The best start to a Bulls season In how many games did the Bulls win their championships? By the time they Bulls were back to the playoffs, they were again using the rotation similar to what worked so beautifully the previous two years, albeit with Kukoc frequently filling Rodmans spot as a starter. (Won 1 Round), Lost Western Conference Semifinals Steve Kerr was the backup guard. Most notable among those was getting past the Pistons, but they also had to conquer a Lakers team accustomed to winning titles (but not used to doing it without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The Bulls have never lost a finals series (60). Chicago, Detroit, New York Rangers, Montreal & Toronto) came to Please logout and login again. Prior to the season's start, they traded Mark Jackson to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Charles Smith, Doc Rivers, and Bo Kimble. [6] The Bulls' new playoff streak ended in 2008, when the team finished fourth in their division with a 3349 record. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1996. This post will look at the dynasty of the 90s, the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led Chicago Bulls, who captured six titles in the 10 years of the decade. in 1991, 1992, 1993, and then in 1996, 1997 and 1998-- a total of The problem is, Barkley and Ceballos were injured and Dumas had his own issues. They had to deal with the powerful duo of Malone and Stockton (again). What is are the functions of diverse organisms? During their inaugural season (196667), the Bulls compiled a 3348 record under coach Johnny "Red" Kerr and reached the playoffs. How many championships did Michael Jordan win? Why does Gary Soto's work seem autobiographical? But how great were the Bulls? In the second three-peat the Bulls had Luc Longley as their starting center. Rebounding leader:De Instead, O'Neal signed with the Lakers in free agency after they got swept by Jordan and the Bulls in the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. Patrick Ewing made the All-NBA second team. Which categories does the great Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers? The Atlanta Hawks were the first team the Bulls played in the playoffs. It seemed like both a celebration of what Magic Johnson had contributed to the NBA over his career and also a Michael Jordan coronation. In the playoffs he had 7.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 1.0 bpg. Cartwright needed more help from Scott Williams to man the middle. The Jazz had NBA MVP Karl Malone, but the Bulls won the series in six games behind Jordan, who averaged 32.3 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Robert Horry won seven championships through his time with the Rockets, Lakers and Spurs. Ron Harper was the other Bulls guard. By using this website you agree to our Terms of Use. They have shown they can compete in any era. He again made the All-Defensive First team in 1993, but he proved that he wasnt the best at his position when he barely made the All-NBA team when he was selected to the third team. against the Lakers. Karl Malone had another stellar season for the Jazz and was named the NBA's MVP in the process. The Jazz ultimately lost the series on Jordan's game-winner over Byron Russell in Game 6, which became one of the most famous shots in NBA history. Jordan averaged 32.6 ppg while shooting 46.1 % from the field against top three teams. Ultimately though, the Bulls came out victorious in the Game 7 and then went on to win their sixth title. The Los Angeles Lakers and Magic won five titles between 1980 and 1988, and were their own NBA dynasty. Those numbers are too low to really give him credit for his high three-point percentage. This was the 72-10 Chicago Bulls contingent that had to finish what they started, yet The Glove, Gary Payton was not impressed. Did Jordan ever face true competition? His Airness three-peated twice and won all six Finals MVPs for the Bulls. Jordan also won gold medals in the Olympics with Team USA basketball in 1984 and 1992. Ewing was 4th in MVP voting. The Bulls won 72 games in the regular season, and they beat Seattle in six games for their fourth NBA championship. The Bulls were also 55-24 (.696) against these teams. The Kings won a championship in their only finals appearance to date in in 1951. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, at But the Bulls are the only team to do this with MULTIPLE appearances. Jordan retired from basketball for good when he was 40 years old after two seasons with the Washington Wizards. Michael Jordan was Finals MVP in each of the six title runs. First of all, the only important piece that was missing from the championship team was Jordan. [8] During this period the Bulls were perhaps best known for being led by former-ABA star Artis Gilmore and Reggie Theus, both of whom were multiple time All-Stars with the Bulls.