Their playoff record against 60-win teams was 28-11 (.718), and their record against 55-win teams was 48-20 (.706). The Bulls first title was the culmination of a climb that started in the 1984-85 season when they drafted Jordan with the #2 pick in the draft and saw them lose to the Detroit Pistons in back-to-back season in the Eastern Conference Finals before this year. Jordan was his usual dominant force, claiming the MVP and scoring over 30 points, Pippen was an all-around menace, back in his more comfortable role of an ultra glue guy, Rodman kicked ass on the boards, and the role players fit seamlessly into their roles. (Won 1 Round), Lost Western Conference Semifinals Those are the numbers from an average shooter. ONeal was a member of the All-NBA Third team. But it still wasnt enough, as the Bulls won the Sixth game and their sixth championship in Utah, with Jordan hitting that legendary shot over Bryon Russell. Magic Johnson was hurt James worthy was hurt Byron Scott was hurt They would have worked Jordans a**, Are you kidding me Mike had much less competition then LeBron and Kobe.please he beat a Lakers team with Divac at center ..played against Portland with Clyde are you kidding me hell he never won shit till Mike retired and he had to go with Houston with Hakeem that leaves me with Chuck does he ever seem to want anything other then food.nope 2021-22 Chicago Bulls the The third worst start to a season Had the two played together for longer the course of NBA history would be different, and perhaps Orlando would have a championship banner, or two. Pippen didnt make the All-NBA team (not even the third team) in the 1991 season. Jordan and Drexler had similar skillsets, and the Blazers had once even passed on drafting Jordan because they already had Drexler on the roster. The focus is on Jordan, whopushed the Bulls to those championship runs. For the Lakers, the loss to the Bulls in 1991 proved to be the end of an era, as it was the last time that they would make the Finals in nearly a decade, and it was Johnson's last postseason run, as he retired from the NBA prior to the start of the 1991-92 season. However, they still had Jordan for all 82, and while his efficiency scoring was starting to dip, he only shot 46% this season, they still had his dominant will to win carrying them to 62 wins, tied for the best record in the league. Ewing was 4th in MVP voting. In the playoffs he wasnt any better with averages of 7.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 0.2 BPG. In the First round the Bulls faced the New Jersey Nets. They had quite a dynasty in the 1990s, winning the championship Detroits Bad Boys were showing wear and won only 50 games. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. They did face a few hiccups as the competition increased, losing the first two games in the Eastern Conference Finals vs the Knicks, before thwarting the upset and ripping off four straight wins. This means that for the first time in their championship runs the Bulls didnt have home-court advantage. Now theyll seek to add their second Triple-A national championship. the NBA, has won six championships in their history. He was a member of the All-Defensive second team. They had the duo of Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning. Every other team in NBA history has won the NBA championship with the help of a dominant big man, and some of them had a point guard too. Be the first one to comment on this story. Michael Jordan then announced his second retirement, because general manager Jerry Krause wanted to begin rebuilding the roster with younger athletes. We can see Jordan had a good supporting cast that helped him win six NBA Championships. Armstrong also missed a lot of games during this time. His averages in the regular season were 7.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg. The Blazers were also third in defensive rating. Jordan and Scottie Pippen won six with the Bulls, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six championships between Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Michael Jordan on Leadership. WebHere are brief histories of the Bulls' 6 NBA championship titles: 1. Behind Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson, the Bulls defeated the LA Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Utah Jazz (twice) They also acquired four-time All-Star Rolando Blackman from the Mavericks. The Western Division was renamed the Western Conference in 1970, and was split into the Midwest and Pacific Divisions. Ultimately, they suffered the same fate too, as they lost in the Finals in six games to Jordan and the Bulls. Their First round opponent, the Washington Bullets, had an All-Star in Chris Webber. Michael Jordan had his hands full, especially with him and Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton. Instead, O'Neal signed with the Lakers in free agency after they got swept by Jordan and the Bulls in the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. Central Division (In fairness, Jordan was probably still a bit rusty at that point after a long time away from the court). 