Chicago Bulls Dynasty | 1991-1998 | Documentary

Chicago Bulls Dynasty | 1991-1998 | Documentary

[Music] chicago was a basketball town in name only the Bulls were a sideshow tickets given away with gas station fillups games played in half empty arenas a team buried beneath baseball box scores and Walter Payton headlines then Michael Jordan in 1984 a 21-year-old from Wilmington stepped into the locker room everyone’s going to have large expectations for my play but uh you know I just going to set expectations for myself and go out and try to contribute and maybe not try to carry the team and just try to fit in and become as one silent and razor thin with a gold chain a warm smile and something no one could quite name yet he didn’t talk legacy he didn’t promise rings he just played harder than anyone smarter meaner within weeks the air changed by spring they called him a god by fall Nike gave him wings but gods aren’t born they’re forged through broken bones silent wars bitter rivals and betrayal in boardrooms michael Jordan didn’t just win he rewrote the definition he carried a broke franchise to global fame scored 63 in Boston Garden buried Cleveland with a flick of the wrist took beatings from Detroit until he stopped falling then made the entire league bend to his wheel he gave Chicago six banners he gave the world a blueprint but behind every parade was tension a ticking clock a dynasty built not on trust but on defiance and when it ended it didn’t collapse it was dismantled deliberately piece by piece this is not just about championships it’s about obsession power and the price of greatness this is how the Chicago Bulls became the most feared team in basketball history and why it couldn’t last welcome to the The 1984 NBA draft didn’t break the internet there was no internet no social media countdown just suits paperwork and war rooms filled with scouts hoping they guessed right select Hakee Elijahan houston took Akimuan first overall no one blinked he was dominant polished 7 feet tall portland picked next they already had Clyde Drexler so they passed on a shooting guard and chose Sam Buoie a 7-footer with fragile legs and clean footwork that left Chicago at number three michael the Bulls were a bottom feeding team with no direction and even less identity their owner was tired of losing money their general manager was tired of losing games so when the skinny 21-year-old from North Carolina was still on the board they didn’t hesitate michael Jordan became a bull the franchise had drifted into obscurity the Chicago stadium was more ghost town than arena the Bull’s most marketable face was Orlando Woolridge a high-flying 6’9 in forward who could score but couldn’t carry the team barely cracked headlines let alone expectations but the moment Jordan hit the court the air changed he was something else something urgent quick as a blink smooth like silk over ice his rookie year wasn’t good it was absurd 28.2 points per game explosive transition dunks midair contortions that seemed to pause time every night there was a new highlight a new moment a new believer nike rolled out a campaign and called it Air Jordan the name stuck because the world had never seen anyone hang like that before the Bulls were no longer invisible they were on fire but greatness comes with a price three games into his second season Jordan came down wrong a routine play a sudden crack he broke his left foot specifically the nvicular bone the kind of injury that can steal careers in silence doctors told him to rest management agreed 9 months no exceptions but Michael didn’t wait he went home to North Carolina and started playing again quietly fullcourt pickup games against college kids at UNC no trainers no permission no insurance just him a gym and a refusal to be ordinary he hid the games from the Bulls because he knew they’d try to stop him when he returned to Chicago he didn’t ask he demanded to play but Bulls owner Jerry Rinddorf and GM Jerry Krauss already terrified of reinjury slapped a hard minutes restriction on him 7 minutes per half no wiggle room no debate jordan hated it still they scraped into the playoffs 30 wins barely enough to qualify their prize the 67 win Boston Celtics Larry Bird Kevin McIll Robert Parish a joggeraut game two Boston Garden michael Jordan explodes 63 points he scored every way imaginable floaters mid-range jumpers off-balance banks airborne acrobatics he didn’t just play he danced through double teams laughed at hand checks dared defenders to try again the Celtics won in overtime but Birds stood in awe and delivered a line that would be quoted for decades that was God disguised as Michael Jordan the Bulls were swept it wasn’t close they were overmatched outgunned but no one cared not really because something deeper had shifted the scoreboard didn’t matter anymore what mattered was this in just his second season injured limited doubted Michael Jordan had stepped into the Lion’s Den and set it on fire the Bulls didn’t have a roster they didn’t have rings but they had a star who made 63 points in the Boston Garden feel like a warning shot everything was about to change the Bulls had found their future in Michael Jordan but in 1986 they were still searching for a way forward that summer Jerry Rinddorf made a move he hired Doug Collins i think I’m a players coach i don’t yell I don’t scream a young intense coach just 35 years old collins had been a gritty NBA player himself he understood the hunger Jordan played with he promised to build a system around him jordan was ready fully recovered from the broken foot he tore through the 198687 season with an unrelenting fury 37.1 points per game historic night after night he