[9]. The Bulls were the third seed in the NBA, and in their path to their third straight championship, they beat the first (Suns) and second (Knicks) seeds, making one of the greatest championship runs in NBA history. 2021-22 Chicago Bulls after that the Airness retires ..to play baseball..are you kidding me imagevRussell,Karrem,Magic,Bird,DrJ,and all the other greats,AKA Kobe ,Lebron,Shaq,Duncan,played till the wheels fell off played every play till they couldnt do it no more..he will never be the greatest (Mike)if it werent for commisioner to step in and stop the trade for Chris Paul coming to LA this would be a Kobe conversation. It got even tougher for the Bulls in the NBA Finals when they faced the Utah Jazz. Who were the models in Van Halen's finish what you started video? three came in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The Bulls won three straight NBA championships from 1991-93 and three more from 1996-98. James turns 36 in December. The Suns then took down the Lakers, Spurs, and Sonics en route to their first Finals appearance since 1976. WebHere are brief histories of the Bulls' 6 NBA championship titles: 1. Just like the Cavaliers, the Blazers had won 57 games. At 67 he was a great defensive player and rebounder, but his offensive game was mediocre. Record:69-13 2. No way did you just ask that question. Alright, Ill give you a clue: he was born in Brooklyn, won 6 championships, is 5th in all-time scoring and was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who Pat Riley was also named Coach of the Year. The two worst starts to a Bulls Their playoff record against these teams was 40-16 (.714). This season was one of the toughest for the Bulls. In the Finals, the Bulls were gassed and had to fall back on mythical championship mettle to pull out the title. The Chicago Bulls, in claiming those six NBA titles, were never tested in a seventh Game. The Bulls first opponent in the playoffs was the New York Knicks. The Bulls won 72 games in the regular season, and they beat Seattle in six games for their fourth NBA championship. In the NBA Finals Jordan and the Bulls faced Clyde Drexler and Portland Trail Blazers. The team with the best record in the league, the Trail Blazers, proved not ready for the spotlight and fell easily to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The remaining cast includes players such as B.J. Jordan and Drexler had similar skillsets, and the Blazers had once even passed on drafting Jordan because they already had Drexler on the roster. Chicago jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series over the Sonics, and eventually took the series 4-2 in order to claim their fourth title. They had a stretch from late November to early February where they went 31-1. York(Brooklyn) Americans folded in 1941/42, it left the NHL with In the Second round the Bulls faced the Knicks (again). Arguably the greatest season of all time. Jordan and Pippen were the only mainstays in the starting lineup, as no other Bull started over 59 games this season, forcing the Bulls to constantly adjust. (Won 1 Round), Lost Eastern Conference Finals There was a moment a few years back when it appeared this teams supremacy would be usurped, but the 73-win Golden State Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. have appeared in the NBA Finals 6 times, in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. This was the year of Jordans famous shrug, a gesture during Game 1 of the Finals series with the Blazers that underscored not only a moment, but an era. Longley and Rodman combined for just 15 points. Brand shared Rookie of the Year honors with. Charles Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers, and his dominant play led the Suns to the best record in the NBA, and him winning NBA MVP. Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan named MVP as Chicago Bulls win the 1996 NBA playoffs over the Seattle SuperSonics By Terry Armour Chicago Tribune Jun 17, The Bulls first title was the culmination of a climb that started in the 1984-85 season when they drafted Jordan with the #2 pick in the draft and saw them lose to the Detroit Pistons in back-to-back season in the Eastern Conference Finals before this year. Chicago beat Utah in six games, and Jordan closed the series in Game 6 with"The Shot"over Byron Russell. Remember that Riley was the coach of the early 90's Knicks. In fact, they were the only team (out of the 24 that the Bulls faced in the playoffs during their six championship seasons) that forced a seventh game against Chicago; which they did in the '98 Eastern Conference finals. Here's what they said about the Blazers: "Making their second Finals appearance in three years, the Blazers faced a juggernaut Bulls team in the midst of their first three-peat. Game 5 was a game in which Scottie Pippen became an NBA superstar with a flurry of offensive and defensive plays in the clutch, and suddenly the Chicago Bulls were more than simply Air Jordan. Jordan, Pippen, and Horace Grant were a perfect offensive big three, all shooting over 52% and helping the