The Bulls' 72-win season

[Real Deal]

http://www.nba.com/features/9596bulls_bestever.html

 

http://www.nba.com/media/bulls_2000_mosaic.jpg

 

You may recall that team with their 72 wins and Finals title. You may remember their global icon, Michael Jordan and his NBA All-First Team compatriot Scottie Pippen. Then you had Phil Jackson as Coach of the Year, Toni Kukoc winning the Sixth Man Award and Dennis Rodman -- oh, Dennis Rodman -- winning his fifth rebounding title.

 

From the beginning of the 1995-96 season, everything seemed to click for the Bulls. They were 10-1 out of the blocks, then 23-2, then suddenly, after an 18-game win streak, 41-3. Did you see that: 41-3! (That's a .931 clip.) Incredible.

 

They reached 60-8 (.882) with 14 games to play. At this point, getting 70 and besting the 69-win record set by those amazing 1971-72 Lakers seemed to be inevitable. After a six-game win streak (their third of that exact length that season), the Bulls lost and stood at 66-9 (.880). But if they could win 88 percent of their games, they could surely go 4-3 to ensure 70 wins.

 

As it turned out, the Bulls did not suffer from fatigue or pressure or over-confidence. When they won No. 70, 86-80 in Milwaukee on April 16, it was historic, not surprising.

PTS/G: 105.2 (1st of 29) ▪ Opp PTS/G: 92.9 (3rd of 29)

SRS: 11.80 (1st of 29) ▪ Pace: 91.1 (20th of 29)

Off Rtg: 115.2 (1st of 29) ▪ Def Rtg: 101.8 (1st of 29)

 

To date, no other team has won 70 or more games.

 

1995-96 Bulls: 72-10

1971-72 Lakers: 69-13

1996-97 Bulls: 69-13

1972-73 Celtics: 68-14

1966-67 Sixers: 68-13

1999-00 Lakers: 67-15

1991-92 Bulls: 67-15

1985-86 Celtics: 67-15

2006-07 Mavs: 67-15

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1996.html

 

Coach - Phil Jackson (Coach of the Year)

C - Luc Longley

PF - Dennis Rodman (fifth rebounding title)

SF - Scottie Pippen (All-NBA 1st Team)

SG - Michael Jordan (MVP)

PG - Ron Harper

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PF - Toni Kukoc (Sixth Man of the Year)

 

Their season included an 18-game winning streak, which was part of the 41-3 record they were holding before losing two consecutive games in the first week of February (one loss because of Barkley).

 

Jordan had eight 40+ point games during the season, with one 50+ point game (53 vs. Hill and the Pistons). He struggled a bit against Payton in the Finals, where Chicago would suffer only their second two-game losing streak of the year, but the Bulls capped off the season with a title, and a fourth Finals MVP for Mike.

 

Greatest team ever? How long will we have to wait before another team wins at least 70 games? I'm curious as to how many people were actually watching basketball religiously during this season. I saw a ton of those Bulls games on WGN.

[Oliver P]

Yeah I remember that season pretty well... It was totally amazing indeed. We basketball fans were all very curious to see at what level would Jordan and the Bulls play that year. Jordan's return in March 95 (March 19th if I remember correctly... it was a sunday I'm sure of that, against the Pacers, one of the greatest days of my life haha) raised a lot of questions. As a matter of fact if Jordan played at quite a good level at the end of the 95 season (especially for someone who hadn't played at all for almost two years...) he still wasn't the same player as he used to be. And the Bulls, with the departure of Grant, were way too much weak inside to be a real contender that year anyhow. A lot of people thought that Jordan would never be the same. I didn't. I was sure that he would get back to his true self. He still had some great games that year anyhow, his fifth game against the Knicks for example, in Madison, in which he scored 55 points, it was a NBA record at the time, no one had ever scored 55 against the Knicks in Madison... It was also the record for the most points in one game this season, I think Willy Burton had that record till then... And Jordan made his team win by passing the ball to Wennington, who was alone by the rim after Ewing decided to double team Jordan... And Starks who stupidly fell and lost the ball in the last play... I still have this game on tape, great game, I was glad to see Jordan play at such a great level again, but very disappointed to see us lose, especially that way... Well anyway it was obvious with that game that Jordan still got it (no one expected him to do that after only five games) but he still had too many ups and downs. He and his teams got better and better nonetheless but in the end he didn't reach a good enough level, and the Bulls were too weak inside, to beat the young Magic. Nick Anderson even said during that series that the n°45 was clearly not as good as the n°23... Which is the first reason why Jordan got his number 23 back in that series. But it wasn't enough...