1991 - 1st Round - Defeated the New York Knicks in a 3-game sweep, 2nd round - defeated Philadelphia 4 games to 1, Eastern conference finals - defe Ewing was 5th in MVP voting. The Bad Boys Pistons of the late 80's and early 90's is considered one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history. This was the year of Jordans famous shrug, a gesture during Game 1 of the Finals series with the Blazers that underscored not only a moment, but an era. Keep in mind that Majerle was guarding Jordan, and that the Suns were the first seed in the league, yet Jordan averaged 41.0 ppg in this series. You could start to see signs of offensive slippage in MJ and Pippen's games, as they were less efficient than they had been in previous years but they made up for it with improved playmaking. season was They were 2nd in the league in offense, and a telltale sign of fatigue was their ranking in defensive efficiency - 7th. So for the second time in the NBA Finals the Bulls didnt have home-court advantage. Larry Nance made the All-Defensive second team, and Terrell Brando was a member of the All-Rookie Second team. Jordan averaged 35.8 points per game over the course of the series, which Chicago won in six games. The Chicago Bulls have played a total of 57 Rebounding leader:De In the next round, the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls faced the defending champion Detroit Pistons. pic.twitter.com/vsQJpCnhfK, MORE:Michael Jordan's six championship Bulls teams, ranked. It was a scrappy series -- evident in the personality of Supersonics guard and current Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan. Game 5 was a game in which Scottie Pippen became an NBA superstar with a flurry of offensive and defensive plays in the clutch, and suddenly the Chicago Bulls were more than simply Air Jordan. (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals The Bulls' luck turned for the better after selecting Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. He made the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA men's basketball national championship game. So yeah, 3 teams have made it to the finals and have no losses. It was another example of Jordan and the Bulls demonstrating that when it would be easy to relax explicable, even they still discovered the motivation to push through toward greatness. The Bulls won 72 games in the regular season, and they beat Seattle in six games for their fourth NBA championship. Record:69-13 2. Key players during the Motta era included Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Chet Walker, Norm Van Lier, and Tom Boerwinkle. seasons. The Bulls lost the first two games of the series at Madison Square Garden, then blew out the Knicks in the next two games to remind them what they were facing in challenging this dynasty. Jordan led Chicago with Mourning was an All-Star. Chicago beat Portland in six games for its second NBA championship. The NBA is ruled by dynasties, teams that come to own a decade and shape the narrative around the league. Owner of the largest margin of victory of all time. The injury that kept Pippen out at the beginning of The Last Dance season led to him starting only 44 games to Kukocs 52. [10] The 199596 Bulls won a then-record 72 regular season games (out of 82)[11] and are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. But how great were the Bulls? Note: Statistics are correct as of the 202021season. Unfortunately for the Sonics, they couldn't quite keep up with the Bulls, who had won a then-league record 72 games during the regular season. Led by Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton the Sonics had a dominant defense and they were also electric offensively, thanks largely to Shawn Kemp, one of the most explosive dunkers that the league has ever seen. In June 1996, the intimidating duo of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp - led by Seattle Supersonics coach George Karl - were formidable opponents for the Chicago Bulls. Most basketball fans know that Michael Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s and went 6-0 in the Finals. [12], After the Bulls won their sixth championship, Phil Jackson was not re-signed and spent some time away from basketball. In the 1991 and 1992 playoffs he averaged only 0.5 three-point shot attempts. [17] In 2010, Del Negro was replaced by Tom Thibodeau, and the Bulls reached the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in five games.