lit up the league like a spark hitting gasoline 50point games became routine 60point games became rumors of legend crowds packed arenas just to watch him breathe but brilliance had its limits the Bulls still lost more than they won no help no depth no chance jordan was a one-man revolution and it wasn’t enough jerry Krauss knew Jordan needed a supporting cast so in 1987 he drafted Scotty Pippen and Horus Grant but I think that you know Chicago is a great franchise and probably every player that is sitting on the audience audience wants to be a part of i fell in love with the city and coach Colin and uh Mr crow they were projects raw wideeyed unsure pippen had arms like vines and a handle that needed taming grant was pure muscle with no polish at first they floated at the edges of Jordan’s orbit learning surviving meanwhile Collins pushed Jordan harder every possession ran through him every shot every decision he was MVP and defensive player of the year by 1988 the first player in a generation to dominate both ends of the floor it was breathtaking it was unsustainable the playoffs showed the truth in 1988 they beat Cleveland in the first round jordan playing hero every night but then they hit a wall against the Detroit Pistons the bad boys played a different sport elbows forearms blood under the rim they invented the Jordan rules cut off the lane force him left hammer him when he jumps it wasn’t basketball it was survival chicago wasn’t ready the summer of 1988 brought another gear jordan sharpened pippen and Grant grew stronger by 1989 Chicago wasn’t just hanging around they were hunting first King Cleveland again but this time the Cavaliers were favored deeper roster home court better record but Michael Jordan didn’t care about odds game five final seconds Bulls down by one the ball inbounded to Jordan who sprinted toward the foul line craig Elo chased leapt desperately jordan rose higher hung in the air just a fraction longer released swish jordan punched the air as Elo collapsed it wasn’t just a shot it was a seismic shift the Bulls weren’t underdogs anymore they were a problem they rolled over the Knicks they reached the Eastern Conference Finals detroit was waiting again and even though the Bulls pushed them harder than ever six brutal games it wasn’t enough not yet detroit’s grip tightened jordan slumped off the floor exhausted furious wounded then the unexpected just weeks later July 10 1989 Jerry Krauss fired Doug Collins no farewell to her no time to argue gone in his place Phil Jackson quiet measured with a plan to take the ball out of Jordan’s hands and give it back to the team the triangle offense Tech Winner’s brainchild a system built on spacing trust patience triangle is formed between forward two guard one who has now moved to the corner and center five forms apex of the triangle everything Jordan had learned to live without michael hated it but deep down he knew something had to change the Pistons weren’t going to let him fly over them he would have to go through them and the Bulls were about to become something even more dangerous than a superstar with a grudge they were about to become a real team phil Jackson didn’t walk into a dynasty he walked into a standoff michael Jordan was the best player in the world the only player really who could pull miracles out of broken plays he didn’t want an offense that told him when to move when to pass when to wait he wanted the ball he wanted control but Phil wasn’t here to build a team around one man he was here to build around an idea the Triangle offense wasn’t flashy it wasn’t easy it demanded sacrifice five players moving in harmony constant motion reading the defense not forcing it to Jordan it sounded like a leash to Tech Winner who sat beside fields scribbling plays into yellow legal pads it sounded like salvation there were arguments meetings that ended with doors slammed silent standoffs in practice jordan didn’t trust systems he trusted himself but something started to happen scottie Pippen grew more confident with the ball in his hands horus Grant became a weapon in the short corner john Paxton found open looks bill Cartwright anchored the post the ball moved faster defenders couldn’t load up on Jordan anymore because the threat was everywhere now the Bulls weren’t Michael and the others anymore they were becoming a machine still transformation wasn’t clean it never is the 1989 90 season was brutal the Bulls won 55 games but every step forward felt like a fist fight every loss reopened old doubts every win barely covered the friction they reached the Eastern Conference Finals again standing once more face to face with their tormentors the Detroit Pistons only this time the rivalry wasn’t just physical it was personal the Jordan rules returned sharper and meaner detroit hammered Jordan on every drive double team him at the elbows dragged him to the floor on rebounds pippen expected to be the second sword faltered at the worst moment in game seven he suffered a migraine so blinding he could barely see the basket he scored just two points it was you know just something that I felt that just came over me and I just wasn’t able to produce and you know I just hope it doesn’t happen again jordan tried to carry them but it wasn’t enough detroit crushed Chicago 9374 another season shattered walking off the floor that night Jordan wasn’t just frustrated he was humiliated his teammates looked small his body achd his faith in the system wavered but Phil Jackson saw it differently the team wasn’t broken it was being hardened detroit taught them something they couldn’t learn from winning how to suffer how to survive michael Jordan had given everything he had yet