1991 NBA Award Winners: Michael Jordan Won His Second MVP Award, Bad Boy Pistons’ Dennis Rodman Was The Defensive Player Of The Year

The 1990-91 NBA season was a beautiful time to be a basketball fan. The Detroit Pistons were just coming off of back-to-back championships, having defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 3 in the 1990 NBA Finals. 1991 would be different. This season, and decade for that matter, would be all about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. 1991 would mark the year that the Bulls would finally get past the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs and go on to win their 1st NBA Finals. It would be the 1st of 3 straight titles for Chicago and 1 of 6 in the 1990s. This wasn’t the only storyline across the NBA, however.

There were 7 new head coaches in the league, Including Mike Dunleavy Sr. taking the reins of the LA Lakers from Pat Riley. The Lakers would fail to capture the No.1 seed for the first time in a decade, yet would still be Western Conference Champions. The Minnesota Timberwolves played their first game in the Target Center and the Orlando Magic were moved to the Western Conference for one season. Another thing that made the 1990-1991 season unique was its award winners. We would get a back-to-back MVP, a back-to-back Defensive Player Of The Year, an explosive Rookie of the Year with high expectations, a Coach Of The Year at the 6th seed, and a man who broke the single-game assist record as the Most Improved Player Of The Year.

Let’s take a deeper look at all the award winners from the 1990-1991 NBA season.

Most Valuable Player – Michael Jordan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcRuItRQ6_s

2nd Place: Magic Johnson, 3rd Place: David Robinson

Michael Jordan ran away with the 2nd MVP trophy of his career after winning 891 out of a total of 960 points in the voting. Jordan deserved it too, averaging 31.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.7SPG, and 1.0 BPG. He also shot a career-high 53.9% from the floor. You can point to 1991 and say that it was by far MJ’s most complete season as a player, culminating in his first of six NBA championships.

The playoffs were no different for the G.O.A.T. as the Bulls would only lose 2 games that postseason. In the first round, they would sweep the Knicks behind 29.0 PPG from Jordan. In the 2nd round, Jordan would average 33.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 7.8 APG in a 5-game series win over the 76ers. The Bulls would then meet the team they could never beat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Detroit Pistons. This wasn’t an issue for MJ and Chicago. They couldn’t be stopped. Jordan would average 29.8 PPG in the series and The Bulls were headed to the Finals after sweeping Detroit. Jordan saved his best performance for the Finals, averaging 31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 11.4 APG en route to Finals MVP and his 1st championship.

Defensive Player Of The Year – Dennis Rodman

2nd Place: David Robinson, 3rd Place: Alvin Robertson

Dennis Rodman took home his 2nd of back-to-back Defensive Player Of The Year awards in 1991. The win for Rodman was just as unique as his personality. Rodman was the 1st and only D.P.O.Y winner to take home the award after averaging less than 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG during the season. Rodman received 51 out of a possible 96 first-place votes, which is pretty crazy considering David Robinson, who finished 2nd, averaged 3.0 BPG and 1.5 SPG.

Rodman’s impact on the defensive end goes way beyond just the numbers. No, Rodman’s impact wasn’t prevalent on the stat sheet. Rodman was as versatile as they come on defense. He was able to stay at his true position and clog the paint against some of the game’s most elite bigs while disrupting their game in the paint. This opened up not only rebounding opportunities for himself, but for his teammates as well. He could be a menace on the perimeter as well, able to pick up an opponent’s best wing or guard and stay with them and clog passing lanes. He was a force to be reckoned with and even though the numbers might not say so; he deserved the Defensive Player Of The Year.

Rookie Of The Year – Derrick Coleman

2nd Place: Lionel Simmons, 3rd Place: Dennis Scott

Derrick Coleman was the 1st pick of the 1990 NBA Draft out of Syracuse and the New Jersey Nets certainly knew what they were doing in drafting him. In his first season, Coleman averaged 18.4 PPG and 10.3 RPG while running away with the honors. The Nets were not very good in 1991, only winning 26 games, but Coleman’s impact was strong considering the team only won 17 games the previous season.

Coleman’s career in New Jersey wouldn’t last long but is forever remembered for never having a dull moment. In his 5 seasons in New Jersey, Coleman averaged 19.9 PPG and 10.6 RPG, far above his numbers with any other team he played for. Coleman was explosive, seemingly throwing down a highlight-reel dunk every single night, including an emphatic poster on Shaq in Orlando his rookie season. Coleman’s only All-Star appearance of his career came in New Jersey as well in 1994. He was also named to the All-NBA 3rd team in 1993 and 1994 with the Nets, the only times he was selected in his career.

Sixth Man Of The Year – Detlef Schrempf

2nd Place: Dan Majerle, 3rd Place: Kevin McHale

The race for Sixth Man Of The Year in 1991 was as close as it gets. Detlef Schrempf narrowly edged out Phoenix Suns shooting guard Dan Majerle with 38 1st place votes to 37. Schrempf averaged 16.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He was 3rd on the Indiana Pacers in scoring and was the team’s leading rebounder on a per-game basis for the season. Majerle, on the other hand, averaged 13.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG. Majerle was so close in the race because of his defensive efforts. He was one of the league’s top perimeter defenders, especially coming off of the bench, on a Phoenix Suns team that won 55 games.

1991 was a few seasons before Schrempf became more well known as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. It was in Indiana for 5 seasons that he would play his best all-around basketball. It was in Indiana where he would be named an All-Star for the first time, becoming the first European-born player to do so. He would also repeat as Sixth Man Of The Year in 1992, averaging 17.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 3.9 APG.

