Believe it or not, the Chicago Bulls were once a top contender in the Eastern Conference in the not-too-distant past. Led by NBA MVP point guard Derrick Rose, with a frontcourt anchored by Defensive Player of the Year center Joakim Noah, the Windy City franchise went to five consecutive postseasons under head coach Tom Thibodeau.

Now, according to Noah, the Bulls would have captured the 2012 championship were it not for injuries derailing the season (per Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast via Kelly Twardziak of NBC Sports Chicago).

“[Thibodeau] is the best, he is a warrior. We were so close, but the injuries kind of derailed it,” Noah said.

|I look back at those years and we were right there. I've got nothing but love for all those guys…we were almost at the promised land and it didn't go down. It's easier to look back now with the injuries and talk about what didn't go well, but the truth is we were right there, we almost got the chip if it wasn't for the injuries.”

Derrick Rose, now playing for the Detroit Pistons, suffered an unfortunate ACL tear in Game 1 against the No. 8 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the 2012 playoffs. Joakim Noah, who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19, was also injured and the Bulls suffered two mega losses — eventually getting eliminated by the Eastern Conference's lowest seed in upset fashion.

Noah eventually signed with the New York Knicks in 2016-17 after nine seasons in Chicago and was soon joined by Rose, who was acquired in a trade between the two clubs. Neither had too successful of a tenure in New York, where their former Bulls glory days were never recaptured.