THE 1996 CHICAGO BULLS: 100 GAMES TO GLORY
I’ll try to be as short and sweet with this one as I can. The 1996 Chicago Bulls, to me, are the single greatest team in NBA history—it’s as simple as that. From the players and coaches they had, to the 72–10 record they set, the highlights, the level of competition they faced, and their 15–3 run through the NBA Playoffs… their impact on the league still echoes to this day.
RETURN OF THE GREATEST
Let’s go back to 1994, after Michael Jordan first retired, and then 1995 when he came back. It was so strange for a young kid who grew up watching him on the Bulls to suddenly see him walk away out of the blue.
Even without their leader, Da Bulls held strong—winning 55 games and finishing third in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they lost to the New York Knicks in the second round in seven games.
Despite adding veterans Ron Harper and Jud Buechler, the team struggled early in the 1994–95 season, sitting at 23–25 at the All-Star break. But then… we all know what happened.
“I’m back.”
MJ returned wearing #45, and the Bulls caught fire, losing only 10 games the rest of the way to finish with 47 wins and the fifth seed. Still, he didn’t quite look like the unstoppable force we were used to. As Steve Kerr once said, “His rhythm wasn’t there.”
I remember watching Game 5 against Orlando at my cousin’s house—Nick Anderson stripping MJ late. That one hurt. And to make it worse, that Magic team had Shaq, Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, and former Bull Horace Grant. They closed it out in Game 6 at the brand-new United Center.
BULLS ON PARADE
It was clear—45 wasn’t 23.
MJ got his number back in the offseason, got himself back into peak shape (while filming Space Jam), and it was just awesome to have him fully back.
The Bulls retooled in a big way. They added Randy Brown and brought in former “Bad Boys” James Edwards and Dennis Rodman—the latter coming over after issues in San Antonio. John Salley joined midseason, reuniting with his old Detroit teammates.
And then… they took off.
The Bulls got off to a blazing start. They went 37–0 at home to begin the season. Their only losses in November came on the road against Seattle and Orlando. They didn’t lose a single game in January.
The only real hiccups? A one-point loss to the Toronto Raptors (109–108) and a 100–99 loss at home to the Indiana Pacers late in the season.
That was it.
THE ROSTER
This team was way more than just MJ, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.
Ron Harper reinvented himself into a defensive anchor. Luc Longley held down the middle at 7’2”, doing the dirty work. Toni Kukoč—“The Waiter”—brought skill, size, and scoring off the bench, averaging over 13 points per game.
Then you had shooters like Steve Kerr, who hit an absurd .515 from three, and Jud Buechler, who knew his role perfectly. Bill Wennington, James Edwards, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, and Randy Brown all contributed when called upon.
It’s wild to remember Jack Haley was on that team too, going back to the Doug Collins days. Rookie Jason Caffey even played a role and would go on to win two titles before being traded in 1998.
Top to bottom, this team was loaded.
PLAYOFF DOMINANCE
The Bulls tore through the playoffs.
They swept the Miami Heat in the first round. Their only loss in the Eastern bracket came in Game 3 against the Knicks in the Conference Semifinals (102–99 in overtime).
Then came Orlando in the Conference Finals. The Bulls destroyed them in Game 1 (121–83), came back from 18 down to win Game 2, and then finished the job on the road.
Next stop: the NBA Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics.
1996 NBA FINALS
Seattle was no joke. Led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, and coached by George Karl, they won 64 games and were one of the best teams in the league.
The Bulls handled business early.
They won Game 1 by 17 (107–90), and in Game 2, Dennis Rodman dominated the glass with 20 rebounds (11 offensive) in a 92–88 win.
Game 3 felt like the dagger—MJ dropped 36, Longley added 19, and the Bulls won 106–88. It looked like a sweep was coming.
But Seattle fought back.
They blew out the Bulls in Game 4 (107–86) and took Game 5 (89–78), forcing a Game 6 back in Chicago.
I remember the nerves going into that game—but also the excitement. The United Center was rocking.
The Bulls came out strong, took the lead early, and never gave it up. They outscored Seattle in every quarter and closed it out 87–75.
And just like that, they sealed their place as one of the greatest teams in sports history.
100 GAMES TO GLORY
Thirty years later, I still believe they’re the greatest team ever.
It wasn’t just the talent or the star power—it was everything. Their dominance, their defense, how they stacked up against the rest of the league… and the fact that we’re still talking about them today.
That says it all.
72–10 in the regular season.
15–3 in the playoffs.
100 games to glory.
Happy Anniversary to the ’96 Chicago Bulls. Thank you for everything you gave to the city of Chicago and to fans all over the world.
GO BULLS!!!
