When it comes to basketball, I am not a fan of the NBA.

The games just don’t seem as… When it comes to basketball, I am not a fan of the NBA.

The games just don’t seem as entertaining to me as collegiate games or even high school championships nowadays — thanks to Beaver Falls and Aliquippa of course.

Growing up, I was always a huge Chicago Bulls fan. My interest in the team was most definitely fueled by the likes of Michael Jordan; nevertheless, his outstanding play got me hooked on the Bulls — forever.

And by forever, I mean that I was a fan then, am a fan now, and have been a fan throughout these past years of rebuilding.

Most people wouldn’t believe me, and some would wonder how I can stick through a team’s rebuilding years, but you’d be surprised how quick they go by when you’ve been a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates for as long as I have.

I like to keep a rooting interest in each sport and league so that I can keep track of what’s going on in the sports world, hence my being a fan of the Colorado Avalanche, despite not caring one bit that the NHL is not playing this year.

With that said, it’s hard for me to go on anymore without gloating about how my Chicago Bulls have finally put everything together this season.

As of Tuesday night, the Bulls are 38-31 and winners of six in a row. Their .551 winning percentage places them in the fifth spot of the Eastern Conference for the NBA playoffs.

Their 38 wins is the most the franchise has put together since it finished 62-20 at the end of the 1997-98 season — Jordan’s last as a Bull.

Since his departure, however, the Bulls had only been able to muster win totals of 13, 17, 15, 21, 20 and 23. During those seasons, too, they even had to witness Jordan make a brief comeback with the Washington Wizards.

All of this could easily destroy a franchise and its fan base, but somehow the Bulls have kept on trucking. Seats at the United Center in Chicago still fill up rather quickly, as the team continues to sell out most, if not all, of its games.

To these lucky fans, it’s been so nice to finally see the team members on all on the same page, especially after the numbe of first-round picks and the young players thought highly of who didn’t live up to their billing.

Elton Brand was supposed to be the answer for the Bulls when he was drafted, but now he records his double-doubles for the Los Angeles Clippers. Everyone jumped for joy when they selected Duke’s Jay Williams in the first round, only to fall back to the ground, stunned when a motorcycle accident left him unable to play.

It’s been a rough few years watching the high school kids — Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry — grow up to become decent everyday players, something Kwame Brown must be pretty jealous of. And the addition of solid college players in the past two seasons have given Chicago a definite core of young players fixated on winning.

It’s now time for the city to shine again, and that is something not only Bulls fans can enjoy, but the rest of the league should as well.

For instance, now that the Bulls are winning and will most likely participate in the NBA playoffs this season, it should do the league wonders to have the occasional fan’s interest back into its product.

There’s nothing better for the NBA than to have the city of Chicago and their outside support interested in basketball again. Well, besides having the game’s best dunkers taking part in the Slam Dunk Contest at the All-Star break.

But that’s obviously asking for too much, right LeBron?

Alan Smodic is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News.