The Bulls Dynasty Era (From 1984-1998)

The Bulls Dynasty


The Bulls Dynasty from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996-1998 was one of the greatest sports team dynasties in history. The Chicago Bulls was a pure part of the 1990's culture, and it has inspired current athletes in 2020. The greatness of the 1990's Bulls will not be forgotten. The greatest NBA player in history, Michael Jordan, will always be respected for his contributions to basketball. Yet, as the Last Dance documentary has documented, there were imperfections revolving around Jordan, the rest of the Bulls team, and the Bulls management. Both players and managements including coaches disagreed on contracts, player rotations, and other matters. Debates, around what has happened, still exist to this very day. Past hurts even flourish decades later. That is the messed up part of that situation. Michael Jordan's $100 million investment to fight racism should be commended. Yet, Michael Jordan made the serious error for a long time for being very much quiet on important political issues when he was the most popular athlete of his time. Muhammad Ali sacrificed his career to oppose the Vietnam War and stand up for poor and working class black Americans. The sad reality of Nike using child exploitation in making Nikes, and these other things make us to put the situation into context. We can both praise Michael Jordan's greatness in basketball while not justifying his mistakes outside of the court. Two things can be true. The 10 part series of the Last Dance in my view was to the point, fair, and it outlined events that many people didn't know about. My views on Michael Jordan never changed. I knew most of the important information in the documentary. I respect Jordan's basketball accomplishments while disagreeing with his mistakes.

The lesson of the documentary is that we shouldn't place men as idols. We should recognize that it is our responsibility to not only speak the truth, but to live the truth in treating people right and developing our social consciousness in making the world better. No one should let past hurt consume their souls. With massive economic inequality, police brutality, and racism, there is no excuse for adults and anyone else to not take a stand on political issues. Almsgiving, standing up for the people, and community developments make sense. At the end of the day, we can't use "all costs" to get justice if all costs means to do things in an evil fashion. We have to be moral about our intentions. The Bulls Dynasty was a representation of the great selfish lengths that capitalism had has been involved in exploiting human lives at the expense of integrity. It also showed ironically how teamwork, not selfish individualism, will cause greatness to be abundant. Michael Jordan certainly deserves his credit along with his teammates too in establishing a historic sports franchise. There are those who want to scapegoat Michael Jordan for the corporate exploitation of sports in general. That is wrong. While Jordan isn't perfect, the corporate exploitation of society existed long before Michael Jordan was ever born. Michael Jordan is the victim of this system (like all of us) not the cause of it. The Chicago Bulls is the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series in their history. The era of the Bulls Dynasty (from 1991-1998), saw the Bulls share rivalries with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks. Since this is the 25th year anniversary of Michael Jordan coming back to the NBA, it is fitting that this information is shown to the public. We want basketball to flourish in the future without a system that permits imperialism, racism, human exploitation, and other blatant injustices. There certainly will never be another Bulls Dynasty ever again.

The Beginning

In the beginning, the Bulls Team by 1983 was struggling massively. The Chicago Bulls was created on the date of January 16, 1966. The team was not in the playoffs back then during the early 1980's. Artis Gilmore was a legendary Bulls player during the early years. Attendance was low. Yet, the NBA in general reached into new heights. Legends like Kareem, Moses Malone, Bob Lanier,  George Gervin, Bernard King, Dennis Johnson, and Dr. J. flourished massively. Also, new talent was abundant by the early 1980's like Magic, Ralph Sampson, James Worthy, Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomas and Bird. Basketball is a staple of American culture, but the game of basketball was invented by the Canadian James Naismith. Today, it is an international sport of excellence. The player that helped to make the Chicago Bulls a household name is Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was born in 1963 at Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington is home to a lot of racism that Jordan admitted to experiencing while he was growing up. His competitive nature was inherited from his parents, James Jordan and Deloris Jordan. As a child, he played sports as a means for him to build character and express himself. Him playing basketball against his brother Larry Jordan often ended up in fights. At first, Michael Jordan was losing to his older brother, and then he started to beat him. This inspired him to play magnificently in high school, college, and beyond. Michael Jordan was once cut from the basketball team in high school. Yet, he grew taller and improved his skills to start on the high school basketball team. He played for North Carolina for many years under legendary coach Dean Smith. Michael Jordan won the National NAACP Championship and grew into more heights of skills and popularity. He also played for the 1984 USA Olympic Team where he was the best player on the court. Jordan and the rest of the USA Olympic team were beating NBA All-Stars back then. Bobby Knight was the coach of the Olympic Team back in 1984 at Los Angeles, California. Many were already calling Jordan the best basketball player in the world by the early 1980's.

