Know that it is a June 12 that Michael Jordan and the Bulls won their first title. It was against the Lakers of Magic Johnson, in what is still considered today as a passing of the baton between two basketball legends.
After the first round gleaned from Chicago, the specialists nevertheless predicted a success of Los Angeles in four games. How could they have cracked like this, despite their experience in this kind of meeting? The answer is quite simple: the Californians had the experience (and injuries…), but the Illinois franchise had “His Airness”.
During Game 5, Michael Jordan also demonstrated that nothing and no one could stop him in the quest for his first ring.
The Lakers crack in the money time
Deprived of Byron Scott and James Worthy, the Lakers are then on the edge of the precipice (1-3). Their rotation consists of seven players and Magic Johnson is trying to push the deadline. To avoid the transfer of power, he distributes 20 passes. The Californian interior Elden Campbell is also trying to make up for the two big absentees from Angelenos and Los Angeles is still ahead during the fourth quarter.
Except that a 9-0 is fatal to the “Purple & Gold”. Author of 10 points in the last six minutes, John Paxson drives the final nail in the coffin, for a 108-101 victory for Chicago. Michael Jordan, the fierce competitor, gives way to Michael Jordan, the human being: his seventh season in the league is the good one and, at 28, he cries hot tears.
In the locker room, “MJ” holds the trophy in his arms, kisses him, clings to him… His 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 against average in the series are worth to him to be logically voted Finals MVP. He understood that he could shine, but not win alone.
” No one can ever take that away from me. It has been a seven year struggle for me. Had to get rid of that one-player team tag “, he confided later.
An NBA champion built over two years
The Bulls of 1991 are crowned NBA champions because they knew how to acquire a real collective and impose a real cohesion of the group: John Paxson, with his decisive shots, and Horace Grant, with his countless rebounds, brought their stone to the building. Everyone understood their role and above all accepted it. Phil Jackson’s strength has been to achieve this result in just two years.
At that time, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (masterful in the series) were obviously unaware that they were going to win five additional titles during the… seven following seasons. As for the Lakers, they say goodbye to the Inglewood Forum on a setback and a page turns indirectly for them.
Indeed, only five months later, Magic Johnson reveals his HIV status and they will wait until 2000 to win a new trophy, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on the floor, but still Phil Jackson on the bench. The link between two legendary teams, but also between the master Jordan and the disciple Kobe…
| Michael Jordan | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1984-85 | CHI | 82 | 38 | 51.5 | 17.3 | 84.5 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 28.2 |
| 1985-86 | CHI | 18 | 25 | 45.7 | 16.7 | 84.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 22.7 |
| 1986-87 | CHI | 82 | 40 | 48.2 | 18.2 | 85.7 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 37.1 |
| 1987-88 ★ | CHI | 82 | 40 | 53.5 | 13.2 | 84.1 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 35.0 |
| 1988-89 | CHI | 81 | 40 | 53.8 | 27.6 | 85.0 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 32.5 |
| 1989-90 | CHI | 82 | 39 | 52.6 | 37.6 | 84.8 | 1.7 | 5.2 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 33.6 |
| 1990-91 ★ | CHI | 82 | 37 | 53.9 | 31.2 | 85.1 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 31.5 |
| 1991-92 ★ | CHI | 80 | 39 | 51.9 | 27.0 | 83.2 | 1.1 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 30.1 |
| 1992-93 | CHI | 78 | 39 | 49.5 | 35.2 | 83.7 | 1.7 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 32.6 |
| 1994-95 | CHI | 17 | 39 | 41.1 | 50.0 | 80.1 | 1.5 | 5.4 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 26.9 |
| 1995-96 ★ | CHI | 82 | 38 | 49.5 | 42.7 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 30.4 |
| 1996-97 | CHI | 82 | 38 | 48.6 | 37.4 | 83.3 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 29.7 |
| 1997-98 ★ | CHI | 82 | 39 | 46.5 | 23.8 | 78.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 28.7 |
| 2001-02 | WAS | 60 | 35 | 41.6 | 18.9 | 79.0 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 22.9 |
| 2002-03 | WAS | 82 | 37 | 44.5 | 29.1 | 82.1 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| Total | 1072 | 38 | 49.7 | 32.7 | 83.5 | 1.6 | 4.7 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 30.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
