The Chicago Bulls suffered their worst loss in franchise history on Saturday, losing to the Boston Celtics by a grand total of 56 points. The next day, Bulls players considered boycotting practice as they were upset with the way head coach Jim Boylen handled the substitutions during the embarrassing 133-77 defeat.
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The following ideas for a boycott were allegedly floated in the Bulls players' group chat, according to a report by The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry:
"A preliminary plan was to gather at one player's house and wait for the phones to begin buzzing. That plan fizzled because Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez spoke up, voicing their concerns about the unprofessionalism of that potential act of rebellion, as well as the impact such a stance could have on the roster's young, less established players, sources said.
Another idea discussed centered on players walking into the practice facility Sunday morning as a unified group before turning and immediately walking out."
In the end, the players decided to show up for a players-only meeting, which was followed by a team meeting with coaches and management, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
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“I think it was a collective thing,” rookie Wendell Carter Jr. said of Sunday's meetings at the practice facility. “We both agreed on something, the players and the coaches. We came to them as men. We talked, told them how we felt. And they responded very well.”
“We needed to get a lot of stuff off our chest and be transparent,” guard Zach LaVine said Sunday. “I don’t think the players’ toughness should ever be questioned. I think that’s on us. I think that is a little bit of what we discussed in our meeting.”