The Rise of Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan came to the Chicago Bulls by the 1984 NBA Draft. That draft included some of the greatest players in basketball history like Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Sam Perkins, John Stockton, Alvin Robertson, etc. The first player selected was Hakeem Olajuwon for the Houston Rockets, then Same Bowie for the Portland Trailblazers, and third was Michael Jordan.  Many people were skeptical about Michael Jordan's skills because of his size. There were many doubters like Eaton and Walt Frazier. Yet, Michael Jordan proved to be an outstanding basketball player during his Rookie Season. He inspired crowds with his highlights, and he caused the Bulls to go into the NBA Playoffs. He scored almost 30 points a game, and he was named Rookie of the Year of the NBA. He was in the NBA All Star Game back in 1985. While this was going on, Jordan signed a contract with Nike that propelled the Nike company to achieve record profits. Back then, Nike was a track and field shoe. Concord and other shoes dominated the basketball market at first. With Michael Jordan's charisma and talent, Nike sales exploded. As early as November 17, 1984, Michael Jordan released his signature line of sneakers in a game against the 76ers. The red, black, and white shoes violated league policy. Nike paid the fine for Jordan. The Air Jordan I was available to the public in 1985. Michael Jordan won 2 Slam dunk contests in 1987 and in 1988.

 

After the 1985 Playoffs, Michael Jordan continued to play until his broke his leg in the early part of the Bulls' 1985-1986 season. Michael Jordan was in pain, but miraculously, he trained until he was healed 100% before the 1985-86 season was over. Jerry Krause wanted Michael Jordan to sit out the whole season (in order for a better draft pick to come about), but Michael Jordan wanted to play as soon as possible. This was the first signs of the disagreements between Krause and Jordan including other players that ultimately ended the Chicago Bulls dynasty as we know it. Michael Jordan once played for 14 minutes a game when he came back. In 1986, Jordan made 63 points against the Boston Celtics, but he lost the Playoffs to the Celtics again. He would grow and be the best player in the NBA by 1988. In 1988, he won the Slam Dunk Competition, the NBA Scoring leader (having 35.0 ppg), the NBA MVP Award, the Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA All-Star Game MVP, and other accolades. He was the most popular player in the league. Michael Jordan continued to excel in the sport of basketball, but one team would be a road block for years to come. That team's name would be: The Detroit Pistons.

Early Struggles with the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons would prevent the Chicago Bulls from reaching the Promised Land of the NBA Finals by using the Jordan Rules. The Jordan Rules was about using aggressive defensive tactics against Jordan that made sure that his other teammates would bear the burden to win games. By the late 1980's, Michael Jordan gained many great players who were Scottie Pippen (from Arkansas), Bill Paxton, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and Bill Hodges. This team struggled mightily against the Pistons in the beginning. The Pistons won 2 straight championships in 1989 and 1990 against the Lakers and the Trailblazers respectively. They were nicknamed "The Bad Boys" because many of their players would be violent and provoke fights on the basketball court. I will give Michael Jordan credit to taking that punishment from the Pistons and never retaliating all of the time. Isaiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dumars, Mahone, and others dominated the Bulls from 1988 to 1990 during the NBA Playoffs. After losing a close series in 1990, the Chicago Bulls teams started to change. By this time, Phil Jackson (in replacing the previous coach Doug Collins) was the coach of the team. Jerry Krause inspired Phio Jackson to be the new head coach of the team. Phil Jackson embraced zen Buddhism (including meditation), and he gave honor to Native American culture. Phil Jackson was a basketball player for the NY Knicks, and he coached a basketball found in Puerto Rico.

