Caleb Wilson Sets His Sights on History with Chicago Bulls Career

The 2026-27 NBA season is nearing closer, as is the rookie debut for No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson.

Chicago's top selection in this summer's draft has talked the talk, saying he's a franchise-changing player and that he wants to be the greatest to ever play the game. Now, he just needs to walk the walk by leading the Bulls back to the NBA Finals.

There's a long way before that is likely to happen, but that hasn't stopped Wilson from setting his goals astonishingly high. The former North Carolina Tar Heel star posted a photo on Friday morning in which he posed with the NBA's Most Valuable Player trophy.

"lock in dub," Wilson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The NBA introduced its MVP trophy remodel in the 2022-23 season, naming the award after Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who won Most Valuable Player honors five times during his career. Jordan took home the trophy for the first time in 1988, followed by victories in 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998.

Derrick Rose became the sixth MVP winner from the Chicago Bulls in 2011, when he claimed the award at just 22 years old. Chicago has not had a player named the league's most valuable since Rose.

However, it wasn't just the individual accolades that made Jordan so great. He led the Bulls to a dominant stretch in the 1990s that featured six championship wins in eight years, with the franchise winning titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Chicago has not reached the NBA Finals in the nearly 30 years since then.

Wilson understands the pressure that comes with playing for the Bulls, but he's openly embraced it. The rookie also posted a photo to his Instagram story on Thursday that featured Chicago Tribune newspaper pages from each of the Bulls' six titles.

"need it man," Wilson captioned the photo.

Wilson was the No. 4 overall pick in what was widely considered to be a historically strong draft class. The Bulls selected him after a season at North Carolina — Jordan's alma mater — in which he was a Second Team All-American and averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

The Bulls will begin the 2026-27 regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 21, on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Wilson will debut as an NBA player, along with fellow rookie and No. 15 overall pick Dailyn Swain.