It’s probably of little surprise to Chicago Bulls fans that Michael Jordan pretty much dominates this list of great moments in the team’s history. The best to ever play the game has also made some of the greatest contributions to it’s folklore and history.
Top 10 Moments in Chicago Bulls History
1. The Shot
The most famous of Jordan’s numerous buzzer-beating game-winners, The Shot was MJ at his best: super clutch and super athletic. But the more enduring memory of The Shot might be Jim Durham’s famous call as he went berserk in the Bulls Radio broadcast.
In a triple-overtime playoff game against the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics, Michael Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points. So great was his performance that “Basketball Jesus” Larry Bird proclaimed that they had actually played against “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
3. Tears of Joy
Everyone remembers their first, Bulls fans and Michael Jordan alike. Jordan was understandably moved to tears when he finally attained his very first NBA Championship in 1991. And in 1996, there was even more outpouring of raw emotion when he won his first title after the death of his father.
4. The Shrug
Who could forget that time when Michael Jordan’s greatness surprised even him? In Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, Jordan (not known as a three-point threat) hit 6 threes in the first half alone, a feat that left him as dumbfounded as the rest of the United Center.
5. Charles Smith
Oh, Charles Smith.
The ’92 Knicks were one of only two teams to force the 90’s Bulls to a Game 7. They had a chance to take a 3-2 series lead in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals, but as fate would have it, Charles Smith (with the help of Jordan, Pippen and co.) failed to convert a layup that would cost the Knicks the game and ultimately the series.
6. The Paxson Shot
The shot that sealed the first three-peat. After a perfectly executed play (known as the “Blind Pig”), Paxson found himself wide open in the right wing and sank a three-pointer that would clinch a third consecutive title for the Bulls.
7. Jordan’s Retirement/Return
Had Michael Jordan announced in 2013 his retirement from basketball to play minor league baseball, it might have broken the Internet. But he did it almost 20 years prior, and it was still a colossal story. His return was equally as big, as he dropped the famous “Double Nickel” on the Knicks in his fifth game back.
8. The Kerr Shot
Much like in 1993, everyone was expecting Jordan to take the last shot of Game 6. But once again, a member of the star’s supporting crew got the job done, sinking the game winning shot.
9. The Flu Game
If there was ever any doubting Michael Jordan’s indomitable will to win, the Flu Game all but quelled it. A 37-year old flu-ridden Jordan was running on fumes, but he still delivered 38 points in a crucial Game 5 against the Jazz in the 1997 Finals. By the end, a spent Jordan was clinging on to Scottie Pippen from sheer exhaustion.
10. The Last Shot
Life hardly ever produces a singularly perfect moment, but Bulls fans will always remember the sheer beauty of Jordan’s final shot (in 1998). That final sequence, from the steal on Malone, to the push, er, nudge on Bryon Russell to the accentuated pause as he admired another championship-winning shot. Perfect.
