{"id":189927,"date":"2025-10-04T16:55:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T16:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/189927\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T16:55:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T16:55:08","slug":"bulls-media-day-highlights-team-direction-and-new-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/189927\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulls Media Day highlights team direction and new energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bulls opened their 2025\u201326 season with Media Day on Monday, Sept. 29, at the United Center, offering fans a glimpse into the team\u2019s mindset and the fresh direction that management and players say will define the year ahead. General Manager Art\u016bras Karni\u0161ovas and Head Coach Billy Donovan both stressed the same themes that resonated throughout the day: toughness, consistency, and a commitment to building while competing.<\/p>\n

Donovan, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, and Karni\u0161ovas spoke about the progress the Bulls made in the final stretch of last season, pointing to a young core that has shown flashes of potential. Their vision was echoed by players who met with reporters, including Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and other returning guards, who emphasized the need for a defensive identity and a more physical style of play.<\/p>\n

\"ChicagoChicago Bulls Guard Coby White<\/p>\n

White, who solidified himself as a leader last season, said his focus remains on winning while continuing to evolve as a player. Entering a contract year, White spoke openly about pushing himself to All-Star caliber play and building on last season\u2019s late surge. \u201cI think every player has goals, but winning is always at the top,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about taking that next step, being more consistent, and helping this team compete every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his effort to get better, White even joked about trying to overhaul his diet this summer. He gave up red meat, experimented with pescatarian meals, and admitted that for a short stretch he was eating salmon almost every day. \u201cIt was hard because I can\u2019t eat shellfish,\u201d he laughed, explaining why his experiment didn\u2019t last long. \u201cSo after a while, I went back to chicken.\u201d It was a lighthearted moment that showed his determination to improve while also poking fun at himself for not quite mastering a new eating routine.<\/p>\n

Dosunmu, fresh off shoulder surgery, said his recovery has gone well and that he is eager to contribute in what is again a guard-heavy roster. \u201cThe main thing this team needs to do is be consistent,\u201d Dosunmu said, pointing to stretches last year when the Bulls played elite-level defense but failed to sustain it.<\/p>\n

\"ChicagoChicago Bulls Guard Ayo Dosunmu<\/p>\n

Veteran voices added to the chorus. Center Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 stressed the importance of balance between developing younger players and demanding results. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue building while also competing every night,\u201d he said. Vu\u010devi\u0107, one of the most experienced players on the roster, explained that he sees his role as both stabilizer and teacher for teammates adjusting to bigger responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Josh Giddey, who signed an extension this offseason, said he was relieved to have his future in Chicago secured and is ready to embrace a leadership role. He called the Bulls\u2019 locker room \u201cone of the most supportive I\u2019ve been in\u201d and emphasized the team\u2019s competitiveness. \u201cI trust my teammates, and I believe in this group,\u201d Giddey said, noting that his playmaking and vision would be most effective if the team improved its movement and off-ball activity. He said that developing more fluid offense is one of the team\u2019s biggest opportunities to take the next step.<\/p>\n

Matas Buzelis, entering his second season, said he feels ready to expand his role after a rookie year spent learning the pro game. Donovan praised Buzelis for embracing mistakes as part of his development, saying the young forward\u2019s energy and work ethic will be critical to the Bulls\u2019 depth this year. Buzelis himself spoke of wanting to prove he can be a more impactful two-way player, stressing that he has worked on strength and conditioning to withstand the grind of an NBA season.<\/p>\n

\"ChicagoChicago Bulls Forward Matas Buzelis<\/p>\n

While many of the conversations centered on defense and team identity, one of the more visible stories of the day was off the court. A large contingent of Japanese reporters and photographers filled the media workroom to cover Yuki Kawamura, the Bulls\u2019 new guard on a two-way contract with the Windy City Bulls. Kawamura, who starred for Japan in the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, drew high praise from teammates, who described him as funny, competitive, and eager to learn. His arrival not only signals new depth for the roster, but also an expanding international spotlight for Chicago.<\/p>\n

The mix of optimism and accountability was the tone of the day. Karni\u0161ovas pointed out that while the franchise has not won a playoff series in a decade, this year is about showing measurable progress without skipping steps. Donovan added that his staff will stress details such as creating turnovers, taking charges, and finishing possessions with physicality \u2014 the type of habits that could determine whether the Bulls return to the postseason.<\/p>\n

By the time Media Day wrapped, the message from the general manager, the coach, and the players was aligned. White and Dosunmu spoke of consistency, Vu\u010devi\u0107 of balance, Giddey of trust, Buzelis of growth, and Kawamura of international promise. Each voice pointed in the same direction: a Bulls team determined to compete with toughness, pride, and a sharper edge.<\/p>\n

Additional Players Photographed during the Chicago Bulls Media Day<\/p>\n

\"MLRTre Jones<\/p>\n

\"MLRJalen Smith<\/p>\n

\"MLREmanuel Miller\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Chicago Bulls opened their 2025\u201326 season with Media Day on Monday, Sept. 29, at the United Center,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-189927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}