"He Can Change the Bulls": NBA Legend Reacts to Caleb Wilson's Bold GOAT Claim After NBA Draft

The Chicago Bulls are in desperate search of a franchise-altering player who can take them back to postseason contention. Their last playoff appearance came in 2022, when they were eliminated 4-1 by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. In 2026, they finished 12th with a dismal 31-51 record. One of the biggest reasons behind their recent irrelevance has been the lack of consistent star power. Still searching for an identity and a true franchise cornerstone, the Bulls entered the 2026 NBA Draft hoping to find a player capable of changing the trajectory of the organization.

On Tuesday, June 23rd, the Bulls drafted Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick of the 2026 draft. The hope is that the 6-foot-10 forward from the University of North Carolina can become the cornerstone the Bulls need.

Wilson himself strongly believes that he is exactly what the Bulls need. In fact, he is so extremely confident in himself that he claims his career trajectory will place him in the same stratosphere as His Airness, Michael Jordan, who led the organization to six Championships in the 1990s.

Per The Athletic's Joel Lorenzi, Wilson said that he aims to be the greatest of all time. He also boldly declared that Chicago already had one GOAT and that it's time for the next one.

As one can imagine, those comments drew varied reactions from hoops fans everywhere. Among the people who reacted to his statement is three-time 6th Man of the Year Lou Williams on 'Run It Back'.

"Why not shoot for the stars? MJ is the best of the best," Williams said. "If you want to be that caliber player and motivate yourself to do so, you've got to put some of this stuff out in the air. You've got to manifest some of this."

Williams said that Wilson isn't the first to compare himself to the greats who preceded him, but that Bulls fans might tell him to "slow down" a bit. Williams, however, is okay with the level of confidence he's displayed, even though it puts him under pressure to deliver from the get-go.

"I like the fact that they picked this kid because he's highly confident and he is somebody that you can put the ball in his hands," Williams continued. "He can change the [Bulls] flows and goes."

Caleb Wilson's career will be closely watched following that statement. Bulls fans would give anything to see another Jordan-esque figure arrive and build a new dynasty in Chicago. Whether that happens remains to be seen. But while Wilson has yet to play a single minute of NBA basketball, he already has one thing in common with Jordan. They both played for the University of North Carolina.

Caleb Wilson and Michael Jordan's UNC careers compared

Before Michael Jordan elevated the Chicago Bulls into a multi-time NBA champion, he had one of the most dominant college careers as a Tar Heel.

He played three years of college basketball at the University of North Carolina, where he won one national championship. He hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 championship game as a freshman, giving UNC the title and a glimpse of his confidence in the clutch.

That was his only college championship, but far from his best college season statistically. In that freshman season, he averaged 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals.

His sophomore year, he upped that production to 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 2.2 steals. Then, in his final year, he posted 19.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, and 1.6 spg.

In the 1984 NBA Draft, he was taken third overall by the Chicago Bulls. As a Bulls player, he had plenty of memorable clutch moments, including game-winning shots that reshaped history.

As for Caleb Wilson, he played only a single season of college basketball at UNC. In his lone year as a Tar Heel, he posted 19.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.5 spg, and 1.4 blocks per game.

In that lone college season, he showed that he can contribute on either end of the floor. However, fans will first want to see how that translates to the professional game.