The 1996 Chicago Bulls are widely considered the greatest team in NBA history. Winning 72 games as well as the championship, the Bulls celebrated Michael Jordan’s first full season after his return from retirement in style. The team added Dennis Rodman to the roster along with a few key role players, making it one of the most complete outfits any franchise in the history of the league has put onto the court.
The NBA is no stranger to legendary teams, past eras are filled with a litany of rosters that were unbeatable in their own right. These teams were led by the best players to ever play just game, just as the Bulls were led by Michael Jordan. And the biggest names before MJ became the phenomenon he was were Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J.
All 3 played against Jordan in the 80s, Bird even swept his team with his own Celtics, but by the 90s, it had become clear that MJ was in a league of his own. Towards the end of the 1996 season, the Bulls were on the cusp of a historic title, one they clinched. And it was at this time that Magic, Bird, and Dr. J all got together on television to discuss their achievements.
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Larry Bird: “Well, I think this Bulls team is one of the best teams I’ve ever seen. You think that team is so special they can beat anybody. After watching the Bulls over and over again this year, I think that they rank up there with some of the best that ever played. And they have to be because they won 70-something games.“
Julius Erving: “Well, they don’t have a steady diet of those two teams (The 80s Celtics and Lakers), but they certainly have Orlando, they have the New York Knicks, the Indiana Pacers, and you can’t say little about the Houston Rockets.”
Magic Johnson: “I think it’s definitely one of the best teams of all time in basketball. Only because they can go out and pressure you, full-court, denying you, taking you out of your offense. So they’re definitely one of the best teams of all time.”
Suffice it to say that Michael Jordan and his Bulls were sufficiently respected by the greatest players to play the game before His Airness. The vote of confidence was not misplaced either, Magic has christened him the GOAT after all. Not only did the Bulls win the championship in 1996, but they also went on to win two more, completing their second three-peat of the decade.
