While the Chicago Bulls may have experienced their fourth-straight season without a playoff appearance, they sure are not out of the spotlight.
According to the NBA, the Bulls ranked in the top-5 for merchandise sales in the second half of the season.
The NBA's most popular jersey list and team merchandise list… based on https://t.co/I0ypSvyq5i sales from the second half of the 2020-21 season. pic.twitter.com/Ve84P5Nrt1
— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2021
The Bulls were one of only two teams (Knicks) to rank inside the top-10 for merchandise sales without having an individual player rank in the top-15 for jersey sales. They are also the only team inside the Top-8 to not make the playoffs and the only team inside the top-9 not to make at least the play-in tournament.
While this could reflect some excitement for the future with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, it really just continues a positive trend for the Bulls, who have continued to rank high in merchandise sales despite their lackluster play. During the 2019-20 season, the team finished 3rd in merchandise sales behind only the Lakers and Celtics, and in 2018-19 the organization sat in a solid 6th-place.
The Bulls’ grip on the basketball universe remains strong even in these down years. As long as this front office can fix the on-court product enough to thrust Chicago consistently into the playoff picture, there is no question they will be one of the most talked-about teams in the league.