[18]. He made the All-Defensive First team and the All-NBA second team in the 1992 season. What are the Physical devices used to construct memories? of the Eastern Conference. Jordan retired after the 1993 season and missed most of the next two seasons, and the Bulls reached the Eastern Conference semifinals each of those two seasons. The East playoffs were not particularly close, as they only lost once in the second round and blitz the defending champ Pistons, sweeping them and outscoring them by 11.5 points per game. With that said, here's a look at the top 10 teams that the Bulls bested in the postseason during their six championship seasons. KISS Tickets Los Angeles at Hollywood Bowl! The Lakers were still good enough to win 58 regular season games and advance all the way to the NBA Finals, but once there they couldn't keep up with the young and hungry Bulls, who won the series in five games. At 67 he was a great defensive player and rebounder, but his offensive game was mediocre. The Chicago Bulls last made the playoffs in 2022, when they lost the Eastern Conference First Round. There was a moment a few years back when it appeared this teams supremacy would be usurped, but the 73-win Golden State Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to the season's start, they traded Mark Jackson to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Charles Smith, Doc Rivers, and Bo Kimble. This was the best record [14] The Bulls' poor record did help them win the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery, which allowed them to select Derrick Rose with the first pick in the NBA Draft. What Gary Payton told me in a radio interview about his classic matchup with Michael Jordan in 1996: At this point, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman could not be defeated. Hardaway was 4th in MVP voting and he made the All-NBA First team and the All-Star team. They had a stretch from late November to early February where they went 31-1. Now lets take a look at the second three-peat Bulls team. 2004-05 Chicago Bulls The team reached the Western Conference Finals in 1974 and 1975, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, respectively. Did Jordan ever face true competition? I'm probably going to get grilled for my answer by Jordan fans but if were talking about this modern era, I'm taking Golden State. If were talkin Heat coach Pat Riley had won the Coach of the Year award. The Chicago Bulls won their 6th title of the decade in 1998. The closest the Bulls came to losing a championship arrived then, with each having won two games and the Bulls ahead by a point with 20 seconds remaining. Jordan led the final NBA championship run that is being chronicled in"The Last Dance." 1987-88 Chicago Bulls, who both The Bulls lost Horace Grant, who signed with the Orlando Magic as a free agent during the summer of 1994. This was Utah's best team ever record-wise, as they won 64 regular season games, which was good for the top seed in the West. LA Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Utah Jazz twice in that order. There are only four players in NBA history who didn't play for Boston who have at least six championships. Michael Jordan's six championship Bulls teams, ranked, Ranking Michael Jordan's championship teammates. Furthermore, in just 6 postseasons the Bulls had to face 14 top-ten teams in Defensive Ratings. In the Semifinals the Bulls faced the Atlanta Hawks. 2023 ChampsOrChumps.us Terms Privacy Policy, Won Clyde Drexler, a prominent mixture of Hall of Famer Julius Erving, elite versatility and athleticism of the 1990's was often compared to Michael Jordan. MORE: The key stats you need to know in the MJ vs. LeBron debate. (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Western Conference Finals In 1989, the Bulls played in their first conference finals series since 1975, losing to the Detroit Pistons. Many try to diminish this great accomplishment because So Jordan won the 1991 NBA championship with teammates that didnt make the All-Star team or the All-NBA team. Jordan comparisons alwayslead to LeBron James, who has nine NBA Finals appearances and three NBA championships. The Chicago Bulls In the Second round the Bulls faced the Knicks (again). Their offense was fully operational, finishing first in offensive efficiency while their defense was a more than serviceable seventh. 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and Average allowed:92.3 (Sixth in NBA) 4. Former Bulls guard Steve Kerr even referred to Game 7 against the Pacers in 1998 as the "scariest" game the Bulls ever faced. The Bulls also reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1989 and 1990 before being eliminated by the eventual champion Detroit Pistons. started the season Even with Pippen missing for so long, the controversy regarding the declaration by Bulls management that Jackson would not return the following season and the distraction of Jordan constantly being asked about his future plans, the team still managed to tie the Jazz for best record in the league. The Chicago Bulls in 1997 had to fly past the Utah Jazz to claim their 5th NBA title of the decade. six times. Jordan scored 35 of his 39 points in Game 1 which is best remembered for"The Shrug." Magic Johnson was the runner-up for the MVP award, and was also a member of the All-NBA first team. Here is a reminder who did the Chicago Bulls beat in the NBA Finals. The Bulls have never lost a finals series (60). Offensive rating: 110.0 | Defensive rating: 105.2 Regular-season record: 61-21 | Playoff record: 15-2 NBA Finals: Won (4-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers The Bulls' first title Stockton was a member of the All-NBA Third team and the All-Defensive Second team. This is the supporting cast Jordan had in his first three championships. The Blazers still managed to steal a game in Chicago and were even 2-2 midway through the series, but a Bulls comeback in Game 6 prevented Portland from becoming the only team to take Chicago the distance in the Finals.". In the playoffs he wasnt any different when he averaged just 5.4 ppg. Dennis Rodman was a member of the All-Defensive first team. Forward Charles Smith got the ball inside and had four attempts to make a game-winning layup, but all were challenged and/or blocked by Bulls defenders. three came in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The reason why the Bulls won 57 games in 1993 was because they were two-time defending champions. WebThe Chicago Bulls have won as many conference championships as they have championships. Another fact about Pippen that people tend to forget is that during these three seasons he averaged 17.3 ppg in the playoffs while shooting 40.8 % from the field. against the Lakers. Against these 14 teams, Jordan averaged 30.3 while shooting 47.0 % from the field. (Won 1 Round), Lost Eastern Conference Finals In the Eastern Conference Finals the Bulls faced the Orlando Magic. This team was third in Opponents points per game and first in Defensive Rating. Malone made the All-NBA First team and All-Defensive First team. They reached the Finals six times during the decade and came away with sixNBAtitles -- including two separate three-peats -- becoming arguably one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history in the process. In the Finals, the Bulls showed their youth, losing the first game to the Magic Johnson-led Lakers, before ripping off four straight wins, never winning by less than seven, and sewing up their first title. The Lakers limped into the Finals and lost Hall of Fame 4 James Worthy to injury in Game 4. New York rangers, and the Chicago blackhawks. The Atlanta Hawks were the first team the Bulls played in the playoffs. and Once there, the Jazz put up a good fight against Chicago, as three of the Bulls' wins in the series were by four points or fewer, including Game 1, which the Bulls won thanks to a Jordan buzzer-beater. Hollywood Pantages Theatre 2023-24 Season! They won 14 of their first 15 games in the playoffs, and the loss to the Knicks came in overtime. After all the losses and learned lessons leading up to the Chicago Bulls' first appearance in the NBA Finals, the fact that Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers stood in the way was apropos. was the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls, who He was slightly better than Cartwright, averaging stats like 9.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.2 bpg during this time. P.J. It depends. In terms of him as a basketball player in the league I would personally say 1988. In terms of him accomplishing his goals I would go wi In his path to 6 titles, Jordan beat the likes of Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Dominique Wilkins, Charles Barkley (twice), Patrick Ewing (four times), Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, as well as the duos of Shaquille ONeal and Anfernee Hardaway, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning (twice), and John Stockton and Karl Malone (twice). 1996 NBA Finals. In the Playoffs, the missed games by so many players seemed to work in the Bulls favor, as they had one of their best playoff runs, only losing 4 games and finishing with an average margin of victory of 5.3 points per game. Chicago, Detroit, New York Rangers, Montreal & Toronto) came to The 1990s Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships while they were being led by Michael Jordan. Answer: 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 The Bulls have never played a seventh game in the finals and only went five games in the first championship. The full clip from #LastDance Two of those were first, four were top-three, and eight were top-five. Though the Bulls had the same record as the Denver Nuggets in the Midwest Division, the Bulls lost the tiebreaker and finished fourth. During their inaugural season (196667), the Bulls compiled a 3348 record under coach Johnny "Red" Kerr and reached the playoffs. Pat Riley was also named Coach of the Year. No, the Chicago Bulls have been known by that name since 1967. The title was won on a Jordan step-back jumper that has become among the most iconic shots in the games history. This was not a strong year for the NBA overall, still absorbing the expansion by four teams in the previous three years. The Bulls second round opponent was the Knicks. won the NBA Finals 6 times, in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. All of Chicago Bulls championships are won in the Jordan era. The Suns shot the three at every opportunity and bullied teams with Barkley's