The Chicago Bulls in the 1990s enjoyed a run of dominance that the game of basketball will likely never see again. Michael Jordan led the franchise to six titles between 1991 to 1998, losing only one playoff series with Jordan in that span. In March 1997, Sports Illustrated featured Jordan and the Bulls on the cover with a story wondering if they were so good that it was hurting the NBA.
The cover features a gigantic Jordan playing a game of keep-away with other stars around the NBA such as Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Patrick Ewing, and Gary Payton.
The cover with the accompanying story came out in March 1997, three months before Jordan and the Bulls would win their fifth championship together. They were coming off the historic 1995-96 season where the team went 72-10 in the regular season before winning it all in the Finals. They were a cut above the entire NBA and nobody could stop them.
The main tenet of the story comes from a Danny Ainge quote where he theorized that the NBA would be better after the Bulls break up because more teams in the NBA would be incentivized to compete.
“It’ll be better when the Bulls break up. More teams will feel they have a chance to win it all.”
Unfortunately for Ainge, Jordan and the Bulls didn’t break up immediately after the story. After winning the 1997 Finals, Jordan along with Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, and more accomplished a historic second three-peat by winning the 1998 Finals.
Michael Jordan And Phil Jackson Shared Their Philosophy On Harmony And Success
This story features quotes from the focal point of the Bulls at the time, Michael Jordan and head coach Phil Jackson. Jordan discussed with Sports Illustrated how the players and staff manage their success and fame.
“Every facet of our team has its own little support group. You have Phil’s Zen followers. Dennis has his followers. I have mine, and Scottie has his. Even Jud [Buechler] has his. Winning brings more attention, but it has to do with the personalities.”
Jackson revolutionized NBA coaching by implementing a system that not only gave his team structure but also the opportunity for his extremely talented superstars to improvise if the situation demanded for it. The story contains a quote where Cavaliers point guard Terrell Brandon says that there is the same amount of play-calling in the NBA as in the NFL, a truly laughable notion nowadays.
Jackson gave a perspective on coaching which is the NBA norm today but was groundbreaking in the ’90s.
“There’s a reason there’s so much coach control today. When you have young, inexperienced teams, you have situations in which coaches are afraid to let the players play. There are more talented, skilled players than ever. But that doesn’t necessarily add up to better teams.”
The story is a great capsule showing how the league was perceived by writers, players, and fans in the 1990s. The success and popularity of Jordan and the Bulls transformed the sport. Players, coaches, and managers were aware of the rare status the franchise had earned. No team has replicated that success or aura since and we may never see one do it again.
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