Chicago Bulls: 5 best 2016-17 Cristiano Felicio moments

Having just agreed to a four-year, $32 million extension with the Chicago Bulls, Cristiano Felicio had a handful of impressive plays last season.

Although 24-year-old Cristiano Felicio may have seemingly come out of nowhere, he has fast become a Chicago Bulls fan favorite.

And clearly, the front office echoes that sentiment. On July 1, it was announced that the Bulls and Felicio agreed upon a four-year, $32 million extension.

Despite general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson recently receiving a great deal of criticism for their management of the team, Felicio apparently had no hesitation in taking his newly offered deal.

"“I had my head set that I wanted to stay with the Bulls,” Felicio told the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson. “When they offered me, I didn’t blink. I didn’t do anything. I just told my agent I would accept.”"

Yes, even though Chicago had recently traded away Jimmy Butler.

"“They’re going in a new direction. We have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that are hard workers, and I know a few of them from my last two years here. Not a lot of people are putting faith in us, but if we keep working, I’m sure we’ll have a pretty good season.”"

While he may be alone in that belief, one thing is for sure: he will definitely work hard. The big man has been applauded time and time again for his work ethic.

"“Everyone who’s been with me since the beginning knows how hard I worked, how many no’s I got in the beginning of my career, how hard it was for me to get to this point.”"

Gone are the days of no’s though. Felicio’s new upcoming contract is certainly the start of a new chapter, one that indicates how much the organization believes in him. And he earned that respect all on his own.

Here are five of Felicio’s best moments from 2016-17.