June 12, 1991: The Chicago Bulls, and their superstar Michael Jordan, finally get their validation.
The Bulls were founded in 1966, the 3rd NBA team in Chicago. The Chicago Stags were a founding member in 1946, played in Chicago Stadium on the West Side, and won the Western Division title in 1947, losing the 1st Finals to the Philadelphia Warriors. They played 4 seasons, and made the Playoffs each time. But in the 1950 off-season, an attempted takeover by Harlem Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein, and an intended "rebrand" as the Chicago Bruins, failed, and the NBA foreclosed on the team.
In 1961, Saperstein tried again, founding the American Basketball League, with the Chicago Majors as his flagship team, playing at the Stadium. This prompted NBA President Maurice Podoloff to create his league's first expansion team, as opposed to a team absorbed in a merger.
With the Stadium unavailable, he put them in the International Amphitheatre, on the South Side, near the famed stockyards. However, this led to the team being named the Chicago Packers, and Chicago Bears fans, trained to hate the Green Bay Packers, wanted nothing to do with them, and low attendance combined with poor performance, dooming them to an 18-62 record. The next year, they moved a few blocks north, to the Chicago Coliseum, and were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs. Although Terry Dischinger was named Rookie of the Year, they were just 25-55 in 1962-63, and were moved, becoming the Baltimore Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards.
The Bulls were founded as an expansion team in 1966. After playing their 1st season at the Amphitheatre, they moved to the Stadium, where they remained until 1994, when the United Center opened across the street. The Bulls were respectable immediately, making the Playoffs their 1st 2 seasons, and in 8 of their 1st 9. In 1975, they won the Midwest Division, and reached the Western Conference Finals. They went into a down period, which included a switch in 1981 to the Eastern Conference and the Central Division.
In 1984, the Bulls drafted guard Michael Jordan out of North Carolina. He was pushed by Nike as the champion of their sneakers, the Air Jordan having been designed to sell under his name. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985, but injuries limited him to 18 regular-season games in 1985-86.
In the Playoffs that season, he scored 63 points in a double-overtime Playoff game against the Boston Celtics, the most points ever scored at the Boston Garden. But the Celtics won. The next-best player on the Bulls was John Paxson, a guard from Notre Dame, acquired that year from the San Antonio Spurs.
Jordan won the Slam-Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game in 1987, and again in 1988 on his home court at Chicago Stadium. He hit a series-winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989. He was becoming the most-hyped player in the NBA.
Nike even put him in its "Bo Knows" commercial for the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game: Kirk Gibson said, "Bo knows baseball," and Jim Everett said, "Bo knows football," both of which Bo Jackson was then playing at an All-Star level, but Jordan said, "Bo knows basketball, too," even though he hadn't played the sport since high school. Still, though, both Jordan and Jackson had fallen short as far as team success were concerned, and Jackson never would achieve team success.
Jordan was becoming the most overrated athlete in America. People were fawning over his dunks, but team success wasn't coming. So Bulls general manager Jerry Krause went to work. He drafted 2 forwards for the 1987-88 season: Central Arkansas' Scottie Pippen and Clemson's Grant. He also traded for New York Knicks center Bill Cartwright for the 1988-89 season. For the 1989-90 season, Doug Collins was fired as head coach, and assistant coach Phil Jackson, a former Knicks star, was promoted. Krause drafted Iowa guard B.J. Armstrong. But in 1989 and '90, the Bulls lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons.
In 1990-91, the Bulls went 61-21, winning the Central Division. In the Playoffs, they swept the Knicks in 3 straight. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1. And they decisively dethroned the Pistons, ending their run of Eastern Conference titles at 3 straight and NBA titles at 2, sweeping them in 4 straight, the 4th game a 115-94 thumping at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
They would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. This was the Lakers' 9th Finals berth in 12 years, and they'd already won 5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was retired, but they still had Earvin "Magic" Johnson, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and Mychal Thompson, and had added Vlade Divac and Sam Perkins. The Bulls had the home-court advantage. But with their experience, the Lakers took home-court advantage away, winning Game 1 in Chicago, 93-91, despite 36 points from Jordan.
