#MJMondays: Michael Jordan and the Bulls clinch their fourth title on Father’s Day
Being born a Chicago Bulls fan, it’s required to thank Michael Jeffery Jordan for his services to the city of Chicago for bringing six championships to the Bulls organization and helping the Bulls build one of the best brands in sports. So, why not honor the game’s greatest player with one of social media’s biggest trends?
On Father’s Day last year, I spoke about Michael Jordan’s emotional ride back to the top of the NBA mountain. MJ and the Bulls completed the greatest season in NBA history by winning a record 72 games in the regular season, followed by an impressive 16-3 mark in the postseason to clinch the organization’s fourth title.
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The Bulls walked through the first round in three straight games against the Miami Heat, then dispatched their old rival in the New York Knicks in a five-game series.
After seven wins in eight games, the Bulls continued to roll and exacted revenge on the up-and-coming Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping them out of the postseason.
Michael Jordan in the first 12 games of the postseason was sensational. The 1996 NBA All-Star Game MVP and NBA MVP averaged 32.3 points per contest. Jordan scored 40+ points three different times, including a 45-point masterpiece in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic.
After seemingly cruising to the NBA Finals for the first time in three years, the Bulls entered the final series rested and ready for Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Western Conference Champions: the Seattle Supersonics.
Although the Sonics were a viable opponent for an experienced Bulls team, Jordan and the Bulls were just too much through the first three games. Chicago won Games 1 and 2 at home to take a 2-0 series lead to Seattle and a raucous home crowd at the famous KeyArena.
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Even with the so-called “loudest crowd in the NBA”, the Bulls started fast and never looked back in a 108-86 thrashing in Game 3 to move within one game of their fourth NBA title in the last six seasons.
Once again, Jordan was just too much. The game’s best player scored a game-high 36 points in Game 3 and appeared that he was well on his way towards his fourth NBA Finals MVP.
Seattle did turn the tide in Games 4 and 5 by winning both games rather comfortably at home. The intensity of the series began to rise in the latter games in Seattle and made Game 6 back in Chicago feel almost like a “must-win” for the Bulls.
Spoiler alert: The Bulls won.
Despite just a 5-for-19 shooting night, Jordan hit 11-of-12 from the free throw line and led the Bulls with 22 points to clinch the fourth championship for Chicago in six seasons.
The win was emotional for Jordan because of clinching in the city of Chicago and for the fact that this title was the first since James Jordan, his father, was murdered in 1993.
Jordan would retire from the game of basketball in October 1993 after his father’s death and attempted to make a run at the major leagues on the diamond. Baseball was Jordan’s first true love and wanted a new challenge in his life.
After a rough 18 months away from the hardwood, Jordan returned with intentions of retaking his throne on top of the NBA. The ride back to the top may have taken longer than MJ wanted, but the greatest player of all-time had reached the pinnacle again.