Chicago Bulls looking to move to a new practice facility – NBA Update
After 20 years of practicing at the Berto Center in Deerfield, the Chicago Bulls are expected to shift their practice facilities to a downtown location, it has been learnt.
The Berto Center had been the centre location for Bulls workouts in the off season, game day shootarounds and practices during the season. Along with serving as the practice facility for the Bulls for so many years, Berto Center
has also been home to the coaching staffs and the staff offices for basketball operations.
Bulls president and COO Michael Reinsdorf however considers that the move has come at a right time and would serve in making the franchise more successful in the years to come;
“We have been happy at the Berto for many years,” said Reinsdorf. “However, for us, the time is right for a move from both a basketball and a business standpoint. Our basketball operations group has been incredibly resourceful,
but there is no longer space available to grow where we are now. And, strategically, we are taking a more integrated approach to our business, and decreasing the physical distance between our two main facilities will naturally create more opportunities for
collaboration among all departments.”
The idea to move to a new location in downtown was initially given to the Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf by the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel. Mayor Emanuel has been responsible for a lot of the growth that has taken place in
Chicago over the past few years and is well aware of the fact that the Bulls franchise is the heart and soul of the Windy City.
The location for the new practice facilities is yet to be decided and the search is currently in progress for a suitable site.
However a move to the downtown area reduces the amount of travelling the Bulls players had to go through while moving from Deerfield to the United Center. The Bulls are now expected to sell the facility and find a place nearby
to their building.
The move certainly looks beneficial for the Bulls, who want to move forward, but will bring an end to the memories of the days when the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen used to practice at Berto Centre.
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