Then the Bulls took over. In Game 2, Jordan scored 33, including a mid-air, switch-handed layup that NBC's Marv Albert called "a spectacular move by Michael Jordan!" The Bulls won, 107-86. The series moved out to The Forum in Inglewood, California, and Game 3 went to overtime. But the Bulls pulled away, and won, 104-96. The Lakers were as good as dead: The Bulls won Game 4, 97-82; and wrapped up the title in Game 5, 108-101. Jordan was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals.
It was the 1st NBA Championship for any Chicago team. Moreover, it allowed Chicago to join New York, Philadelphia and Detroit as 1 of only 4 cities to have won a World Series, an NFL Championship, a Stanley Cup and an NBA Championship.
With the Sting having done it in 1981 and 1984, it allowed Chicago to join New York and Philadelphia as 1 of only 3 cities to have won titles in each of the "Big Four" North American sports and major league soccer. With Loyola University having done it in 1963, it allowed Chicago to join New York and Philadelphia as 1 of only 3 cities to have won titles in each of the "Big Four" North American sports and a college basketball National Championship. (As of the 2025-26 season, those totals are now, respectively: 10, 7 and 5.)
The 1st half of Michael Jordan's career, roughly, had come to an end with him finally getting his validation as a World Champion. The 2nd half would bring more stories, some glorious, some odd, all legendary.
UPDATE: The Bulls have a Ring of Honor. From the pre-Jordan era, they have honored guards Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, center Artis Gilmore, and team owner Dick Klein. They have retired Sloan's Number 4 and Love's Number 10, but not Van Lier's Number 2, Walker's Number 25 or Gilmore's Number 53.
From the Jordan era, they have honored guards John Paxson and Michael Jordan; forwards Toni Kukoč, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman; and center Bill Cartwright. They have retired Jordan's Number 23 and Pippen's Number 33, but not Paxson's Number 5, Kukoč's Number 7, Cartwright's Number 24, Grant's Number 54 or Rodman's Number 91. They have also honored head coach Phil Jackson, assistant coaches Morice "Tex" Winter and Johnny Bach, general manager Jerry Krause, and broadcasters Johnny "Red" Kerr and Neil Funk. And they have honored the 1995-96 team as a whole.
They have not yet inducted any post-Jordan players, but they have retired Number 1 for guard Derrick Rose.
*
June 12, 1991 was a Wednesday. These Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lose to the Minnesota Twins, 6-3 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Allan Anderson outpitches Jeff Johnson, who gives up a 1st inning grand slam to Pedro Muñoz. Chuck Knoblauch goes 3-for-5, on his way to helping the Twins win the World Series. He will be named American League Rookie of the Year, and eventually become part of a new Yankee Dynasty. For the Yankees, Jesse Barfield hits 2 home runs, and Don Mattingly goes 1-for-4.
* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-1 at Shea Stadium. Steve Avery not only outpitched Ron Darling, he went 4-for-4 in his own cause. The only Met run came on a home run by Howard Johnson.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Cincinnati Reds, 10-9 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
* The Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles, 9-8 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Danny Tartabull led off the top of the 10th inning with a home run. George Brett did not play. Cal Ripken went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Barry Bonds went 1-for-2 with 2 walks.
* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians, 1-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The only run scored when the Jays' Joe Carter, against his former team, singled Devon White home in the 1st inning. Tom Candiotti went the distance, giving up only 3 hits. But he was outpitched by 4 Toronto pitchers: Mike Timlin allowed 1 hit and 2 walks over 6 innings, Bob MacDonald allowed a hit in the 7th, Jim Acker got the 1st 2 outs in the 8th, and Tom Henke was perfect the rest of the way, to complete the 2-hit shutout.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants, 6-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* The Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.
* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2 at the Astrodome in Houston.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the California Angels, 8-0 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Teddy Higuera, a Mexican lefthander with a screwball, started against his role model, Fernando Valenzuela. Higuera went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, and striking out 10. Julio Machado over 2 innings and Dan Plesac over 1 completed the 4-hit shutout.
Paul Molitor went 3-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Robin Yount went 4-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs. For the Angels, Dave Winfield went 1-for-4.
* The San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-2 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Tony Gwynn went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
* The Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-1 at the Oakland Coliseum. Rickey Henderson went 0-for-3 with a walk.
* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and 3 RBIs.
No comments:
Post a Comment