30 November 2021
Chicago is one of the US ten cities to have teams from five major professional team sports which are baseball, hockey, football, soccer, and basketball. In 1993, 2006, and 2010, Chicago has been named “Best Sports City” by Sporting News. One of the sports the city is known for is basketball. This article will give you brief information about all of the past and current basketball teams in Chicago.
The following are the Chicago basketball teams composed of 22 teams:
Table of Contents
Chicago American Gears
Chicago American Gears was a professional basketball team that played in the US NBL or National Basketball League from 1944 to 1947. Jack Tierney, Swede Roos, and Bobby McDermott were the past three coaches of the team.
Chicago Bruins
From 1925-1931, Chicago Bruins was a professional basketball team that played in the US American Basketball League, and from 1939 to 1942, the team also played in the National Basketball League. The team coaches were Sam Lifschultz, Frank Linskey, Pop Morgenweck, Honey Russell, Jack Tierney, Laurie Walquist
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls is a professional basketball team played in National Basketball Association based in Chicago, Illinois. In 1966, Dick Klein founded the team and in their 53 seasons, Chicago Bulls had achieved a winning record of 25 times already and 35 times appeared in the NBA playoffs. They also received international recognition in the years 90’s when Michael Jordan, an All-Star shooting guard led the team to their sixth league championship. Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the team to six NBA championships from 1991-1993, and from 1996-1998. The Baby Bulls that emerged in 2005 are the new generation of the Bulls. In the year 2007, the team won against the defending champs which was the Miami Heat. In the year 2011, the team made it to the Eastern Conference Finals loss to Miami Heat led by Derrick Rose.
Since 1994, the United Center has been the home of the Bulls.
Chicago Condors
Chicago Condors is one of the basketball teams in Chicago that played in the American Basketball League in the year 1996 to 1998. Famous Chicago Condors players were Cathy Boswell, Joanne McCarthy, Tausha Mills, Adrienne Goodson, and Yolanda Griffith.
Chicago Majors
Chicago Majors existed from 1961 to 1963, a franchise in the ABL or American Basketball League. These were the team’s notable players: Nathaniel Clifton, Jeff Cohen, Hank Whitney, John Wessels, Herschell Turner, Tony Jackon, George Patterson, and Ron Sobieszczyk.
Chicago Maroons
Chicago Maroons Men’s basketball team is a National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III basketball team for men college students competing in the UAA or University Athletic Association. The team usually played their home games were played at Gerald Athletics Center, located inside the University of Chicago’s campus. Currently, their team head coach is Mike McGrath. They were champions in 6 Big Ten regular-season championships in the year 1907 to 1910, 1920, and 1924. They were also champions in 6 UAA conference regular seasons in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, and 2008.
Chicago Maroons Women’s basketball team is a National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III basketball team for women college students competing in the UAA. Currently, the team head coach is Carissa Sain Knoche.
Chicago Packers
Chicago Packers started playing in 1961 as the first present-time expansion team in NBA and the team now is known as “Wizards”. Their team star was Walter Jones Bellamy, a four-time NBA All-Star, averaging 19 rebounds and 31.6 points per game. He was named the league Rookie of the year as he always lead the NBA in terms of field goal percentage. In 2006, Bellamy was inducted as a Hall Famer into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Chicago Rockers
From 1994 to 1996, Chicago Rockers was a minor league basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. Because of franchising, there were changes in the team’s name like Toronto Tornados, Pensacola Tornados, Mississippi Jets, Jacksonville Jets, Chicago Rockers, Wichita Falls Texas, and La Crosse Bobcats.
Chicago Sky
Chicago Sky is an American professional women’s basketball team playing in the Eastern Conference of WNBA or Women’s National Basketball Association. The team is owned by a principal owner named Michael J. Alter and a minority owner is Margaret Stender. The team general manager and the head coach is James Wade. Currently this year 2021, they had won their first championship in WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury team.
Chicago Stags
From 1946 to 1950, Chicago Stags was an NBA team based in Chicago. Head coaches were Philip Brownstein (1948-1950) and Harold Olsen from 1946 to 1948. In June 1950, Abe Saperstein who is the owner of the famed Harlem Globetrotters bought the Stags and the team would be known as Chicago Bruins.
Chicago State Cougars
Chicago State Cougar’s men’s basketball team is the team that represents Chicago State University and currently competes in the Western Athletic Conference. Their head coach is Gerald Gillion who was hired recently, July 19, 2021. Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center is where the Cougars played their home games.
Chicago State Cougar’s women’s basketball team represents also the women at Chicago State University headed by their coach, Tiffany Sardin.
Chicago Studebaker Flyers
Also known as Chicago Studebakers was an NBL team that started in 1942 to 1943. United Auto Workers was the one who funded the team and they replaced Chicago Bruins who folded in 1942.
Chicago Zephyrs
The team change its name in 1998 to Washington Wizards and they played a total of 2 seasons in 1962 and 1963. Unfortunately, the team had never won any playoff series but based on their franchise history, they’ve won once in the NBA Finals in 1978 as the Washington Bullets. They appeared in NBA Finals four times already. First in 1971 as the Baltimore Bullets; and in 1975, 1978, and 1979 as the Washington Bullets.
DePaul Blue Demons
De Paul blue demons men’s basketball program is an NCAA Division intercollegiate basketball program for men of DePaul University. The team already competed in Big East Conference.
Other Chicago basketball teams are the following:
Harlem Globetrotters, Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks, Loyola Ramblers, North Park Vikings, Northwestern Wildcats, Robert Morris Eagles, UIC Flames, and Windy City Bulls.
