"It's insane" - Nick Wright on the Michael Jordan nostalgia that drives comparisons between 1996 Chicago Bulls & 2017 Golden State Warriors
Nick Wright of FOX Sports has said that Michael Jordan's 1996 Chicago Bulls is one of the best teams in NBA history. However, the 2017 Golden State Warriors were better.
Jordan's Bulls team won 72 games that season as they brought home a fourth NBA championship in six years. One of the ongoing debates is whether the 2017 Golden State Warriors with four All-Stars could have beaten Jordan and the 1996 Bulls.
Stephen Curry recently opened up on the topic during an appearance on GQ Sports' Actually Me series on YouTube. He said that the 2017 Warriors team comprising him, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant would have beaten the 1996 Bulls in six games in a seven-game series,
"Absolutely. Obviously, we will never know. But you put us on paper with them, I like our chances. I say Dubs and six," Curry said.
‘96 Bulls vs. ‘17 Warriors
“Dubs in 6” - Steph Curry https://t.co/7s3GckXDaq
Nick Wright of FOX Sports chimed in on the debate. He says that Michael Jordan nostalgia clouds the fact that his 1996 Bulls team were not better than the 2017 Warriors.
Wright thinks it's insane to even compare the 1996 Bulls with the 2017 Warriors, because Golden State clearly had the better team, saying:
"The MJ nostalgia is SO strong that folks are actually arguing that the ‘96 Bulls could put a 5 out there to compete with KD-Steph-Klay-Draymond-Iggy. It’s insane," Wright wrote on Twitter.
The MJ nostalgia is SO strong that folks are actually arguing that the ‘96 Bulls could put a 5 out there to compete with KD-Steph-Klay-Draymond-Iggy. It’s insane. twitter.com/ftfonfs1/statu…
Wright pointed out that the 2016 Warriors, among the greatest teams ever, added Kevin Durant to their roster the next season. The Warriors coasted through the season and the playoffs, going 15-1 to win their second NBA championship in three years.
Comparing Michael Jordan's 1996 Bulls with the 2017 Golden State Warriors
Without a doubt, the 1996 Bulls and 2017 Warriors are two of the best teams in NBA history. Both teams won the championship, with the Bulls dominating the regular season, while the Warriors were almost unbeatable in the playoffs.
Michael Jordan's Bulls finished the regular season with a 72-10 record, while the Warriors went 67-15. However, both teams finished with the best record in the league that season, and were atop their respective conferences. In the playoffs, though, the Bulls went 15-3 against the Warriors' 16-1.
Too much talent.
After crunching the numbers and blending the eras, @tomhaberstroh says the 2017 Warriors would beat the 1996 Bulls in a series bit.ly/34ZWa0U https://t.co/z2oCirsCoo
In terms of playoff opponents, the 1996 Bulls had to go through the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Seattle SuperSonics.
Meanwhile, the Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers en route to their title. Their only playoff loss that season came against the Cavaliers in the finals.
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan and the Bulls had to go through Hall of Famers such as Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton. Meanwhile, the Warriors faced Damian Lillard, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Kevin Love and LeBron James.
Nobody from planet Earth was beating Michael that year. twitter.com/espnnba/status…
Now, let's take a look at the 1996 Bulls and 2017 Warriors rosters. The Bulls had a starting five consisting of Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Luc Longley. Their bench depth included Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr and Bill Wellington.
Meanwhile, the Warriors' starting lineup comprised Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia. In comparison to the Bulls, Golden State seemingly had a deeper rotation with players such as Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, David West, Ian Clark and JaVale McGee.
"I've got the 1996 Bulls in this series. I respect Steph for being honest about it, but he's honestly wrong. ... These Bulls were 1st in the league offensively & 1st defensively. That team, bc of its defense, would be able to beat the 2017 Warriors." — @Chris_Broussard https://t.co/mLjQPN9UnZ
However, as mentioned by Curry, we will never know which team is the better one. The two teams are from different NBA eras.
In the 90s, the league was more physical, and the pace of games was slower. The current era is fast-paced, and defense is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, it's still fun to think about who would win between the Jordan-led 1996 Bulls and 2017 superteam Warriors.