Phil Jackson and Tex Winter wanted to use a more team orientation style of play in order to win more games. This game plan is called the Triangle Offense, because players would act as a triangle to pass the ball around the court. Jordan was convinced to accept this plan, and it worked. In 1989, Michael Jordan wrote a 20 page love letter to the actress Amy Hunter (in showing the regret of Jordan's affair with her). It sold for $25,703 at an auction by June of 2020. Jordan was with Juanita Vanoy at the time, and they both married on September 2, 1989. Amy Hunter is a famous African American actress who worked very hard in her occupation (in starring in the TV series Pacific Blue plus movies like The Kingdom and The Scorpion King). For the record, I don't condone cheating. Both Amy Hunter and Michael Jordan moved on to excel greatly in their respective fields. We wish both of them the best. By 1990, the Chicago Bulls went to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and lost again to the Detroit Pistons. Also, the Bulls team started to work out more in the Summer of 1990 to be stronger physically and mentally. By the 1990-1991 season, the Bulls excelled greatly. The Chicago Bulls became a much better team than previous years. Jordan passed the ball more. Scottie grew as a leader. Horace had the skills and strength to defend and shoot the ball. Paxson shoot the 3s greatly. The Chicago Bulls won 61 wins which was a franchise record until 1996. Michael Jordan won the 1991 NBA MVP award and he held the trophy with his first wife, Juanita. By the 1991 Playoffs, the Bulls finally beat the Pistons in a sweep. The Pistons team walked off the court. That move caused Jordan to never forget what occured. Me, personally, Jordan should have forgiven the Pistons as that was almost 30 years ago. The Chicago Bulls encountered the legendary team of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 Championship series.

The Era of the First 3-Peat (including the 1992 Dream Team)

Jordan vs. Magic was the theme of the 1991 NBA Finals. Magic was already on the mountaintop as a legend and an ambassador of the game. Michael Jordan was a great player back then, but he didn't have a ring yet. Therefore, Michael Jordan wanted to achieve that greatness in order to solidify more of his basketball career. The Bulls lost the first game against the Lakers. The Bulls came back to win 4 straight games. Michael Jordan switched his hands in mid air to make the shot during Game 2 of the series. Paxton made plays along with Pippen and others. The series was the passing of the torch from Magic to Jordan. It was the start of a new era of the NBA. By game 5, the Chicago Bulls won their first championship on June 12, 1991. People celebrated. Michael Jordan cried, as he held the trophy, with his parents and his first wife Juanita Jordan by his side. Chicago would never be the same. August 8, 1991 was when the Gatorade Be Like Mike commercial debuts. The 1991-1992 Bulls team would probably be the best athletically talented Bulls team of the entire dynasty. Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls dominated the league in scoring plus defense. The team worked as a cohesive unit. During the 1992 NBA All Star game celebrate Magic Johnson's courage involving his fight against HIV/AIDS. The Chicago Bulls beat the NY Knicks in a tough 7 game series in 1992. Jordan's game 7 performance against the Knicks was his best performance of his NBA career in my opinion. Jordan inspired Horace Grant in the series to be more emotionally strong to handle the games. The Bulls faced the Portland Trailblazers at the 1992 NBA Finals. Jordan made multiple 3s in one game to prove that he could make 3s. This was on June 3, 1992 at Game 1. Jordan scored six 3 points during the first half. He made 35 in the first half alone (Michael Jordan made the shrug too). Clyde Drexler was a great player in his own right, and the the Bulls won their 2nd championship.