Bulls post the highest effective field goal percentage in the league. It depends. In terms of him as a basketball player in the league I would personally say 1988. In terms of him accomplishing his goals I would go wi LA Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Utah Jazz twice in that order. Toni Kukocs versatility off the bench continued to escalate. Hardaway was 3rd in MVP voting and he was also a member of the All-NBA First team. His teammate, Hersey Hawkins, made the All-Star team too. Charles Barkley was 4th in the Most Valuable Player award (MVP) voting. The first team to ever lead the league in offensive and defensive efficiency. The Bulls eclipsed the marks set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who went 69-13 for a .841 percentage. Their first season was in 1967, and their most recent season was in 2023. Expert Answers: 1996 NBA Finals The Bulls won 72 games in the regular season, and they beat Seattle in six games for their fourth NBA championship. Note: Statistics are correct as of the 202021season. Detroit also eliminated Chicago in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1988. Another impressive fact is that since the 1988-89 season, Jordan NEVER had a teammate averaging a double-double in the playoffs, and just once he had a teammate averaging a double-double in the regular season (Horace Grant, 1992). In his path to 6 titles, Jordan beat the likes of Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Dominique Wilkins, Charles Barkley (twice), Patrick Ewing (four times), Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, as well as the duos of Shaquille ONeal and Anfernee Hardaway, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning (twice), and John Stockton and Karl Malone (twice). Magic Johnson was the runner-up for the MVP award, and was also a member of the All-NBA first team. In the regular season he was great, but in the playoffs his shooting wasnt as great. what makes muscle tissue different from other tissues? Ultimately, though, they couldn't sustain that success, as the Bulls went on to win the next four games in order to advance to the NBA Finals, where they would win their third straight title. Unlike any other team with multiple titles, Jordans Bulls lacked two important pieces: A dominant big man (or a center) and a point guard. They also posted double digits in scoring margin and net efficiency, the mark of an all-time great team, and led the league with a whopping 68 expected wins. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls enjoyed immense success during the 1990s. So the 1994 Bulls didnt have to carry the burden the 1993 Bulls had to. [17] In 2010, Del Negro was replaced by Tom Thibodeau, and the Bulls reached the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in five games.[18]. In the last round, the NBA Finals, the Bulls faced the Los Angeles Lakers. Michael Jordan on Leadership. Jordan retired after the 1993 season and missed most of the next two seasons, and the Bulls reached the Eastern Conference semifinals each of those two seasons. This was the best record The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors were the first team 1990-91 61-21 record, 15-2 in the playoffs, defeated Los Angeles 4-1. He was a good shooter in 1993, but before that, he was just like Paxson. The Chicago Bulls won their 6th title of the decade in 1998. The Original Six wasn't exactly "formed". In the final two rounds, they faced two formidable opponents, but the series went differently despite winning both 4-2. He was a good three-point shooter, but his shooting percentage can be misleading. Michael Jordan hit an NBA Finals record six three-pointers in the first half of Game 1 to essentially alert the world that this series would not be much of a problem for the Chicago Bulls. seasons. @mark hopkins 3 teams have never lost a finals series (not counting the teams that have never even appeared in the finals). Those are the teams that stood in the way the most against Jordan in the postseason. The Bulls' luck turned for the better after selecting Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. Average scoring:103.1 (First in NBA) 3. In the regular season he averaged 6.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 3.1 APG and in the playoffs he averaged 7.