Inside Chaos: Michael Carter-Williams Reflects on Turbulent 2016-17 Bulls Season
Former Bulls point guard Michael Carter-Williams recently shared an unforgettable story from his time with the Chicago Bulls during the 2016-17 season on the “Thanalysis Show” with Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Reflecting on his 11-year NBA career, Carter-Williams cited that season as the craziest he had ever experienced, largely due to the volatile dynamics within the team.
Carter-Williams’ Intense Team Meeting
Carter-Williams recounted a particularly intense team meeting early in the season when tensions between Jimmy Butler and head coach Fred Hoiberg came to a head. The meeting was called after the Bulls had lost their first three games, leading to frustration among players and coaches. “Our locker room was bad, bro. It was right at the beginning of the year, too,” Carter-Williams said. “Jimmy wasn’t getting along with Coach Hoiberg. We had a team meeting right off the rip. Everybody’s in the locker room; everybody’s silent.”
Butler and Hoiberg Clash
The meeting quickly escalated when Hoiberg asked Butler to speak his mind. “Coach Hoiberg starts it off; he’s like, ‘Alright, Jimmy, obviously this starts with me. What’s going on?’ Jimmy goes, ‘Well, one, I think you’re soft. Two, I don’t like you.’ And he didn’t even get to three. Coach Hoiberg was like, ‘Well, f— you, Jimmy!’ Jimmy’s like, ‘Ah, it’s f—ing me now. You wanted to know how I felt.'”
Coach Fred Hoiberg:
“Jimmy, this starts with me and you. What’s going on?”Jimmy Butler:
“One, I think you’re soft. Two, I don’t like you.”Michael Carter-Williams talks about Butler and his coach going at it in Chicago👀
(via @ThanalysisShow) pic.twitter.com/09fijZmJTQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 30, 2024
Despite this, the Bulls had to endure internal problems and injuries but they still ended the regular season with a 41-41 record, placing them in the No. 8 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs. They had a face-off with the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs and were stunned with a 6-matching loss although they led 2-0 in the initial games of the series.
After an incredibly volatile season, they traded Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in return for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and a first-rounder which was eventually used to draft Lauri Markkanen. Michael Carter-Williams also joined the list of players who have decided not to continue their careers in Philadelphia; he signed for the Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls fared even worse in the succeeding season, with a record of 27/55, and ended up dismissing Fred Hoiberg in exchange for Jim Boylen as a head coach.
Surpassing the memories and expectations associated with the 2016-17 season remains dramatic pressure and conflicts, which may arise in a professional sports career.