By the Summer of 1992, Michael Jordan was the most popular player on Earth. Ironically, Jordan's popularity would soon reach into more heights. The Dream Team was formed, because the previous college USA Olympic team in 1988 lost the gold medal. That team was made up of collegiate athletes, so people wanted that to change. A tape proved recently that Michael Jordan didn't want Isiah Thomas to be part of the Dream Team. Isiah Thomas deserved to be on the team, he was qualified, he won championships, and Isiah Thomas was a great basketball player. Back then, Bird, Magic, Pippen, and other player didn't want Isiah Thomas on the Dream Team because of many issues from team rivalries to other matters. To his credit, Magic Johnson apologized to Isiah Thomas face to face like a man. The Dream Team played in many places before going the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Dream Team helped to internationalize the sport of basketball. That is why Toni Kukoc soon was on the Bulls team. Kukoc played greatly in a game against the Dream Team ironically enough. The Dream Team's practice in Monte Carlo was hard. Jordan was playing against Magic. Each man had their teams. Magic was reluctant to leave the throne, but Jordan came back in the game to prove that Jordan was the new best player in the league. The Dream Team easily won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics after defeating Croatia with the score of 117-85. Michael Jordan celebrated by using the flag to cover the Reebox logo, because Jordan represented Nike. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Patrice Ewing, Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Christian Laettner, Scottie Pippen, the Assistant Coach Lenny Wilkens, and Coach Chuck Daly deserved their medals via determination and hard work. The Chicago Bulls would go through their toughest basketball challenges of their first 3 peat by the 1992-1993 NBA season. The Bulls won many games.

Also, Michael Jordan was tired emotionally and secretly desired to retire as early as late 1992. Not to mention that scandals about the Bulls persisted. The book called the Jordan Rules, which was written by Sam Smith) said that Jordan was aggressive to his teammates and acted like a tough guy. Jordan accused Horace of feeding the author information for the book. Horace to this day denies that allegation. The book exposed the gambling of Jordan, which many people didn't know at the time. Michael Jordan did gamble (Jordan, under oath, admitted that the $57,000 check sent to convicted cocaine dealer James Bouler, was a payment over gambling losses), and the NBA found no illegal gambling acts by him. The Bulls carried on to defeat the Knicks during 1993 Playoffs. Jordan's gambling in Atlantic City was scrutinized by the media, but the Bulls stuck together to defeat the Knicks. On January 8, 1993, Jordan reached 20,000 points. At the 1993 NBA Finals, the Bulls faced the Phoenix Suns. Charles Barkley won the 1993 MVP award, and this motivated Jordan to compete. The Suns team pushed the Bulls to 6 games, but Jordan has 55 points in Game 4 of the series in a 111-105 victory. By game 6, Paxson's three pointer with 3.9 seconds left allowed the Chicago Bulls to have a 99-98 victory in Phoenix. The Bulls won their 3 peat in 1993 which Bird and Magic never did. It was the Bulls' first three peat. Michael Jordan felt a great sense of relief from the battles on and off the court. Jordan said the following words: "...Winning this championship is harder than anything I've ever done before in basketball, with all the ups and downs. I've gone through this season and the mental approach that I've had to take into each game. We never gave up hope, and now that this team has become part of history, it's a very gratifying feeling for me..." He won the NBA Finals, and he was the peak of his basketball career. Later, Michael Jordan would face some the biggest challenges of his life, and he would still prove to be the greatest once again.

Tragedy and Retirement

By the Summer of 1993, Michael Jordan experienced a a horrible tragedy. His father, James Jordan, was found murdered at the North Carolina/South Carolina border. James was traveling. Many people expected the Bulls with Jordan to fight for a fourth straight championship, but that wouldn't be so. James Jordan was a great supporter of Michael and the rest of the Bulls team. When things would come about, James Jordan was the peacemaker for the Bulls franchise. That is why the General Manager Jerry Krause wept when hearing of his passing. On October 5, 1993, Michael Jordan threw the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game. Later that night, many sources confirmed that he will retire from basketball during a press conference the next day. Jordan soon escaped from the baseball stadium quickly via a car after the media tried to talk to him about the situation of him retiring.

Michael Jordan immediately retired by October 6, 1993 at the age of 30. By this time, a vast majority of people viewed Jordan as the greatest of all time. The media was in full force by the time of announcement. Ironically, he made a prediction that he could come back being a future challenge down the road. Jordan played for the AAA baseball team of the Birmingham Barons (of the Minor Leagues). Crowds of people were there. He struggled in the beginning, and he finally did above .200 which was miraculous for a new player at his age. July 30, 994 was when Jordan made his first home run of his pro career. November 1, 1994 when the statue of Michael Jordan in bronze was unveiled. His mother, Deloris was by his side. The 1993-1994 Chicago team had their nucleus of Horace, Pippen, BJ Armstrong, Kukoc, and Paxton. The 1993-1994 Chicago Bulls was just as good as any team in the NBA. Scottie Pippen was the new leader. Scottie Pippen won MVP for the NBA All Star Game in 1994, and he was 2nd in steals. Pippen propelled the Bulls deep into the 1994 Playoffs. The Chicago Bulls time had great players like Horace Grant, B. J. Armstrong, Cartwright, Perdue, Peter Myers, and Toni Kukoc that created a great nucleus in early 1994. That is why the Bulls team won 55 games in the 1993-1994 season.

