1992–93 Chicago Bulls season

The 1992–93 Chicago Bulls season was the 27th season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Bulls entered the regular season as the back-to-back defending NBA champions, having defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals in six games, winning their second NBA championship. During the off-season, the team acquired Rodney McCray from the Dallas Mavericks,^[2][3][4] and signed free agent Trent Tucker.^[5][6][7] At mid-season, the team signed Darrell Walker, who was previously released by the Detroit Pistons.^[8][9]

After two straight championships, the Bulls changed their starting lineup, replacing John Paxson at point guard with B. J. Armstrong, after Paxson suffered a knee injury and only played 59 games.^[10][11][12] The team won nine of their first eleven games of the regular season, posted a seven-game winning streak between December and January,^[13] and later on held a 35–17 record at the All-Star break.^[14] The Bulls posted another seven-game winning streak between February and March,^[15] and had another successful season finishing in first place in the Central Division with a 57–25 record, and earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference;^[16] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the ninth consecutive year.^[17]

Michael Jordan once again led the league in scoring averaging 32.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Scottie Pippen averaged 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and Horace Grant provided the team with 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Armstrong contributed 12.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, while off the bench, Scott Williams provided with 5.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and starting center Bill Cartwright contributed 5.6 points per game.^[18] Jordan and Pippen were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jordan and Pippen were both selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Jordan scored 30 points along with 5 assists and 4 steals, despite the Eastern Conference losing to the Western Conference in overtime, 135–132.^[19][20][21] Meanwhile, Armstrong participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout.^[22][23] Free agent and former Bulls guard Craig Hodges also participated in the Three-Point Shootout, despite not being part of an active NBA roster; Hodges last played in the NBA for the Bulls during the previous season, and was released to free agency afterwards.^[22][23] Jordan finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns, and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets,^[24][25] and also finished tied in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, also behind Olajuwon.^[26][25]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1993 NBA playoffs, the Bulls faced off against the 7th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, a team that featured All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins, All-Star forward Kevin Willis, and Mookie Blaylock. The Bulls won the first two games over the Hawks at home at the Chicago Stadium, before winning Game 3 on the road, 98–88 at the Omni Coliseum, in which Jordan scored 39 points despite a sprained right ankle; the Bulls won the series over the Hawks in a three-game sweep.^[27][28][29]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, and for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the 3rd–seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who were led by the All-Star trio of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance. The Bulls won the first two games over the Cavaliers at the Chicago Stadium, and then won the next two games on the road. In Game 4 at the Coliseum at Richfield, Jordan hit another game-winning buzzer-beater against the Cavaliers, as the Bulls won the game, 103–101 to win the series in a four-game sweep, and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive year, becoming the first team since the 1987–88 Boston Celtics to do so.^[30][31][32]

In the Conference Finals, and for the third consecutive year, the Bulls faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New York Knicks, a team that featured the trio of All-Star center Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and former Bulls forward Charles Oakley. The Bulls lost the first two games to the Knicks on the road at Madison Square Garden,^[33][34][35] but managed to win the next two games at the Chicago Stadium to even the series. After winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, 97–94, the Bulls won Game 6 over the Knicks at the Chicago Stadium, 96–88 to win the series in six games, and advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.^[36][37][38]

In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Bulls faced off against the top–seeded Suns, who were led by the All-Star trio of Barkley, three-point specialist Dan Majerle, and Kevin Johnson; the Suns had home-court advantage in the series since they finished with a league-best 62–20 record during the regular season. The Bulls won the first two games on the road at the America West Arena, but then lost Game 3 at home to the Suns in triple-overtime, 129–121 at the Chicago Stadium. With a 3–2 series lead, the Bulls won Game 6 over the Suns at the America West Arena, as Paxson made a game-winning three-point shot to win the game, 99–98; the Bulls won the series in six games to win their third consecutive NBA championship, as Jordan was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for the third straight year.^[39][40][41] This was the last title the Bulls won while playing at the Chicago Stadium.

The Bulls finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 759,656 at the Chicago Stadium during the regular season.^[18][42] Chicago's off-season was also marked by Jordan's sudden retirement.^[43][44][45] Also following the season, McCray, Tucker, and Walker were all released to free agency.^[46]

For the season, the Bulls slightly changed their uniforms, which would remain in used until 2004, when they added their secondary logo on the back of their jerseys.^[47][48]