LeBron James reflects on battles with past Bulls teams after loss to current one

LeBron James reflects on battles with past Bulls teams after loss to current one originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Bulls fans know all too well the trials and tribulations LeBron James has placed on their beloved Chicago team since he entered the league in 2003.

In fact, 20 years ago Wednesday, James embarked on his first of many battles against the Bulls. And he started his reign over Chicago with a bang. In 42 minutes played, James finished with 32 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, shooting 11-of-22 from the field. He helped the Cavaliers to a win, 95-86, over the Bulls that day.

That game marked the first of 63 he's played thus far against the Bulls, including Wednesday's 124-118 loss to the 2023 version. All time, James is 34-29 against them. His averages include 28.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He shoots on a 50% clip from the field and 30% efficiency from the 3-point line.

Over 20 years, he's scored 1,778 points against the Bulls. What's more eye-popping? His plus/minus is +283 against Chicago. Even more appalling? He's 16-5 against them in the playoffs, never having lost more than two playoff games in each of the four series he's won over Chicago.

Actually, he's only lost two playoff games in a single series against the Bulls once in 2015. And that's precisely the playoff bout he reminisced on when asked about his favorite moments playing against the Bulls.

"I have so many (favorite moments), to be completely honest," James told NBC Sports Chicago after the game. "The battles that I had against DRose, Joakim (Noah), Taj (Gibson) and all those guys during those times. Even when I was in Miami, or the one year when I was able to hit the game-winner in Game 4 --- I believe here --- by their bench with DRose ... I think Joakim was still on that team, Taj, Jimmy (Butler) was on that team.

"So the battles I've had throughout my career with whatever team that they've had has been fun."

That's a Chicago sports memory unfortunately tattooed into every Bulls fan's brain.

The Bulls earned a 2-1 series lead over James' Cavaliers in the 2015 Eastern Conference semis. And they were on the verge of extending that lead to three games, finally earning a glimpse at defeating the man who had stopped them in three prior playoff series in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

But a quick inbounds pass to the corner --- in front of the Bulls' bench --- saw James rise over Jimmy Butler and bury a long two-pointer to win the game at the buzzer, and tie the series 2-2. James & Co. brought the series back to Cleveland with the momentum in their favor. You know how this movie ends. The Cavaliers won the ensuing two games to clinch the series and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

There, they swept the Atlanta Hawks in four games. They then turned the page to a new era of Cavaliers battles with the Golden State Warriors. This time (the first of four straight times) they lost in the finals, 4-2. But James brought Cleveland its first championship the year after in 2016, bookmarking one of the most significant moments of his career.

You don't tell that story without mentioning the Chicago Bulls assembled with Rose, Butler, Gibson, and Noah and led by head coach Tom Thibideau. It was quite the era of Chicago basketball that's sadly highlighted by Rose's two separate, catastrophic knee injuries, and six playoff series losses.

Nevertheless, the James versus Bulls era continues. And on Wednesday, the Bulls authored an interesting chapter of that book, dominantly defeating his Lakers team amid a hot stretch of basketball.

James, himself, still excelled. He started the game with a highlight-reel stretch of drives to the hoop and emphatic dunks. Despite the loss, he impressed, finishing with a team-leading 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on 10-of-18 shooting from the field.

And therein lies the most impressive attribute of James' game. His longevity. To the Bulls, and the rest of the NBA, for that matter, he's the thorn in their side they can't pluck.

"I think the one thing that I have great respect and admiration for is for somebody that has been in the league and has been as great as he's been for so long," said Billy Donovan before the game. "That there's still --- at least, it looks like --- the drive to maintain and keep his body at a really, really high level.

"The ability to go out night in and night out and perform at a really, really high level. And I think for a lot of these guys, as they get older, there's probably a lot more maintenance on their bodies that they've gotta do than maybe they had to do 8 or 10 years ago. And the drive to continually get up every day to do that is really, really impressive.

"I think the IQ, and the feel, the size, the strength and the athleticism, all those things I think people see them. But I would love to see what he does every year in the offseason and what he does during the season to keep himself there."

And that begs the bigger question --- how much longer can James keep it up? He'll answer that question for the Bulls again in Los Angeles on Jan. 25.

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