The Bulls lost to the Knicks in a close series during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The series would last for 7 games. The Knicks would go on to lose to the Houston Rockets as the Rockets (led by Hakeem and other players) would win their first NBA Championship in 1994. The Bulls would struggle in the early 1994-1995 season. By this time, the Bulls would leave the Chicago Stadium and move into their current home of the United Center.  In late 1994, John Paxson retired. Grant, Cartwright, and Scott Williams were lost to free agency, so Ron Harper was the new guard on the team. Jud Buechler was the small forward, and B J. Armstrong was on the team including sharpshooter Steve Kerr. Centers Luc Longley and Bill Wennington came to the Chicago Bulls roster. On September 1994, Michael Jordan participated in a Scottie Pippen charity game. Jordan scored 52 points to lead his team to a 187-150 victory. Jordan made 24 of 46 shots. As he left the floor, the crowd of nearly 20,000 gave him a standing ovation. He then, bowed, waved to the fans, and kissed the floor of the old stadium (before it was torn down).

Michael Jordan lived during the MLB strike, and he refused to play as an alternative player. Jordan played pick up games with BJ Armstrong. Later, Jordan decided to comeback in the NBA by March 1995. He decision would change the basketball world forevermore. On March 18, 1995, Michael Jordan sent a fax saying, "I'm Back." Many human beings cheered at such of an announcement.

Michael Jordan: "I'm Back"

On March 19, 1995, Michael Jordan and the Bulls faced the Pacers in Jordan's first comeback game. Michael Jordan made 19 points, and soon made 55 points at Madison Square Garden in another game (on March 28, 1995) against the New York Knicks. The score was 113-111. Jordan led the Bulls to have a 9-1 record in April. The Chicago finally came into the Playoffs. The Bulls struggled against the Orlando Magic because of many reasons. Michael Jordan was not in total basketball shape as he just came back from baseball. The Chicago Bulls lacked an internal defensive player like Horace Grant who played for the Magic back then. The 1995 Bulls and Magic series (the Magic had players like Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant, Nick Anderson, etc.) ended with the Bulls losing (after the Bulls beat the Magic in Game 2 in a 104-94 score. Jordan wore 23 instead of 45 during that game). The Bulls' defeat in 1995 inspired the Chicago Bulls to regroup to be one the best teams in history by the next season. Michael Jordan immediately worked out. He made the film Space Jam in 1995, while Jordan was playing basketball with some of the best NBA Players at the specialized gym built by Warner Brothers. B. J. Armstrong was gone from the Bulls because of the expansion draft. Krause traded Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for the rebounding player Dennis Rodman. The Bulls signed Dennis Rodman on October 3, 1995 as a catalyzed to help the Bulls rebound and defend better. Dennis Rodman made the Bulls to be expressive in many ways. Rodman, as a rebel, dyed his hair, was unapologetic on his eclectic personality, and was an outstanding basketball player. Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen motivated Dennis Rodman, because all men were champions and knew what the ultimate goal was: winning a championship.

