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Sports & Recreational Activities > Professional Sports

Professional Sports

All Star first baseman Derrek Lee hits a home run for the Cubs in Wrigley Field.

Fans cheer on the Bears at Soldier Field.

Chicago's professional sports teams have thrilled fans over the years. Left: All-Star first basemen Derrek Lee hits a home run for the Cubs in historic Wrigley Field. Right: Fans cheer on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

A History of Outstanding Athletes

Travel almost anywhere in the world and you’re likely to see someone wearing a Chicago jersey bearing the number 23 – a tribute to the greatest basketball player in history and the star of the six-time world champion Bulls.

Michael Jordan is just one of many outstanding athletes who have thrilled Chicago sports fans over the years. Walter Payton, Ernie Banks, Bobby Hull, Luis Aparacio and scores of other exciting players have helped make Chicago one of the world’s great sports towns.

Seven Professional Teams

Chicago is home to seven professional sports teams as well as over 100 college sports teams. The Cubs (baseball), White Sox (baseball), Bears (football), and Blackhawks (hockey) all are charter members of their leagues. Along with the Bulls (basketball), Sky (women's basketball), and the Fire (soccer), they are part of a Chicago sports tradition that dates back to the nineteenth century.

Historic Sports Venues

Some of the arenas in which they play are tourist attractions in and of themselves. The Cubs play in historic Wrigley Field, built in 1914, the oldest park in the National League. The Bears play on the lakefront in Soldier Field, a dazzling combination of traditional and modern architecture. And, if you’re a true pro basketball fan, you have to visit the statue of Michael Jordan outside the United Center.

My Chicago: My Interests

TIP: Check out the My Chicago: My Interests section of our website for a list of Events, Attractions, Tours and Neighborhoods that are especially interesting to Sports & Recreation Fans.

EXPLORE MORE: LITTLE ITALY

Three members of the WNBA Sky, Chicago's professional women's basketball team.

The WNBA Sky, Chicago's professional women's basketball team, rip up the court at the UIC Pavilion. The arena, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), also hosts numerous collegiate games, and other sporting events, including the Windy City Rollers' boisterous flat-track roller derby matches.

While in Little Italy, make sure to check out Taylor Street, between Morgan and Ashland Avenue. This area boasts several Italian restaurants and stores, as well as the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.

NEIGHBORHOOD LINKS

Armour Square (Sox)
Little Italy (Sky)
Museum Campus (Bears)
United Center (Bulls, Blackhawks)
Wrigleyville (Cubs)