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG and 2.5 APG. The Chicago Bulls were an unstoppable force throughout the 1990s. This season was no different, as their top four started no less than 79 games. From 1985 onwards, the Bulls reached the playoffs every season he was on the team's roster despite having had a losing record in each of his first three years. The Nets had an All-Star in Jayson Williams and a member of the All-Rookie First team (Keith Van horn). Their second round opponent, the Charlotte Hornets, had a member of the All-NBA third team (Glen Rice). They also acquired four-time All-Star Rolando Blackman from the Mavericks. The iconic shot to end Game 6 is what most will remember, yet the hardcore relentlessness of Karl Malone, John Stockton, the Utah Jazz and their erstwhile head coach, Jerry Sloan, made the storybook ending just that more compelling. Jordan averaged 35.8 points per game over the course of the series, which Chicago won in six games. The first This time the Knicks had won 60 games, which was good for first in the East and second overall in the league. People use the 1994 season to prove Jordan did have a great supporting cast or that he wasnt that important. Breaking down his NBA Finals runs, Michael Jordan's six championship Bulls teams, ranked, Ranking Michael Jordan's Bulls championship teammates, NCAA championship, gold medal and NBA championship, The key stats you need to know in the MJ vs. LeBron debate. In the first round the Bulls faced the Miami Heat. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. July 10, 1989: Days after firing Doug Collins, the Bulls hire Phil Jackson to be their fourth coach of the Jordan era. The Heat also had the Most Improved Player award winner (Isaac Austin). How many championships did Michael Jordan win? of the Eastern Conference. How many nieces and nephew luther vandross have? Joe Dumars made the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive second team. What about the 1995 season? The Bulls were decidedly perimeter-oriented during the six championship runs. Of those 14 teams, five were in the Finals. started the season with 5 One of the most interesting questions fans today speculate is whether Jordan faced tougher competition or Lebron did in their way to titles. The Bulls clinched the series on Father's Day, which was especially meaningful for Jordan because it was first championship since his father James died. Its not like there werent any dominant big men in the NBA. In just six years the Bulls defeated ten teams in the playoffs that were either the first, second or third seed in the entire league, including all six of their Finals opponents. Though the Bulls had the same record as the Indiana Pacers in the Central Division, the Bulls lost the tiebreaker and finished fourth. Bob Cousy won six championships with Boston. 1967-68 Chicago Bulls, who both The regular season was a dominant run, as they built on the previous year's title and synced their offense and defense into a dominant force, ranking first and fourth respectively. As long as people discuss the greatest sports dynasties, the 1998 Bulls will be a part of the conversation. This was the best record achieved by an NBA expansion team in its first year of play, a feat which earned Kerr the NBA Coach of the Year Award. In the 1996 and 1997 playoffs he shot 32.1 % and 38.1 % from the three-point line, respectively. The Bulls starting center was Bill Cartwright. Scottie Pippen, the small forward, was in his prime during this time, butpeople overrate him. All of Chicago Bulls championships are won in the Jordan era. In the Finals, the Bulls showed their youth, losing the first game to the Magic Johnson-led Lakers, before ripping off four straight wins, never winning by less than seven, and sewing up their first title. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships from 1991-98. Chicago Bulls beat five teams in the NBA Championship: Los 1987-88 Chicago Bulls, who both Since Jordan played for all of them and played great for all of them deciding among the six teamsis not so easy: MORE: Ranking Michael Jordan's championship teammates. Which one of those teams, though, was the best? Boston's Bill Russell has 11 championships, the most of any player in NBA history. was the 1999-00 Chicago Bulls, who The Bulls kicked up the pace from their early three-peat years, still not a fast team by any stretch, and posted the top offense in the league coupled with the fourth-best defense. The Bad Boys Pistons of the late 80's and early 90's is considered one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history. the We already know he wasnt the best small forward of his generation. During the three regular seasons of 1991-1993, he attempted 96, 44, and 41 three-point shots, respectively. [6] Considered the greatest basketball player of all time by NBA.com,[10] Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game during his first season and received the 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The Bulls didnt even win the NBA championship after they had won it the previous three seasons with Jordan on the roster. Which Bull lead the team in rebounding in the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons? Fewest losses in a season, regular season and postseason combined. Most basketball fans know that Michael Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s and went 6-0 in the Finals. Finals, Lost Eastern Conference First Round the Mourning was an All-Star. Mike DeCourcy is a Senior Writer at The Sporting News. We know Rodman was a rebounding machine, but few know that he didnt average 10 boards in the 1997 playoffs. The