Coming Full Circle with a Historic 1995-1996 Season

With Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen, they made history as part of the Chicago Bulls 1995-1996 team. Other players during this time were Harper, Longley, Kerr, Kukoc, Wennington, Buechler, and Randy Brown. They made the 2nd best team record in NBA history, and they played offense plus defense in a high level. Rodman did the rebounding. Pippen was a great defender and offensive facilitator. During the first game of the 95-96 season, the Bulls beat the Hornets in a score of 105-91. Michael Jordan scored 42 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. During the next game, they defeated the Boston Celtics. The Bulls scored 35 points in the 3rd quarter as they pulled away against the Celtics, 107-85. 6 Bulls players scored in double figures in this win. After losing to Seattle to fall to 10-2 in later November of 1995, the Bulls won 31 of its next 32 games including 14 during an undefeated January 1996. On January 16, 1996, Dennis Rodman had his first and only career triple double. He had 10 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rodman was controversial. He headbutted a referee after his ejection on March 16, 1996. Rodman was suspended for 6 games and fined $203,926. Michael Jordan was back to defeat opponents. He was the 1996 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Jordan excelled on every level, and he was the NBA MVP in 1996. The Bulls had a record of 72-10 breaking the previous record of the 1971-72 Lakers of 69-13. They sweep the Orlando Magic, and defeated the Seattle Supersonics in 6 games.

The 1996 NBA Finals series wasn't easy. Gary Payton was an excellent defender, and Sean Kemp was explosive offensively. Steve Kerr was also a potent 3-point shooter. It was fitting that the Chicago Bulls would win the 4th championship on Father's Day. Michael Jordan was emotional, because it would be his first championship without his father with him physically. His first wife and his children celebrated his accomplishments along the way. Michael Jordan was emotional and praised the Chicago Bulls organization. The Bulls, by this time, was like a rock star team like the Beatles. They traveled everywhere. Fans came to them. For a time, Rodman was more popular than Pippen or even Jordan. On August 21, 1996, Dennis Rodman wore a wedding dress to a book signing in Manhattan, New York City. This caused international media headlines. The book that Rodman promoted was "Bad As I Wanna Be" which was his autobiography. He was carried in a horse-drawn carriage. Rodman said that the idea was partially inspired by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. The Chicago Bulls won again for a 5th title on 1997.

The Chicago Bulls during the 96-97 season excelled with a record of 69-13. This year wasn't easy either. Luc Longley and Toni Kukoc were injured. Dennis Rodman and had injuries and suspensions for controversies. On January 15, 1997, Rodman kicked a camerman (whose name is Amos). He was suspended for 11 games. I remember this from the 8th grade of middle school. On January 21, 1997, the Bulls defeated the NY Knicks during a game. This game was interesting as it was labeled the con man game. NY coach Jeff van Gundy accused Michael Jordan of using friendship on the court as a tactic to defeat opponents more greatly. Michael Jordan, of course, took offense to that. Jordan has the right to be angry, because just because you're friends on the court doesn't mean that you use that as a tactic to score points. Competition is competition regardless. MJ treated his opponents the same regardless of friendship. Michael Jordan had 51 points in the game. Later, George Karl of the Seattle Supersonics said that Jordan was playing to not get hurt in being a jumpshooter. Michael Jordan responded by shooting 45 points against Seattle on February 2, 1997.

In 1997, history was made. On June 21, 1997, the first WNBA game was played between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty. Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo are in the image above. After 23 years, the WNBA is here to stay.  

Jordan had a triple double in the 1997 All Star Game. During the same All Star Weekend, Steve Kerr won the AT&T Shootout. Also, he faced the Knicks and the Heat throughout the 1996-1997 season. Michael Jordan led the league in scoring with 29.6 ppg and set an NBA record with 2,000 points for the 10th time in his career. Even as early as 1997, some in Bulls management wanted to break up the Bulls. This didn't happen thankfully. On May 13, 1997, MJ dunked over Hawks player Dikembe Mutombo and then waved the finger. The Bulls faced their strongest opponent during that year with the Utah Jazz during the 1997 NBA Finals. At Game 1, Jordan made a buzzer beater with 31 points. During Game 2 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan had 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists at 34 years old. Dennis Rodman made a late 3 pointer to put the Bulls up 97-85 at Game 2. The Utah Jazz won 2 straight to make it 2-2. By Game 5, Michael Jordan made 38 points in 44 minutes while being completely sick during that game (winning 90-88 on June 11, 1997). Malone, Stockton, and other players gave the Bulls fits, but the Bulls won in 6 games in 1997. Game 6 had the Steve Kerr having the game winning shot with only 5 seconds to play. Jordan had 39 points in Game 6. After that season, it was clear that the beginning of the end was approaching.

