Well, this is a new one. The Chicago Bulls' scheduled matchup against the Miami Heat on Thursday night was postponed due to what might be the most Chicago problem ever: unseasonably warm weather combined with heavy rain causing absolute chaos.
After the Blackhawks hosted a game on ice at the United Center on Wednesday night, Mother Nature decided to throw Chicago a curveball by cranking the temperature up to a balmy 55 degrees and dumping heavy rain across the area. The result? The basketball court turned into what can only be described as an NBA-sized Slip 'N Slide, complete with enough condensation to make even the most seasoned zamboni operator nervous.
The Human Zamboni Makes Its Debut
In a desperate attempt to salvage the game, United Center crews pulled out all the stops. And by all the stops, we mean strapping towels to a crew member's feet and having them shuffle around the court like some sort of athletic Swiffer. The internet, naturally, had a field day with this.
The Bulls are now trying the human Zamboni in an effort to get this game started. pic.twitter.com/w9ge9DdNo7
β Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 9, 2026
Despite more than 90 minutes of mopping, sweeping, cranking up the AC, and what we can only assume included some desperate prayers to the basketball gods, the NBA league office, game officials, and both coaches ultimately made the call to postpone the game. Players from both teams had gone through their standard pregame warmups but quickly realized they were one crossover move away from ending up in someone's Instagram Story for all the wrong reasons.
Here are the court conditions that resulted in the Chicago Bulls postponing their game against the Miami Heat.
β All Things Chicago Sports (@things_sox) January 9, 2026
For anyone wondering, it's an uncharacteristic 55 degrees in Chicago and many main streets are flooded due to storms pic.twitter.com/1PSCZyvv19
A City-Wide Weather Nightmare
The United Center wasn't the only victim of Thursday's bizarre weather. With main streets flooded across Chicago and temperatures hitting an unseasonable 55 degrees in early January, the entire city was dealing with Mother Nature's cruel joke. While United Center crews were desperately mopping the court, countless Chicagoans were likely doing the same in their basements. At least the Bulls' maintenance staff got to do it on TV.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra summed it up perfectly: "The players were complaining about it on both sides. We all went out there and pretty much immediately, we felt that it wasn't playable."
When Will They Play?
The NBA hasn't announced a makeup date yet, which is particularly tricky considering the Heat aren't currently scheduled to return to Chicago this season. The good news for Bulls fans itching for some basketball? The team still hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, assuming the United Center floor has dried out by then.
This isn't the first time this has happened in the NBA. Similar condensation issues forced postponements in Minnesota and Philadelphia during the 2016-17 season under nearly identical circumstances: unseasonably warm weather following ice events in cold-weather cities.
The Bright Side
On the plus side, at least Bulls fans got to witness the debut of the "human Zamboni" technique, which is sure to become part of United Center lore. And hey, when life gives you condensation, make... well, viral Twitter content, apparently.
The Bulls will look to bounce back from their recent skid whenever they can actually get their feet under themβhopefully on a dry court next time.
What's Next
The Bulls will await word from the NBA on when this game will be rescheduled. In the meantime, they'll hope for more seasonably cold Chicago weatherβyou know, the kind that actually freezes things instead of turning arenas into water parks.
No word yet on whether the "human Zamboni" will receive an official title or commemorative plaque at the United Center.