second trio came in 1996, The Bulls also reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1989 and 1990 before being eliminated by the eventual champion Detroit Pistons. The Bulls first title was Their center position was particularly weak, as they toggled between an old Bill Cartwright and statuesque Will Perdue, who no doubt contributed to their drop in defensive efficiency. the Jordan alone was a singular dominant force, but him, combined with jack of all trades Pippen and head coach Phil Jackson, the team morphed into something the league might never see again. The Lakers limped into the Finals and lost Hall of Fame 4 James Worthy to injury in Game 4. They had quite a dynasty in the 1990s, winning the championship Utah Jazz (1997 & 1998) Bulls won all series 4-2 except The 1992 NBA Finals between the Bulls and Blazers was especially intriguing due to the media-fueled rivalry between Jordan and Blazers guard Clyde Drexler. Unfortunately, the Lakers upset the Portland Trail Blazer in the West playoffs, robbing us of watching the Bulls take on the team with the best record in the league that season. [5] The only three NBA franchises that have won more championships than the Bulls are the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers (17 Championships each), and the Golden State Warriors with 7. This is a simple encyclopedia that explains numerous frequently asked questions on different topics. 1990-91 Season. Keep in mind that Majerle was guarding Jordan, and that the Suns were the first seed in the league, yet Jordan averaged 41.0 ppg in this series. In the playoffs it was more of the same, they ripped through the East only losing one game by a total of three points and avenging their loss to the Magic the year early with a resounding sweep. The Bulls lost Horace Grant, who signed with the Orlando Magic as a free agent during the summer of 1994. Payton was a member of the All-Defensive First team. Every other team in NBA history has won the NBA championship with the help of a dominant big man, and some of them had a point guard too. Both Kemp and Payton were named to the All-Star Game in 1996 and the Sonics won a franchise-record 64 games, which was good enough for the best record in the West. The NBA is ruled by dynasties, teams that come to own a decade and shape the narrative around the league. They were still solid though, as they had the Defensive Player of the Year in Dennis Rodman, won 50 regular season games, and advanced all the way to the conference finals before they ran into a Bulls squad primed for their first championship run. Jordan led the final NBA championship run that is being chronicled in"The Last Dance." Malone was the league MVP and was also a member of the All-NBA First team and All-Defensive First team. The last title in the Bulls first three-peat reeked of tired legs and a team just waiting for the Playoffs to start. What are the 4 major sources of law in Zimbabwe? Owner of the largest margin of victory of all time. When the New So in the series with the Pistons in 1991 Jordan had to go against TWO All-Defensive team members. A player like Kerr should be over 40 %, which he was in the 1998 playoffs. They were 9th in defensive rating. In the next round, the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls faced the defending champion Detroit Pistons. There never was a "Super Bowl hangover" with Jordan's Bulls. In the First round the Bulls faced the New Jersey Nets. Perhaps they make a deeper run with Jordan and face the Houston Rockets who won back-to-back NBA championships in those two seasons. In Fridays sectional semifinal, Boatright logged eight He had won the DPOY and he led the league in steals. This time around the Jazz were able to take the first game in the series, but the Bulls quickly bounced back and took a commanding 3-1 lead. This began a six-year playoff drought, the longest such drought in team history. Another fact about Pippen that people tend to forget is that during these three seasons he averaged 17.3 ppg in the playoffs while shooting 40.8 % from the field. Be the first one to comment on this story. The Bulls were two desperate three-point field With Jordan, they finished the season 13-4. He also made the All-Star team. We also sawthat the Bulls did face great competition. The Bulls beat them four times (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996). Your login session has expired. They won two Finals series without home-court advantage (1993 & 1998) and three of their six titles have been clinched on the road (1991, 1993 & 1998). One thing you will notice as a hallmark of the Bulls three-peats is they did not make major changes to their lineups, generally employing the same starting lineup for each run. However, the Playoff record in the season was the worst of all their title runs, especially considering they were 10 wins clear of even the #2 team in the league. In the Eastern Conference Finals the Bulls met the Cleveland Cavaliers. After all