"There has to be some sense of loyalty. To me, to Phil, to Scottie, even to Dennis...You want to look at this from a business standpoint? Then have some respect for the people who laid the groundwork."

-Michael Jordan

The end of the Bulls Dynasty

During the Summer of 1997, the Bulls played teams in Paris, France to participate in a World Basketball Championship tournament. Jordan played many games and won the Tournament making the Chicago Bulls officially the best team on Earth. By this time, Bulls management had a huge debate on the future of the Bulls. Krause was adamant that Phil Jackson would not be the coach of the Bulls in 1999. Michael Jordan said that if Jackson wasn't the coach, he wasn't going to play for the Bulls. Scottie Pippen was hurt and delayed surgery until later, because he wanted to rest. Pippen also had a terrible contract. A compromise was reached where Phil Jackson would coach for only the 1997-1998 season. The real blame for this controversy is not even Krause per se, but Jerry Resinsdof. Jerry Reinsdorf could have easily allowed Phil Jackson to coach for multiple years, change Scottie Pippen's contract to be more fair, and make other changes. Yet, Kruase was blamed mostly by many. During the beginning of the 1997-1998 season, the Chicago Bulls struggled heavily. Pippen was gone, because he had surgery and had to recover. Michael Jordan had to pull most of the weight to win games during that time. Later, Pippen wanted to be traded. This was stopped later on. Pippen was a victim of a bad contract for years, so he was understandably disappointed. Also, Dennis Rodman played with more intensity to compensate Pippen's absence. By the end of 1997, and the start of 1998, the Bulls started to rebound. Rodman also took a long vacation in Las Vegas with his then girlfriend Carmen Electra. Jordan had to get him in Las Vegas to take him to practice. At practice, Rodman ran fast and was rejuvenated. By February of 1998, there was the NBA All Star Game. At that game, Michael Jordan won the NBA All Star Game MVP being one of the oldest players to have done so. Also, he scored on the then young player Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant would later be one of the greatest players in history. Kobe learned a lot from Jordan and other players. The competitive spirit of Kobe Bryant was always there.

The image on the left was on February 8, 1998 when Jordan played against Kobe (who had 18 points) during the 1998 All-Star Game. The East won with the score of 135 to 114. Michael Jordan (who had 23 points) was the best player on the court on that date among legendary players at the same time. The image on the right showed the last shot that Michael Jordan has ever took as a Chicago Bulls player on June 14, 1998. 

On March 27, 1998, there was the Bulls playing the Atlanta Hawks in the largest crowd in NBA history with 62,046 people. Michael Jordan scored 34 points to win the game in the score of 89-74. The game took place at the Georgia Dome, because so many people came to watch the teams play basketball. People demanded so many tickets that the Hawks put an extra 8,000 seats on sale, even though they offered no view of the court. Michael Jordan win his fifth NBA MVP award on May 18, 1998 at the age of 35 tying Bill Russell (who is a courageous civil rights legend and the first black man to coach a NBA Team which was the Boston Celtics) for 2nd most of all time. Bill Russell always sent great respect to Michael Jordan's contributions to basketball. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Charlotte Hornets during the 1998 Playoffs with BJ Armstrong on the Hornets team. They would face the Indiana Pacers with Larry Bird as the coach. The Pacers had Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, Derrick McKey, Antonio Davis, Chris Mullin, Rik Smits, and other players. They took the Bulls to the limit in 7 games.