 

Anyway so there were many questions concerning the Bulls that year. People were very curious to see at what level they would play. Jordan had worked like a madman during the whole summer, and the Bulls found the player they needed inside in Dennis Rodman (incidently one of my three favorite players ever). Besides Pippen and Kukoc finally got along that year (Pip wasn't jealous of Tony any longer..). Although the only problem that the team had was Kukoc in fact, Phil used him as a sixth man but Kukoc hated that, he wanted to start. Phil wanted to use him as a PF too but Tony hated that too as he was a pure SF... But he had to as, other than Rodman, the only two PFs that the Bulls had were Caffey and Simpkins... But everythying eventually went well as Kukoc was named sixth man of the year. The other problem was Ron Harper. As a matter of fact when Ron arrived in Chicago the year before he totally lost his basketball. He was just lost in the triangle. Jackson had the idea to use him as the PG (the triangle does not need a real PG anyhow, Pippen, Jordan and Kukoc got the ball up court many times too anyway) and Harper finally adapted to his new team that year. Surprisingly as a defensive specialist. And now everything was ready for a great year. I'll always remember the first Bulls game that year (I still got it on tape as well), it was against the Hornets. And that game answered all our questions rightaway. The Bulls played rightaway at a huge level, they were fantastic, it was delightful to watch them play. And Jordan scored 45 points in that game (if I remember correctly). All the pieces fitted together right from the first game. The Bulls won their first ten games and I knew that this season would be great to watch.

 

Anyway due to the Bulls fantastic level that year people talked more and more about the 70 wins. Something that seemed impossible to do... Every time the Bulls were asked about that topic, they all said that they didn't care one bit about it, that all what mattered to them was the ring... It was obviously not true, they clearly thought about it themselves.. And when it happened it was just magic. What a fantastic season for them... And for Jordan who did something that no one ever done before him, he got back in the best league in the world at the age of 32, after two years without playing, and get back to his best level (some said that Jordan was actually even better than before, I tend to believe it as well) and win another ring. He was named MVP of the All Star (although Shaq should have won it) and MVP of the season that year. Unbelievable. Or rather unbelievaBulls... And in the playoffs the Bulls kept on dominating everyone. They lost only one game (to the New York Knicks) until the Finals. And no one was surprised to see them destroy Seattle 3-0. Everyone was sure that the Sonics would get swept. But, surprisingly, the Sonics suddenly woke up in the 4th game. They play like never before in those Finals and blew out the Bulls ! Thanks to the return of the injured Nate McMillan, they were literally transformed. It's like we were watching a new team in games 4 and 5... But the Bulls eventually won in game 6 on... father's day.. What a great day for Jordan to make such an accomplishment.

 

And Jordan was named MVP of the Finals for the fourth time of his career. Well deserved, even if it was his less good performance in the Finals ever though... Payton's huge defense certainly had something to do with it but I do not believe that it was the main reason at the same time. The first reason why he had his less good stats (still very impressive nonetheless) was just because his teammates were the best he ever had, they had their momentum the whole year long and Jordan just didn't need to do what he did in the other Finals. He still deserved to be MVP nonetheless. Although I would have personally named him and Rodman co MVP. What Rodman did in those Finals was just beyong belief, for me these Finals is Rodman's career highlights (I'm sure Brickowsky sill remembers it haha). His defense was just as important as Jordan's offense in those Finals. Yeah they should have been co MVP for sure.

 

Anyhow this season is definitely one of the best seasons I ever seen. That team was just beyond belief. Best team ever ? It's hard to tell for sure, there have been so many great teams in the NBA history... But yeah I'd say they were. And I don't think that a team will ever beat their record. Although it's true that many didn't think that a team could beat the 72 Lakers record... Winning 70 seemed impossible. A 82 games season is very long, and it's almost impossible to play at the same level the whole year. Yet the Bulls did it. So it's possible. Impossible to deny it. But personally I just do not think that it will happen. This team was just fantastic.

[Real Deal]

And Jordan was named MVP of the Finals for the fourth time of his career. Well deserved, even if it was his less good performance in the Finals ever though... Payton's huge defense certainly had something to do with it but I do not believe that it was the main reason at the same time. The first reason why he had his less good stats (still very impressive nonetheless) was just because his teammates were the best he ever had, they had their momentum the whole year long and Jordan just didn't need to do what he did in the other Finals. He still deserved to be MVP nonetheless. Although I would have personally named him and Rodman co MVP. What Rodman did in those Finals was just beyong belief, for me these Finals is Rodman's career highlights (I'm sure Brickowsky sill remembers it haha). His defense was just as important as Jordan's offense in those Finals. Yeah they should have been co MVP for sure.

I wasn't really talking about Jordan's numbers across the board, mainly pointing out the bad shooting he had...three of the six games, he shot 41, 32 and 26 percent from the floor (26% in Game 6)...which is crazy considering it was Michael Jordan. Seattle did a great job slowing him down (51-123, 41% for the series).