Matas Bouzelis accepts the ‘Vucci Mane’ meme

The Chicago Bulls stormed back from 24 points to stun the Philadelphia 76ers 113-111 at the United Center, and the comeback had both basketball brilliance and viral flair. After Nikola Vucevic buried the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left for the Bullssophomore forward Matas Bouzelis made sure Chicago’s celebration extended beyond the locker room.

A few hours after the win, Bouzelis posted a photo of Vucevic on Instagram, joining Bulls fans in embracing the “Vuči Mane” meme that has long swirled around the veteran center. The meme, inspired by rapper Gucci Mane, started years ago among the Bulls faithful and resurfaced after Vucevic’s heroic finish. It also seems to be something the Bulls players are embracing as well. In the midst of the celebration of Vucevic’s victory, Chicago fan Melissa, who is passing by msmeliss024 on X, formerly Twitter and melissa.francesca on Instagram, noted with excitement that Bouzelis shared her interpretation of the “Witch the Mane” meme, with the Bulls guard Coby White even commenting “Vucci Mane” below it.

Mine @NikolaVucevic the meme worked @BuzelisMatas story and @CobiWhite commented “Vuchi Mane”.

I succeeded. pic.twitter.com/1AbEgPmPnZ

— melissa.francesca (@msmeliss024) November 5, 2025

“Vucci Mane” and his teammates sealed the deal in the Bulls’ win

The humor captured the moment, but the performance carried weight. Chicago’s win marked the NBA’s biggest comeback of the season and moved the Bulls to 6-1, their best start since 2021-22. They did it without guards Kobe White and Ayo Dosunmu, rallying behind a miraculous effort from Josh Giddy, who had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his second straight triple-double, the first since Michael Jordan’s 1989 Bulls.

Vucevic added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Isak Okoro and Kevin Huerter provided crucial energy late on. The Bulls outscored Philadelphia 32-16 in the fourth quarter, turning the game around heading into halftime. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 39 points, but Philadelphia managed just 36 in the second half and was held scoreless in the final four minutes.

Coach Billy Donovan praised his team’s resilience but cautioned against relying on rallies, a sentiment echoed by Vucevic, Chicago’s oldest player.

“We have to play better from the beginning,” said Vucevic. “This game was a great example of what we can be when we play the way we should.”

It was both a signature win and a snapshot of a team finding their swagger. In Chicago, the legend of “Wucci Mane” just got a little louder as the Bulls continue their magical run to start the 2025-26 season.