Getty Chicago Bulls big man Cristiano Felicio is defended by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist during a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
As we move into what are truly the dog days of the NBA calendar, it’s getting harder and harder for Chicago Bulls fans to get their hoops fix. Thankfully, there are pro-am competitions taking place around the country to tide us over until teams reconvene for training camps.
For their part, Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, former No. 4 pick Patrick Williams and incoming rookie Dalen Terry could all be seen rocking the Drew over the weekend.
One needn’t travel to South Central LA to see pro ballers — including past and present members of the Bulls family — in action, though. The real ones in the Windy City can tell you that the Denard Bros Pro Runs is the spot to be for pro-am action.
That’s precisely where one former longtime member of the Bulls will be later this week. Per a report by Daniel Greenberg, veteran big man Cristiano Felicio is slated to be at Chicago’s Bishop Shepard Little Memorial Center this Thursday to get a game in.
Finding His Spot
Although not every member of Bulls Nation gets soft, fuzzy feelings when recalling his time in town (more on that later), there’s no doubting Felicio’s status as a Windy City mainstay. After going undrafted out of Brazil in 2014, he parlayed runs in summer league and the G League into a pair of multi-year deals with the Bulls.
By the end of his tenure with the team, he had made 252 appearances over parts of six seasons, averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 boards in 14.1 minutes per game. Along the way, he connected on 57.2% of his field-goal attempts.
At the conclusion of his last contract in 2021, though, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley left Felicio to find a new hardwood home elsewhere. He ultimately landed with Ulm of the German BBL, with whom he has reestablished himself as a workhorse down low.
In 32 games as a starter across all competitions in 2021-22, the 30-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 8.3 boards while shooting 60.3% from the floor for Ulm.
More recently, he was included in the Brazilian national team’s player pool for the next round of qualifiers for the 2023 FIBA World Cup of Basketball.
Felicio’s Contract Was an Anchor
While he undoubtedly earned some fans during his lengthy stay in Chicago, Felicio’s contract became a symbol of the failures of the Gar Forman-John Paxson era of Bulls decision-making. Despite his limited skill set for a modern NBA big man, Chicago’s previous regime saw fit to give him a four-year, $32 million deal back in 2017.
By all accounts, he was a hard worker and a good teammate, but that deal was a major obstacle for the Bulls in their attempt to provide Zach LaVine with the support he so desperately needed to get the team back into the playoffs. And several fans saw fit to point as much out in response to Greenberg’s pro-am report.
“Worst center in Bulls history,” commented one fan.
“Delete this. Dude robbed the franchise in plain daylight,” responded another.
Then there was this incredible breakdown:
“Cristiano Felicio made $32,889,948 over 6 seasons with the Bulls. In regular season he appeared in 252 games, started 20, for 3554 total minutes. In playoffs appeared in 6, started 0 for 82 minutes. He made $9,045.6 for every minute he appeared on court for the Bulls.”
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Polarizing Ex-Bulls Pivot Set to Make His Windy City Return