Chicago, IL – In a night that will echo through the rafters of the United Center for years to come, Australian sensation Josh Giddey has etched his name into Chicago Bulls lore, shattering a storied record held by the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan. With a jaw-dropping second consecutive triple-double against the Philadelphia 76ers, Giddey became the first Bulls player in 36 years to achieve this feat, a mark untouched since Jordan’s legendary 1988-89 season.
The Bulls, riding high on a blistering 6-1 start to the 2025-26 NBA season, pulled off an improbable 113-111 comeback victory over the 76ers on Tuesday night. Trailing by a staggering 24 points deep into the third quarter, Chicago mounted a ferocious rally in the fourth, capped by Nikola Vucevic’s clutch three-pointer with just 3.2 seconds remaining. The win not only salvaged their momentum after a lone defeat to the New York Knicks but also ignited wild speculation: Could this be the year the Bulls finally reclaim their throne as genuine title contenders, a dream dormant since Jordan’s six championships in eight unforgettable years?
At the heart of the Bulls’ resurrection was Giddey, the 23-year-old point guard whose poise and playmaking have transformed Chicago’s offense into a symphony of efficiency. In 37 minutes of court time, Giddey unleashed a monster line: 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists. It was his second straight triple-double, following a 23-point, 12-rebound, 12-assist masterpiece in the Knicks loss – a performance that had already turned heads league-wide.
This back-to-back brilliance hasn’t been witnessed in a Bulls uniform since Jordan, then a 25-year-old phenom, dazzled with his own triple-doubles during the 1988-89 campaign. That season marked the dawn of Jordan’s ascent, blending scoring explosions with emerging leadership that would soon deliver two three-peats and redefine basketball immortality. For Giddey to eclipse that ghost after 36 long years? It’s the stuff of front-page headlines and feverish fan forums.
Postgame, Giddey – ever the picture of humility amid the hype – downplayed the historic milestone with his trademark Aussie candor. “It’s cool. I’m not going to sit here and lie about it and say it’s not cool,” he grinned to reporters, “but all the individual stuff comes as a by-product of winning and being part of a very fun team to play with. I’m grateful I’ve got teammates and coaches that allow me to be in positions to be successful. So, very fun group to play with. I love these guys that I get to go out and compete with, and they make my job very easy.”
Giddey’s journey to this pinnacle has been anything but linear. Selected sixth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Perth native exploded onto the scene as Rookie of the Year, dazzling with his 6-foot-8 frame, uncanny vision, and unselfish style. But after three seasons of Thunder contention without a deep playoff run, Giddey was traded to the Bulls in a blockbuster 2024 deal that sent shockwaves through the league.
In his debut Chicago campaign, Giddey wasted no time making waves, joining Jordan as the only Bulls player ever to notch five triple-doubles in a single season – a testament to his immediate fit in a franchise starved for playmaking wizardry. This summer, the Bulls rewarded his impact with a lucrative four-year, $100 million extension, signaling their all-in commitment to building around the young star.
Tuesday’s heroics only amplified that belief. “It is one of the best victories I have been part of, especially when you think about all the deficit we had in the third quarter,” Giddey reflected. “We managed to get ourselves out of that difficult situation – it was incredible. It was a good test for our group to see how we were going to react after our first defeat against New York. This group showed incredible resilience to come back as we did in the second half.”
For Bulls faithful, long haunted by the shadows of the Jordan era – a golden age of 72-win seasons, poetic dunks, and unyielding dominance – Giddey’s emergence feels like a long-awaited exhale. The team has cycled through rebuilds, superteam experiments, and heartbreaking near-misses since those glory days, but with Giddey orchestrating alongside Vucevic’s sharpshooting and a deepening bench, whispers of contention are growing louder.
As Chicago eyes a potential playoff return to the Eastern Conference summit, one thing is crystal clear: Josh Giddey isn’t just breaking records. He’s rewriting the Bulls’ future, one triple-double at a time. In a league defined by legacies, the kid from Down Under is ensuring his – and Chicago’s – story is just getting started.