Most Improved Player – Scott Skiles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C16nL9CmZjM

2nd Place: Kevin Gamble, 3rd Place: Kenny Smith

The race for Most Improved Player was another tightly contested one with the top 3 vote-getters all receiving 20 or more first-place votes out of a possible 96. It was Scott Skiles by far who made the most improvement from the previous season. In 1990, Skiles had a mixed role on the team starting just 32 out of 70 games played. In his first season with Orlando, he averaged 7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG as the Magic won just 18 games. His 2nd season was much more productive.

In 1991, Skiles found his place with the team and started in 66 games. He averaged 17.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 8.4 APG, and the Magic improved to 31 wins on the season. This was also the season that Skiles would inject himself into the NBA record books. On December 30th, 1990, Skiles would record 30 assists in a game vs. the Denver Nuggets. Not only does the record still stand today, but no point guard has also really come close to the feat aside from John Stockton the following season with 28.

Coach Of The Year – Don Chaney

Don Chaney had been both an assistant and head coach in the NBA for 12 years before claiming Coach Of The Year in 1991. Before he got to Houston, Chaney was the head coach of the Clippers for 3 seasons and never finished with an above .500 record. That quickly changed in Houston. In his first 2 seasons with the Rockets, Chaney’s team went 86-78, which was still more wins than losses but nothing compared to the season they had in 1991.

The Rockets finished 52-30 in 1991, by far the best any of Chaney’s teams had performed in his career. Behind a solid core of Hakeem Olajuwon, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith, and Otis Thorpe, the team was headed back to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. The team ranked top 10 in points scored, field goals attempted, steals, and rebounds. Chaney had his team in shape, performing well on both sides of the ball. Although they would lose in the 1st round and Chaney would be out of Houston by the end of 1992, it was his principles and teachings that laid the groundwork for the championship teams in 1994 and 1995.

NBA Champions – Chicago Bulls

Runner-Up: Los Angeles Lakers

The Chicago Bulls blew through the competition in the regular season and playoffs to capture their first NBA championship. During the regular season, the Bulls won 61 games while being ranked toward the top in most offensive and defensive categories. They held a league-high offensive rating of 114.6, the best in the league. Their defensive rating was 105.2, good for 7th in the league. The playoffs are where they truly shined.

In the 1st round, they would take on the New York Knicks who they would make quick work of, sweeping them 3 games to 0. In the 2nd round, they would meet the Philadelphia 76ers led by Charles Barkley. The Bulls would also make quick work of the Sixers, dropping only Game 3 and winning the series 4-1. The Eastern Conference Finals was a grudge match for the ages against the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons. The Bulls were finally able to get over the proverbial hump convincingly, sweeping Detroit 4-0. The stage was set for the first meaningful matchup between Michael Jordan and The Bulls and Magic Johnson’s Lakers. Jordan and the Bulls never let the Lakers find any momentum, winning their first NBA title in 5 games. It would be the beginning of the greatest dynasty in NBA history since the 1960s Celtics.

Finals MVP – Michael Jordan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcaw2yusico

Michael Jordan’s 1991 season was historical in a variety of different ways. Jordan became the first player to win the MVP, be named an All-Star, win a scoring title, and be named 1st Team All-Defense and All-NBA in the same season. He is the only player to achieve this, and he did it three more times in his career. Before our very eyes, the league was passed over to MJ from Bird, Magic, and Isiah.

Any notion of Michael Jordan being solely a scorer was erased in the 1991 NBA Finals. Going up against Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Michael delivered a performance for the ages on offense and defense. He led his team in scoring with 31.2 PPG, including a 30-point performance in the closing Game 5 on LA’s home floor. He was 3rd in rebounding with 6.6 RPG and led his team in assists with a staggering 11.2 APG. After being named Finals MVP, MJ seemed to like the ring to it because he would go on to do it 5 more times in his career.

1991 NBA Season – All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA Teams, All-Rookie Teams, All-Defensive Teams

All-Star Game MVP – Charles Barkley

All-NBA First Team: Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, David Robinson

All-NBA Second Team: Tim Hardaway, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing

All-NBA Third Team: Mark Price, Kevin Johnson, Kevin Willis, Dennis Rodman, Brad Daugherty

All-Rookie First Team: Dee Brown, Dennis Scott, Kendall Gill, Lionel Simmons, Derrick Coleman

All-Rookie Second Team: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Gary Payton, Willie Burton, Travis Mays, Felton Spencer

All-Defensive First Team: Alvin Robertson, Michael Jordan, Buck Williams, Dennis Rodman, David Robinson

All-Defensive Second Team: Joe Dumars, Dan Majerle, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon

Next

1998 NBA Award Winners: Michael Jordan Won His Last MVP Award, Larry Bird Was Coach Of The Year

2000 NBA Award Winners: Shaquille O’Neal Won The NBA Championship, Finals MVP, MVP Award, All-Star MVP Award And Scoring Title

2004 NBA Award Winners: Kevin Garnett Was The Best Player In The League, LeBron James Started His Unbelievable Journey

2008 NBA Award Winners: Kobe Bryant Won His Only MVP Award, Kevin Durant Was Rookie Of The Year

2011 NBA Award Winners: Derrick Rose Shocked The World With The MVP Award, Dwight Howard Was The Defensive Player Of The Year