2010–11 Chicago Bulls season
The 2010–11 Chicago Bulls season was the 45th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Led by 22-year old guard Derrick Rose, the Bulls finished the season with a 62–20 record, finishing first-place in the Central Division and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals where they were eliminated by the Miami Heat team led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in 5 games. Derrick Rose won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the youngest NBA player ever to win the award, at the age of 22.
| 2010–11 Chicago Bulls season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Tom Thibodeau |
| General manager | Gar Forman |
| Owner(s) | Jerry Reinsdorf |
| Arena | United Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 62–20 (.756) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Central) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Eastern Conference Finals (lost to Heat 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television |
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| Radio | WMVP |
The Bulls won their 8th division title this season and finished with the best record in the NBA, but fell short to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. It is the first time since 1975 that the Bulls failed to follow up a division title with an NBA title (that year, the Bulls were in the Midwest Division).
In the playoffs, the Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers in five games in the First Round, defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the semifinals, before losing to the Miami Heat in five games in the conference finals. The Heat would eventually lose 4–2 to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, who won their first championship title.
This was the deepest playoff run that the Bulls have had in the post-Michael Jordan era, and it was the only season since 1998 where they made the conference finals.