The Pacers was the toughest challenge that the Bulls faced during the 1998 Playoffs. Yet, Jordan, Kukoc, Pippen, Harper, Kerr, Longley, and other members of the Bulls team stood up to defeat them. The Bulls literally worked as a team. The Chicago Bulls' players were tired facing the Utah Jazz again in the 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls lost the first game. They won the 2nd game. Dennis Rodman was fined by the Bulls in this series for going into a WWE event instead of going into practice. Later, by Game 6, Scottie Pippen had a hurting back. Yet, Pippen continued to play courageously. Michael Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone to shoot the final shot in the series. The Chicago Bulls won their 6th NBA Finals Championship. Michael Jordan came to be further validated as the greatest player in NBA History, who was 35 years old in 1998. Jordan told Phil Jackson that he had faith. Scottie Pippen was crying, and Steve Kerr said that the victory was so unbelievable. Rodman showed the DX sign to the Utah crowd. At a hotel, Michael Jordan played the piano with some media present. People cheered in Chicago. A NBA lock out shortened the 1999 NBA season. Phil Jackson was soon gone. Therefore, Michael Jordan officially retired again on the date of January 13, 1999 with his first wife Juanita Jordan by his side. The Bulls kept Kukoc. Pippen came to the Rockets and the Blazers. Rodman came into the Lakers. The Chicago Bulls team never made it to the playoffs again until the 21st century. The rebuilding process of the Chicago Bulls never materialized until a long time.

The 21st century Era

The 21st century era had glimmers of hope. Before that time, the early 2000's has shown the Bulls struggling massively. Bulls management during the 2000-2001 season wanted to recruit Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Eddie Jones. They failed to do so. Duncan re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Hill came to Orlando. McGrady and Jones played in their own hometowns. By the 2000 NBA Draft, the Bulls had Marcus Fizer and Jamal Crawford. The Bulls was a young team in 2000. By this time, the Chicago Bulls finally came into the Playoffs (during the 2004-2005 season. That was the first time that the Bulls came into the Playoffs in 7 years or the last time Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Jackson were together). The Chicago Bulls had a record of 45-37 during the 2004-2005 season. Michael Jordan played for the Washington Wizards from 2001-2003. He made records as the first 40 year old man to score over 40 points. He made 51 points at the age of 38. He almost won the NBA All Star Game in 2003. The Chicago Bulls had a resurgence from 2004 to 2007. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng played great. The Derrick Rose era was from 2008-2016. Derrick Rose is a great player, but he had many injuries in his career. Right now in 2020, the Chicago Bulls continues to be in a rebuilding state.

 

The Conclusion

With the events going on in the world now, we recognize the truth. The same rivalry, tensions, contradictions, accomplishments, joy, historic changes, etc. found in the Chicago Bulls dynasty have existed worldwide. Legends existed throughout basketball. The Last Dance documentary (which was released on April 19, 2020. It was planned to come out in June 2020, but it was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. I have watched all ten episodes of the Last Dance) confirms that a necessary balance between players and management is key in the establishment of a stronger program. The big mystery is whether the Chicago Bulls would have won more championships if they weren't broken up. I do believe that since the 1999 NBA season was shorten and Dennis Rodman would be inspired greatly (since Rodman left the Spurs in 1995 previously over issues with the Spurs team) that the Bulls would have a great chance to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 (if the Bulls stayed as a team). The Last Dance documentary lasting 10 episodes described Jordan's greatness and his imperfections. I don't agree with how Jordan treated Scott Burrell regardless if Burrell liked it. Many parts of the Last Dance documentary described Jordan as a country man. Michael Jordan is from the South just like Pippen and others on that team. He talks just like my relatives from the country too.

Likewise, I do agree with Michael Jordan showing courageousness in the basketball court, helping out friends (like the late Gus Lett including other human beings), and working in many programs that has helped many human beings. The Chicago Bulls organization now is rebuilding, and the Chicago Bulls 1990's era is always part of legendary basketball history. We can't omit the great contributions of Jordan, Pippen, Horace, Kerr, Rodman, Cartwright, Kukoc, Harper, Paxon, Hodges, and other people who made the Chicago Bulls dynasty what it was. Today, the NBA is in great hands with players like Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, and other human beings. Michael Jordan came a long way from saying, in a joke, that Republicans buy Jordans too to going out to publicly condemn police injustice. Still, our society has a long way to go in witnessing true justice for all. Life is about learning lessons. The Most High God, in his infinite wisdom, would want us to not repeat the mistakes of the past in order to make the future better. Now, you know the truth. Today, basketball athletes are filled with incredible talent spanning sexes, races, nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures. What unifies us is our shared humanity and our duty to fight for freedom. In that sense, the world will be better. Yes, Black Lives Matter always.

By Timothy