Chicago Bulls championship banners damaged during Disturbed concert, removed from United Center rafters

The rafters inside the United Center will look more barren than usual for the remainder of the Chicago Bulls’ 2024-25 season. That’s because all six Bulls championship banners were damaged during a Disturbed concert on Saturday night, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Pyrotechnics fired off during the show created such extreme heat that it warped the banners. United Center staff discovered the damage and removed them from the rafters, but they are expected to be back up by next season.

Other banners honoring division and conference titles weren’t damaged, and the Chicago Blackhawks championship banners also escaped unscathed.

The Bulls racked up those six banners in short order during the 1990s. Michael Jordan led the franchise to three straight titles from 1991-93, and he did the same thing from 1996-98. Chicago hasn’t been back to the NBA Finals since that dynasty ended.

While those banners undergo repairs, it doesn’t appear as though the Bulls will be adding any new ones between now and then. A four-game winning streak has created breathing room for the Bulls in the race for the Eastern Conference’s fifinal play-in spot, but going from 10th place in the East to winning an NBA title would be a tall task.