inside presence. The 1993 Finals is the only Finals series in which Jordan had a teammate averaging a double-double. The Lakers in 1991 The Trail Blazers in 1992 The Suns in 1993 The Super Sonics in 1996 The Jazz in 1997 The Jazz again in 1998 Teams always want to beat the defending champions, so they would throw everything at the Bulls. Ultimately though, the Bulls came out victorious in the Game 7 and then went on to win their sixth title. The 1990s Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships while they were being led by Michael Jordan. It's tough to talk about the '95-96 Magic without thinking about what could have been, as it was the last season that Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway played together in Orlando. Rookie Richard Dumas was a jumping gym all by himself; Cedric Ceballos was a baseline killer; Kevin Johnson was a super athletic scoring point guard in Barkley's support and the Thunder's Dan Majerle hit the three from deep and played above-average defense. Their Finals series against Utah was the most competitive of the six title teams; five of the six games were decided by two or fewer possessions. In the Eastern Conference Finals the Bulls met the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some of those teams had an opportunity to earn a ring before, or after, the Bulls' epic run, while others didn't. This season was no different, as their top four started no less than 79 games. Mutombo and Christian Laettner were members of the All-Star team. Which Bull lead the team in rebounding in the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons? After several appearances in the Western Conference finals, and over a decade straight of playoff appearances, the Jazz finally broke through and made it to the NBA Finals in 1997. So this group of Bulls stands as not only the best Bulls team of the Jordan era but the greatest team of all time. Both Kemp and Payton were named to the All-Star Game in 1996 and the Sonics won a franchise-record 64 games, which was good enough for the best record in the West. In the Finals, they were well on their way to capping off a 15-1 playoff record before the SuperSonics ruined the impending coronation by beating the Bulls in games 4 and 5. Angeles Lakers (1991). The Bulls would then meet the Knicks for the third straight time in the Eastern Conference Finals. They also had Reggie Lewis. In the Playoffs, they faced one of their toughest challenges in the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Indiana Pacers pushed them to the brink of elimination before the Bulls pulled out a grind it out game 7, 88-83. The 1998 season also featured ten 50-win teams, including four 60-win teams. They've been in the playoffs a total of 36 times in their 57 seasons. what makes muscle tissue different from other tissues? In the Finals, they would only win one home game and actually get outscored by the Suns, but they had the ultimate trump card in Jordan, who averaged 41 points for the series and found John Paxson for the series-clinching jumper on the Suns home floor. Not only the Bulls were able to keep their head coach, second best player, and all of the role players, but they also added THREE role players that would later become important in the second three-peat. The problem is, Barkley and Ceballos were injured and Dumas had his own issues. Of those 14 teams, five were in the Finals. In the regular season he was great, but in the playoffs his shooting wasnt as great. The only other team to win a title without a dominant big man is the Golden State Warriors in the 1974-75 season. He was a good three-point shooter, but his shooting percentage can be misleading. The Suns then took down the Lakers, Spurs, and Sonics en route to their first Finals appearance since 1976. So in the series with the Pistons in 1991 Jordan had to go against TWO All-Defensive team members. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were 6-6 in the NBA Finals The Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan dominated the 1990's. They conquered everyone in their path as they secured championship after championship They were 2nd in the East behind the New York Knicks and 3rd in the league overall, while having "just" the 4th best-expected win total. They were in the midst of completing the best three-year run, record-wise, of any team in NBA history, and by the end, they were hanging on by a thread. Just like the Pistons were no longer at the peak of their powers as a team when the Bulls finally bested them in 1991, the same could be said about the Lakers that same season. That Pistons team, known as the Bad Boys, is considered one the greatest defensive teams in the history of the NBA. Almost any way you measure team success over a season, this team tops the chart. Though the Bulls' success was great for the city of Chicago, it came at the expense of other teams from across the league's landscape, as the Bulls blocked a plethora of great teams from hoisting the title trophy during their six championship seasons.