Image via Complex Original
Hard to believe as it may be, it's been 20 years since the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA Championship. Led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the Bulls were finally able to vanquish the hated Detroit Pistons, sweeping them out of the Conference Finals — and after that, the aging Los Angeles Lakers were no match. In honor of that first title team (and who knows, maybe another run this year if the MVP's ankle holds up), we've selected the Bulls' Top 20 Playoff Moments. Ride with us.
By Myles Brown
#20. "Jo Knows"
Game 6, 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/30/2009
The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett, but they still considered their first round matchup with the Bulls an afterthought. We'll never forget it. In Game 6, the greatest game of the greatest first round matchup in playoff history, Boston was taken to triple overtime by an upstart Chicago squad. With seconds remaining, Paul Pierce looked to break the tie, but was cut off by Joakim Noah, who jumped the passing lane and finished with an and-one to put the Bulls ahead for good.
#19. "1.8 Seconds"
Game 3, 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/13/1994
It's strange that a rift between player and coach could be considered one of a team's greatest moments, but here we are. The Knicks were facing Chicago in their first postseason showdown since Jordan's retirement. Up 2-0, New York was on the brink of overtime and possibly sealing the series in Game 3. You know the rest. Scottie didn't get what he wanted, Toni did. There weren't any more arguments after that.
#18. "Full Bloom"
Game 1, 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/18/2009
Rookies are supposed to be a bundle of nerves in their first playoff game. Sweaty palms, short of breath, and whatnot. Derrick Rose, Rookie of the Year, scored a record 36 points along with 11 assists in his playoff debut, leading his team to victory over the defending champs. People are different, I suppose.
#17. "Winning Time"
Game 7, 1998 Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/31/1998
If they had to go, they were going out their way and Reggie Miller sure as hell wasn't going to stop them. Though Chicago would go on to play one of their worst games, they never wanted it more and that was enough.
#16. "The Dunk"
Game 6, 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Date: 5/20/1994
Stunned by a late whistle from Hue Hollins that cost them Game 5, the Bulls had little time to regroup before facing elimination by a hungry New York team. How would they respond? A 14-point win, capped off by one of the most disrespectful acts involving a basketball in league history. Dunking on Patrick Ewing was a rite of passage, but no one did it quite like this. Not even Michael.
#15. "Against the Wall"
Game 4, 1993 Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/31/1993
The Knicks were the championship favorites that year. The Knicks went up 2-0 in the series. Dogged by gambling rumors during games 1 and 2, Michael Jordan shot poorly again in Game 3. Would he be able to summon another vintage performance to save Chicago from the brink of disaster? You bet.
#14. "The Takeover"
Game 4, 1993 NBA Finals
Date: 6/16/1993
The Bulls were two wins away from the first threepeat in 30 years. The Suns weren't known for their defense. Michael Jordan was the most unstoppable scorer the league had seen since Wilt. This was bound to happen.
#12. "The Bad Girls Club"
Game 4, 1991 Eastern Conference Finals
Date: 5/27/1991
The Detroit Pistons tortured the Bulls for years. Shoved them, tripped them, fouled them, but most importantly, they beat them. So when Chicago swept Detroit en route to their first ever Finals appearance, it was sweet revenge. Watching the Pistons sulk off of their own floor without shaking hands? Just icing on the cake.
#11. "Back-to-Back. Again"
Game 6, 1997 NBA Finals
Date: 6/13/1997
The last championship celebration in the United Center, compliments of Steve Kerr. Well, Michael helped a little...
#10. "The Benchwarmers' Comeback"
Game 6, 1992 NBA Finals
Date: 6/14/1992
Stacey King. Scott Williams. Bobby Hansen. They were just empty uniforms that filled out the roster, right? But led by Scottie Pippen, with MJ on the bench, the Jordanaires erased a 15-point 4th quarter deficit and earned their place in Chicago sporting lore as the Bulls captured their second championship.
#9. "A Spectacular Move!"
Game 2, 1991 NBA Finals
Date: 6/5/1991
In his first Finals game, Michael Jordan wasn't very Jordanesque. Ball in hand, with the game on the line, Jordan faked right, drove left, pulled up...and missed? Not exactly the stuff that sells Gatorade. So in Game 2, MJ responded like only he could. 33 points and 13 assists, including 13 consecutive field goals and a Marv Albert-endorsed highlight for the ages.
#8. "The Shrug"
Game 1, 1992 NBA Finals
Date: 6/5/1992
The league needed a new rivalry. Magic and Bird were past their primes and Zeke's Bad Boys weren't as bad as they used to be. So when Clyde Drexler and the Trailblazers emerged from the Western Conference, the story was supposed to be that Michael had met his match. Drexler was almost equally athletic, a fierce competitor and...um, a better shooter? The league needed a new storyline.
#7. "Who's Open?"
Game 5, 1991 NBA Finals
Date: 6/12/1991
The Bulls were one game away from their first championship and...well, let's just have Jerry Reinsdorf tell the rest. "The score, I believe, was 93-93, give or take a point. Phil calls a time-out, and he looks at Michael and he says, "Michael, who's open?" Michael gives him a blank stare. He puts his hands on Michael'€™s shoulders and he says, "Michael, who'€™s open?" Michael says, "Paxson." Phil says, "Get him the fucking ball." Paxson scores 10 points after that, and we win going away."
#6. "Threepeat"
Game 6, 1993 NBA Finals
Date: 6/20/1993
The Phoenix Suns were tough, Charles Barkley was the MVP, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had played a tremendous amount of games the previous two years, including two NBA Finals and the Barcelona Olympics. "Threepeat" was trademarked, but hadn't been done in the NBA since Bill Russell's Celtics. Well.
#5. "This One's For Daddy"
Game 6, 1996 NBA Finals
Date: 6/16/1996
The world mourned with Michael Jordan when he lost his father in 1993. Three years later, it was only right that we celebrated his first championship since returning to basketball on Father's Day.
#4. "The Flu Game"
Game 5, 1997 NBA Finals
Date: 6/11/1997
Most of us couldn't score 38 points in a video game if we had the flu. Michael did it in a pivotal Game 5 on the road. God bless him.
#3. "Garden Party"
Game 3, 1986 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 4/20/1986
"It was God disguised as Michael Jordan" -Larry Bird. No arguments here...
#2. "The Shot"
Game 5, 1989 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Date: 5/7/1989
The Bulls played Cleveland six times that year during the regular season. They didn't win once. But that didn't stop Michael Jordan from guaranteeing a victory in their first-round matchup. Chicago sportswriters disagreed, picking the Cavs to win the series in 3, 4, or 5 games. Jordan didn't forget it. He stopped at Lacy and said, “We took care of you.” Then he pointed at Kent and said, “We took care of you.” And then he pointed at Sam Smith and said, “Today, we take care of you.” Message received.
#1. "The Last Shot"
Game 6, 1998 NBA Finals
Date: 6/14/1998
Michael, Scottie, and Dennis' last game as teammates. Phil's last game as their coach. Chicago's last championship. The most clutch moment of all time. Did you really think we would pick something else?