When people would talk about sports in the 1990s, the first thing that comes to mind would be basketball and the NBA. During the 1970s, the NBA was dying and was in need of good entertainment to try and sell itself as a brand again. That’s when the 1980s came in, specifically Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
- "Magic vs. Bird"
These two redefined the game of basketball. Magic was the flashy showman of the Lakers while Bird was the hard-nosed, blue-collar worker of the Celtics. These two started a rivalry so strong that it was able to bring attention back to the NBA and every time the Lakers and the Celtics were playing, people would be looking at Magic and Bird.
When the 1990s were looming, people were thinking who would be able to carry the torch once Magic and Bird would retire. This is where the Chicago Bulls would come in and when everyone says Chicago Bulls, the person that comes to mind would immediately be Michael Jordan.
- Jordan as a rookie
At the start of his career when the Bulls drafted him in 1983, Jordan never disappointed the fans wherever he went. He was one of the most prolific scorers the NBA had at the time and you could say he was a “Slammin’” dude. Eventually in his career, being a flashy scorer was not enough for Jordan and he was now hungry for a championship. Through the course of 1987-1990, the Bulls would fall to the Detroit Pistons every time and the Pistons would go on to the NBA Finals each of those times. The veteran Pistons tested the young and hungry Bulls each time and the Bulls never seem to be able to get through this obstacle.
- Magic vs. Jordan
During 1991 however, everything would change. The Bulls finally defeat their biggest rivals in the Pistons and they went on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. It would be a different kind of Finals scene wherein we see a veteran Magic on one side and a young and hungry Jordan on the other. This Finals series would be nothing more than the passing of the torch on who would become the top dog in the NBA.
- Chicago Bulls's 6 Championship Rings
The Bulls would finally capture their first NBA Championship and Michael Jordan claimed his rightful spot as the best player in the NBA. Over the course of 8 years, the Bulls went on to win 5 more championships, gaining six(1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) in total, and all of those championship teams included Michael Jordan and you could say everything was “Aiight” in the NBA.
Let’s get one thing straight, Michael Jordan did not do it on his own. Jordan may be a hall-of-famer but ask any hall-of-famer and not one of them would say that they did it alone. In fact, no one can do it alone. Every superstar in basketball needs an amazing supporting cast in order to win a championship and Jordan had that. Two of his biggest supporters in the Bulls Dynasty would be Phil Jackson andScottie Pippen. These three men were the constants in every championship win the Bulls had. Without these three guys, the Bulls may not have been able to pull it off.
- Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls for all those championship years. He was the man behind the Triangle offense, which was an offense that devastated defenses all over the league. He was the man that kept Michael in check and all those years, he never let Michael down. After the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson went on to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and he led them to five championships giving him 11 championship wins as a coach.
- Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen was Jordan’s right hand man in the team. Whenever Jordan could not deliver, he could always count on Pippen to pick up some slack for him. What some people don’t realize though is that Pippen didn’t pattern his game after Jordan so that he could be able to compensate for Jordan’s scoring when he couldn’t get going, but he did more than that. Pippen went through all of those years being beaten down by the Pistons just as Jordan did and it led him to try and improve his game. He already knew he could be effective offensively so he trained himself hard mentally and defensively and it was his defense and mental strength that helped the Bulls overcome the Pistons and go on to win six championships. Scottie Pippen is now a hall-of-famer along with Jordan and he is considered to be one of the best (if not the best) role players in NBA history.
There are also many other players that has been part of the Bulls supporting cast like Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, Will Perdue, BJ Armstrong and many others. Whatever they contributed, whether it was shooting, defense, rebounding, all of them played their part in winning championships for the Bulls. In the decade of the 1990s, the Chicago Bulls proved that they are the most successful team in the NBA, if not the whole world then, by winning 6 championships. Through their hard work and determination, they showed just why they were “The Bomb!”
- 1998 Chicago Bulls
This has been your homey Mark Javellana, keeping it fresh.
Sources:
- Cunningham, S. (Photographer). (1983). Michael Jordan [Photograph] Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/jordanhof_rookie_090825.html
- [Untitled picture of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson]. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://www.allposters.es/-sp/Michael-Jordan-Magic-Johnson-1990-Action-Posters_i7599124_.htm
- Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals [Photograph]. (2010). Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://www.hbo.com/sports/magic-and-bird-a-courtship-of-rivals/index.html
- [Untitled picture of the Chicago Bulls' six championship rings]. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://sportsfixchicago.com/2010/09/08/mayor-daleys-legacy/
- Simoneau, S. (Photographer). (1996). Phil Jackson [Photograph]. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://www.pe.com/multimedia/slideshow/2009/20090604_phil/pages/07philjackson02a_aparchive.html
- Bernstein, A. (Photographer). (1998). Jordan & Pippen [Photograph]. June 23, 2011, from: http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/jordanhof_pippen_090910.html
- [Untitled photograph of the 1998 Chicago Bulls team]. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from: http://www.cchs165.jacksn.k12.il.us/sep/SEP2010/webpractice/student1/page5.htm
- Grosvener, C. (2008). Terms of the 90s, Slang of the Nineties. Retrieved June23, 2011, from: http://www.inthe90s.com/generated/terms.shtml
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