the losses and learned lessons leading up to the Chicago Bulls' first appearance in the NBA Finals, the fact that Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers stood in the way was apropos. Dick Motta replaced Kerr in 1969, and under his leadership, the Bulls appeared in the playoffs every year from 1970 to 1975. The full clip from #LastDance It was an acknowledgment that, indeed, even he could not believe hed gotten so good. They opened the season with a 12-game winning streak, an amazing feat given this was a team that knew very well the championship was not going to be won in November. This was the fourth Bulls championship, earned in the first full season after Michael Jordan returned from his mid-90s retirement. They had winning streaks of 13 and 18 games and only once lost consecutive games, to the Nuggets and Suns on an early February trip West. The Phoenix Suns were a precursor to Chris Webber's Sacramento Kings and eventually Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors. The Chicago Bulls The third worst start to a season Reggie Miller had made the All-NBA Third team. Jordan and Scottie Pippen won six with the Bulls, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six championships between Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Though the Bulls had the same record as the Detroit Pistons in the Midwest Division, the Bulls lost the tiebreaker and finished third. Here is the list of Chicago Bulls Eastern Conference championships: Once there, the Jazz put up a good fight against Chicago, as three of the Bulls' wins in the series were by four points or fewer, including Game 1, which the Bulls won thanks to a Jordan buzzer-beater. It was a scrappy series -- evident in the personality of Supersonics guard and current Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan. The Heat won just 42 games but they were fifth in opponent points per game and sixth in Defensive Rating. The 1990s Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships while they were being led by Michael Jordan. Answer: Rodman 8. I dont understand what the big deal with this is. Although there is no question the 1996 team was superior, coming back a year later and nearly matching that performance might was, at its essence, even more impressive. Chicago was swept in the first round by Boston in 1986 and 1987, andthose Celtics teams led by Larry Bird reached the NBAFinals. So those six teams that played from1942 to 1967, ( Boston, [6], The Bulls showed signs of improvement after hiring coach Scott Skiles in 2003, reaching the playoffs in 2005, 2006, and 2007. It's tough to talk about the '95-96 Magic without thinking about what could have been, as it was the last season that Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway played together in Orlando. He was also the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). The Bulls had to deal with Laimbeer, Ewing, ONeal, Mourning, Kemp, Daugherty and Mutombo. He averaged 5.2 ppg. This season was a little different for the Bulls because they would meet some pretty good duos. Even with few attempts, he shot 29.4 percent from three-point line in the 1992 playoffs. The Heat had a member of the All-Rookie First team (Steve Smith). He didnt even average 9 boards in the 1997 and 1998 Finals. The holder of the all-time wins record until the 2015-2016 season. The Lakers won 58 games in the regular season, good for third place in the league. The Heat were also coached by Riley. The starting power forward was Horace Grant. They conquered everyone in their path as they secured championship after championship The 1990s Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships while they were being led by Michael Jordan. Their First round opponent, the Washington Bullets, had an All-Star in Chris Webber. The remaining supporting cast included Bill Wennington, Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, and Brian Williams, among others. Winners in six of the 10 years, the dynastic Chicago Bulls defeated some of the greatest players of the era by claiming definitive championships that define legacies. In one single playoff run, Jordan beat four all-time greats: Ewing, Barkley, Thomas, and Johnson. MORE: The key stats you need to know in the MJ vs. LeBron debate. The third title of the second three-peat title comes in fifth as, once again, fatigue played a huge factor in the Bulls season. (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals This is probably the weakest offensively starting PF-Center duo on an NBA championship team. John Starks was a member of the All-Defensive second team. The All-NBA team is another way to prove this. The Knicks were able to advance past the Pacers and Hornets with relative ease in the first two rounds of the postseason, and they even took a 2-0 lead over the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. As we learned in the excellent documentary, The Last Dance, the classic Flu Game was really the Food Poisoning Game.