The Bulls’ 2023-24 season isn’t off to an encouraging start. Chicago was blown out by the Thunder at home, 124–104, in its season opener Wednesday night. After the loss, the team held a players-only meeting—one game into the regular season!
The meeting, held without coach Billy Donovan, was preceded by an argument between Donovan and center Nikola Vucevic in the third quarter. Leading up to the friction, Vucevic hadn’t been involved in the offense, and he was having difficulty on the defensive end.
Following a looping layup by Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Vucevic threw the ball against the basket stanchion and drew a technical foul. Soon after that, he and Donovan got into an argument on the Bulls bench.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just an absurd finisher.
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) October 26, 2023
like I don’t even understand how. pic.twitter.com/5KARmr5gB9
Asked about the exchange after the game, Vucevic told reporters he was “maybe a little more aggressive” than he should have been in his confrontation with Donovan.
After the game, Donovan brushed off the incident.
“I think confrontation’s good,” Donovan said when asked for his side of the story. “I think it’s healthy, and I got all the respect in the world for Vooch, and he felt a certain way, and I kind of said what I felt.”
"I think confrontation's good. I think it's healthy and I got all the respect in the world for Vooch and he felt a certain way and I kind of said what I felt."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2023
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan on his exchange with Nikola Vucevic.
(via @CodyWesterlund)pic.twitter.com/nJnwI9txAw
Donovan added that when he entered the locker room after the game ended, players were having intense conversations with one another about the result.
The coach said he asked the players if he should leave so they could resolve the situation themselves. He complied when they said yes, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe. However, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported that the players asked Donovan if they could have the room to themselves.
Billy Donovan says when he walked into the Bulls locker room tonight, players were already in heated conversations.
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) October 26, 2023
He asked if they wanted him to leave to handle conflict. Players said yes, so he did.
Donovan emphasized that embracing conflict is key for this year’s roster.
Regardless of the details, holding a players-only meeting just one game into the season is troubling. The Bulls are coming off a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, during which they finished 40–42, and much more is expected this season.
Chicago’s next game is Friday against the Raptors, followed by a Saturday matchup with the Pistons.
