1996–97 Chicago Bulls season

The 1996–97 Chicago Bulls season was the 31st season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Bulls entered the regular season as defending NBA champions, having defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals in six games, winning their fourth NBA championship. During the off-season, the Bulls signed 43-year old free agent All-Star center Robert Parish, who won three championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s.^[2][3][4] Coming off of one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, the Bulls, on the backs of recording another first-place finish in their division and conference, repeated as NBA champions. The Bulls were led by Michael Jordan, perennial All-Star small forward Scottie Pippen, and rebound ace Dennis Rodman; other notable players on the club's roster that year were clutch-specialist Croatian Toni Kukoč, and sharp-shooting point guard Steve Kerr.

The Bulls got off to a fast start by winning their first twelve games of the regular season.^[5][6] The team posted an eight-game winning streak in December, and then posted a nine-game winning streak between December and January, which led to a 34–4 start to the season. The Bulls posted another eight-game winning streak between January and February, and held a 42–6 record at the All-Star break.^[7] The team posted a seven-game winning streak in February, and later on posted another eight-game winning streak between March and April. In April, the Bulls signed free agent Brian Williams, who previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, and spent most of the 1996–97 season as a free agent; Williams played in the final nine games of the regular season as a backup center for the Bulls.^[8][9][10]

With a 69–12 record, the Bulls looked to make history against the New York Knicks in their final game of the regular season, at home at the United Center on April 19, 1997. However, Pippen missed a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, as the Bulls lost to the Knicks, 103–101.^[11][12][13] The Bulls finished in first place in the Central Division with a 69–13 record, just missing out on becoming the first team in NBA history to have back-to-back 70 wins seasons; the team also posted a 39–2 home record at the United Center.^[14] The Bulls earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference, qualified for the NBA playoffs for the 13th consecutive year, and had the fourth best team defensive rating in the NBA.^[15]

Jordan led the league in scoring once again, averaging 29.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, plus contributing 111 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Pippen averaged 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game, led the Bulls with 156 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team; both Jordan and Pippen were named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Kukoč provided scoring off the bench, averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, but only played 57 games due to a foot injury,^[16][17][18] while Luc Longley provided the team with 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Kerr contributed 8.1 points per game and 110 three-point field goals off the bench, while shooting .464 in three-point field goal percentage. Meanwhile, second-year forward Jason Caffey averaged 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, Ron Harper contributed 6.3 points and 2.5 assists per game, Rodman provided with 5.7 points and 16.1 rebounds per game, but only played 55 games due to suspensions and a knee injury, which caused him to miss the final 13 games of the regular season,^[19][20][21] and Randy Brown contributed 4.7 points per game.^[22]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Jordan and Pippen were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was Pippen's seventh and final All-Star appearance.^[23][24][25] Jordan also recorded the first triple-double in an All-Star Game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 132–120.^[26][27][28] Meanwhile, Kerr won the NBA Three-Point Shootout, in which he participated in for the fourth consecutive year.^[29][27][30] Jordan also finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, while Pippen finished in eleventh place;^[31][32] Pippen finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Jordan finished in fifth place,^[33][32] and Kukoč finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind John Starks of the Knicks.^[34][32]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Bulls faced off against the 8th–seeded Washington Bullets, a team that featured All-Star forward Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Rod Strickland. In their first two home games at the United Center, the Bulls won Game 1 over the Bullets, 98–86, despite shooting .380 in field-goal percentage, and then won Game 2, 109–104, in which Jordan scored 55 points. In Game 3 at U.S. Airways Arena, and despite trailing 14–2 early in the first quarter, the Bulls defeated the Bullets, 96–95 to win the series in a three-game sweep.^[35][36][37]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, who were led by the quartet of All-Star center, and Defensive Player of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo, All-Star forward Christian Laettner, Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock. The Bulls won Game 1 over the Hawks at the United Center, 100–97, but then lost Game 2 at home, 103–95 as the Hawks evened the series.^[38][39][40] The Bulls managed to win the next two games on the road at the Omni Coliseum, before winning Game 5 over the Hawks at the United Center, 107–92 to win the series in five games.^[41][42][43]

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls then faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Miami Heat, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Tim Hardaway, All-Star center Alonzo Mourning, and Jamal Mashburn. The Bulls took a 3–0 series lead before losing Game 4 to the Heat on the road, 87–80 at the Miami Arena. The Bulls won Game 5 over the Heat at the United Center, 100–87 to win the series in five games, and advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.^[44][45][46]

In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Bulls faced off against the top–seeded Jazz, who were led by the trio of Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. The Bulls won the first two games over the Jazz at the United Center, but then lost the next two games on the road, as the Jazz evened the series. In Game 5 at the Delta Center, which was known as "The Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points in 44 minutes, as the Bulls defeated the Jazz, 90–88 to take a 3–2 series lead.^[47][48][49] The Bulls won Game 6 over the Jazz at the United Center, 90–86 to win the series in six games for their second consecutive NBA championship, and their fifth championship in seven years; Jordan was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, and for the fifth time overall.^[50][51][52]

The Bulls finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Charlotte Hornets, with an attendance of 978,457 at the United Center during the regular season.^[22][53] Following the season, Parish retired after 21 seasons in the NBA,^[54][55][56] while Williams signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons,^[57][58][59] and Dickey Simpkins was traded to the Golden State Warriors.^[60][61]

One notable incident of the regular season occurred on January 15, 1997, during a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Rodman tripped and fell while trying to grab a rebound, and then kicked cameraman Eugene Amos in the groin; Amos had to be put on a stretcher and was rushed to a local hospital, as Rodman was suspended for eleven games. The Bulls defeated the Timberwolves, 112–102.^[62][63][64]