"We wanted to be the team that retired Michael Jordan" - Reggie Miller speaks about the greatness and legacy of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls dynasty
Michael Jordan's 1995-95 Chicago Bulls are referred to as the greatest team in NBA history to date for their performance in the regular season and playoffs. Although the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors had a better regular-season record (73-9), their collapse in the 2016 Finals after going 3-1 up in the series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will always be a dent in their campaign.
The Bulls dynasty is perhaps the most feared in league history, with several teams lining up to quell their dominance. Although the Detroit Pistons successfully shut down MJ earlier in his career, he was unstoppable when he hit full gear.
NBA TV's "Open Court" brought together some legends in the sport to discuss the Bulls dynasty. Sports announcer Kevin Harlan explained how Jordan passed the torch to Kobe Bryant.
In that same discussion, former all-time 3-point leader Reggie Miller talked about his team's ambition to fill the void after Jordan retired in 1998. When asked how much the league changed after Jordan left, Miller said:
"First of all, you're bringing up a lot of mixed emotions here when you talk about those Chicago Bulls and those Indiana Pacers. Look, we wanted to be the team to retire Michael Jordan. And that seven-game epic conference finals, we poured everything out. We threw everything in the kitchen sink at Chicago, and the greatness came through.
"Everyone always says, 'Who is going to be the next Michael Jordan?' They said that about Grant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James. Wasn't fair to those guys because those guys are unbelievable players who brought their own very unique talents to the game.
"There will only be one Michael Jordan. And we tried everything to send him to Cancun, and he had other plans, along with Scottie (Pippen) and Phil Jackson and the rest of those – Steve Kerr. But I don't know if a lot changed. I know the influence the Chicago had on the Lakers, and Kobe and Shaq, and them three-peating."
"We wanted to be the team that retired Michael Jordan."
@ReggieMillerTNT discusses the greatness of Michael Jordan's Bulls dynasty and the lasting impacts it had on a special Open Court discussion presented by @CDWCorp https://t.co/naegFILsZm
The Bulls dynasty was dismantled in 1998 by then-general manager Jerry Krause, making their chance at a four-peat a question that looms to this day. No team was able to stop the freight train led by Jordan, but they were unable to continue their dominance following what was an upsetting end to the team.
Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to two three-peats from 1991 to 1998
Two seasons before winning his first championship, Jordan's primary challenge was overcoming the "Bad Boy" Pistons. They did everything possible, including what many will call physical assault, to stop Jordan.
Michael Jordan won the 1988 NBA Dunk Contest 34 years ago today. He also did a few other things that season 🐐 https://t.co/KDuvilD5sl
However, MJ took things personally in 1991, sweeping the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals to reach his first NBA Finals appearance. The 1991 championship was the first of six total championships "His Airness" won during his 15-year career.
After Jordan had a taste of what winning a championship felt like, there was no stopping him. He won three consecutive titles for his first three-peat before retiring to play minor league baseball. He missed the entire 1993-94 season and returned in 1995, playing only 17 games to end the season.
In 1996, the 72-10 Bulls overcame the Seattle Supersonics in the Finals to clinch their fourth title (first of the second three-peat).