madison Street entrance, roaming through the parking lot to reach it.
The animals gather in the halls and head toward a long black van-like vehicle with the logo of the Bulls’ opponent featured on the side. The Bulls stampede through the vehicle, and the display transitions to the bullhead logo with glowing eyes and flames behind it.
The music switches to the Alan Parson Project’s “Sirius.” After a moment, Bulls public address announcer Tim Sinclair exclaims, “And now, the starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls!”
Bulls center Nikola Vučević has played only nine games at the United Center since joining the team in late March, so he has experienced the Bulls’ introduction video as a member of the home team just a couple of times. But he already thinks fondly of it.
“My favorite part is the intro,” Vučević said during his appearance on the TRoss Podcast last week. “Every time, I get so pumped for it.”
When the two-time All-Star mentioned his opinion, Terrence Ross, his former Orlando Magic teammate and one of the podcast’s hosts, claimed he would get tired of it. But Vučević was quick to deny that.
“I love that music and the bulls running through the city,” Vučević stated reassuringly. “It’s the best in the league.”
While on the TRoss Podcast, Vučević spoke of the bittersweet nature of being traded and the excitement he has for playing for a passionate, sports-loving city like Chicago.
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Joining ‘a Great Organization’
Vučević was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, but he spent only his rookie season there. In the 2012 offseason, the Sixers shipped him to the Orlando Magic as part of a four-team deal. He had been with the Magic till being traded to the Bulls at the deadline.
During the podcast, he acknowledged the difficulties of leaving an organization and city he had been with for nearly a decade. But he also spoke optimistically of being a part of the Bulls.
“It’s a new change for me, new opportunity,” Vučević said. “The Bulls obviously are a great organization, great city, great franchise, history. I was a Bulls fan growing up because of MJ.”
His Airness…
Vučević went on to also express his enthusiasm over the fact some employees who were around when Michael Jordan played for the Bulls are still around, such as Bulls writer Sam Smith.
Vučević is Feeling the Love from Chicago
Coming from Orlando — which Vučević said is “not a crazy sports city” — it has been different for him to be in a sports-crazed city like Chicago. But it isn’t a bad thing. It’s an experience he said he is excited about.
“I walk around the city, and I have people opening their windows and just like, ‘Vooch, we love you man! Thanks for coming!’ ” Vučević said of Chicago during the TRoss podcast. “It’s just much more passionate (than Orlando). Unfortunately, we’re like the last or second-to-last team to have fans, so I didn’t get to enjoy that part. So I’m looking forward to that, playing in front of a full United Center.”
The Bulls didn’t allow fans at their home games until May 7. By that point, there were only four home games left. So Vučević did get an idea of what the United Center atmosphere can be like on game days. But it wasn’t quite an accurate depiction of how it can be, because the arena was only allowed to be at 25 percent capacity.
Aside from the 2019-20 season, the Bulls have often been among the league leaders in attendance, per ESPN. With an All-Star duo of Zach LaVine and Vučević and the seemingly positive direction of the franchise, the Bulls could find themselves atop the attendance standings next season — assuming the United Center will be back to full capacity. But even during the 2019-20 season — Jim Boylen’s first and only full season as head coach — the Bulls were still in the top 10 for attendance.
So the chances are likely that Vučević experiences the complete Bulls game day atmosphere at the United Center with a sold-out crowd sooner rather than later. And he won’t even need to feel the wrath of costing the home crowd free Big Macs.
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