it still wasn’t enough therefore the Bulls had no choice but to evolve or be broken forever the summer of 1990 wasn’t a vacation for Michael Jordan it was a funeral for weakness he didn’t pout he didn’t point fingers he went into hiding into exile into war with himself he transformed his body into armor thicker stronger meaner weightlifting became a religion endurance drills replaced pickup games if the Pistons wanted a street fight Jordan would bring a steel jaw and bare fist the Bulls followed pippen trained like a man obsessed horus Grant added muscle the entire roster toughened they didn’t want sympathy they wanted blood when the 1990 911 season tipped off Chicago wasn’t just better they were different the triangle offense once clunky and resented now flowed like a living organism the ball zipped from wing to post to corner without hesitation jordan still dazzled still soared but now he didn’t have to carry every burden pippen was an all-star grant was a force paxton became deadly in open space cartwright took the hits inside the regular season was a coronation 61 wins jordan won his second MVP but awards didn’t matter april mattered may mattered detroit mattered in the Eastern Conference Finals the Bulls didn’t flinch they didn’t whine about the Jordan rules they absorbed every elbow every cheap shot they didn’t retaliate with fist they retaliated with execution game one Bulls by eight game two Bulls by 12 game three Bulls by 18 game four was supposed to be a Piston Street brawl instead it became their funeral with seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Bulls up double digits Isaiah Thomas Bill Lambir and several Pistons walked off the court no handshake no congratulations just bitterness and retreat cameras caught them slipping away before the final buzzer and it wasn’t just defeat it was surrender this is a big step for us and uh you know we can only go and move up you know right now we’re looking forward to the finals and trying to do our best in those days you had to stand up for your rights and you could uh without getting in trouble uh you know from the league from the officiating from whatever else chicago had exercised its demons but there was no time to gloat ahead the NBA finals and Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers the Lakers weren’t just any opponent they were Hollywood royalty showtime five championships magic was the face of the league michael was the challenger game one belonged to LA the Bulls were rattled doubts prepped in but Phil Jackson stayed calm he tweaked the game plan he put Scotty Pippen on Magic instead of Jordan an adjustment no one saw coming in game two Jordan responded with one of the most iconic plays in finals history a midair hand switching layup that made Jaws drop around the world left hand midskin off the glass art in motion the Bulls never looked back they won four straight they crushed the Dynasty of the West in the locker room Jordan clutched the Larry O’Brien trophy to his chest like a man clinging to salvation he wept into it burying years of pain doubt and failure inside those tears michael what does it mean to you it means so much i mean not just for me but for the team and for the whole city it’s been a seven years struggle out here when I first got to Chicago we started at the bottom and every year we just worked harder and harder until we got to it and you know it’s it’s so gratifying you know I’m appreciated so long in my life you know for my family for my kids everything the Bulls were champions and Michael Jordan was no longer just a scoring machine or a human highlight reel or a media phenomenon he was the best player on the planet and now he had the crown to prove it winning changes everything winning a championship it changes who you are the Bulls returned home not as scrappy underdogs or Jordan’s personal crusade but as a machine sleek ruthless expected to dominate for the first time they carried the full weight of expectation every arena was packed every opponent circled their date every night became a referendum on greatness michael Jordan didn’t blink he came back sharper hungrier meaner the 1991-92 Bulls tore through the league finishing 67 and 15 the best record in franchise history jordan won his second straight MVP stacking numbers that looked almost unfair 30.1 points 6.4 rebounds 6.1 assist 2.3 steals per game he wasn’t just scoring anymore he was a storm pippen elevated too blossoming into a two-way nightmare for opponents together they moved like twin blades one slicing one shielding but perfection attracts enemies and the Knicks were waiting pat Riley had arrived in New York bringing the bruises of his Lakers past but stripping away the glamour these Knicks weren’t showtime they were blunt force trauma in jerseys charles Oakley Patrick Euing Anthony Mason guards who found harder than most centers the 1992 Eastern Conference semifinals became a bar fight disguised as basketball new York punched first stealing game one in Chicago now remember the energy that got us here we got to rebuild the momentum as you guys had in got about half an hour here but the Bulls answered taking game two to even the series the games turned into wrestling matches elbows forearms blood echo’s old doubts crept in was the old pain coming back jordan refused he dragged the series into the mud matching violence with violence he drove into bodies took hits rose again in game seven with the season hanging by a thread Jordan delivered one of his grittiest masterpieces 42 points 12 rebounds brutal defense zero mercy the Bulls crushed the Knicks by 29 points their reward another war the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland this wasn’t the Cavaliers of old the ones Jordan had humiliated with the shot this Cleveland team was loaded young hungry bigger in every position but size doesn’t matter when the wheel is broken the Bulls throttled them in six games waiting in the finals the Portland Trailblazers it was supposed to be the Clash of the Titans jordan versus Drexler MVP versus runnerup two high-flying guards at the peak of their powers in game one Jordan ended the conversation before it even started he torched Portland with six three-pointers in the first half after the sixth splashed through the net Jordan turned to the broadcast table and shrugged as if to say “Even I can’t explain this anymore.” The Bulls took the series in six games a second title a second finals MVP jordan stood taller pippen smiled wider chicago roared but there was no time to rest that summer Jordan and Pippen boarded a plane to Barcelona joining the first US Olympic team made up entirely of NBA players the dream team magic Bird Barkley Ewing Malone Stockton legends playing together steamrolling every opponent by double digits turning basketball into a global obsession jordan didn’t lose a single game but he lost something else time no offse no chance to breathe no real escape from the weight on his shoulders by the time he returned to Chicago in the fall he wasn’t just a two-time champion he was a living myth every camera every endorsement every ticket sold orbiting around him beneath the trophies and celebrations something invisible crept into the bull’s foundation exhaustion winning was no longer the goal it was the expectation and the price for chasing it was about to get heavier the crown was heavier now two championships Olympic gold global fame beyond anything the NBA had ever seen michael Jordan had climbed every mountain the sport could offer but instead of peace there was pressure instead of joy exhaustion the 1992 93 Bulls looked strong on paper but worn thin in spirit jordan Pippen and the core had never stopped moving no offse no real break after Barcelona their bodies kept going but something inside had started to fray chicago finished the season 57 and 25 still a jogger but not the same ruthless machine from a year before some nights they coasted some nights they clawed jordan still led the league in scoring at 32.6 six points per game but the gaps were showing he wasn’t flying over defenders anymore he was grinding through them off the court the storm was gathering jordan’s gambling habits once a curious quirk became national news first came the whispers casinos golf courses high stakes bets then the headlines in the spring of 1993 a San Diego businessman named Richard Esquenus published a book claiming Jordan owed him over 1.2 million from gambling debts do you have a gambling problem no I I enjoy it’s a hobby the media frenzy erupted overnight the timing couldn’t have been worse in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks reports surfaced that Jordan had been seen gambling late into the night at an Atlantic City casino before game two photos splashed across front pages it’s attacked in my private life and I really didn’t like it and I don’t I don’t agree with it tv anchors questioned his focus columnist asked whether the king had lost his edge new York smelled blood they took the first two games at Madison Square Garden pounding the Bulls with physical defense and relentless pressure suddenly the defending champions were down 02 the walls that Jordan had spent nearly a decade climbing over now looked like they might bury him he answered the only way he knew how in game three back in Chicago Jordan played angry controlled fury he attacked the rim absorbed punishment and kept coming he dropped 22 points in the first half setting the tone for the series the Bulls clawed out a win then another then another game five in New York was the turning point an ugly brutal battle jordan put up 29 points under the brightest harshest lights of his career silencing a Madison Square Garden crowd that had come ready to celebrate his fall by game six the Bulls had flipped the series entirely they closed out the Knicks at home bloodied bruised unbroken jordan was still standing but there was no time to exhale waiting in the finals were the Phoenix Suns led by Charles Barkley the newly crowned MVP phoenix was young fast confident barkley was playing the best basketball of his life they had homecourt advantage they had hunger they had depth what they didn’t have was Michael Jordan in game one Jordan attacked mercilessly dropping 31 points game two 42 points when Phoenix punched back with a triple overtime win in game three one of the longest and wildest finals games ever played Jordan responded the only way he knew how game four 55 points the second highest scoring performance in NBA Finals history at the time he didn’t just score he carved Phoenix apart play after play without hesitation by game six the Bulls were battered but within reach of a third straight title in the final minutes Phoenix led 9896 the Suns packed the paint daring Chicago to find a way jordan brought the ball up he swung it to Pippen pippen attacked the lane pulled defenders with him and kicked it to Horus Grant near the baseline and fired the ball out to John Paxton who was waiting behind the three-point line just right of center paxton caught released swish the Bulls took a 9998 lead with 3.9 seconds left phoenix had one last chance kevin Johnson drove the lane but Horus Grant met him and erased the shot time expired three straight championships jordan stood in the chaos arms raised exhausted victorious the confetti fell again the cameras flashed again but something inside him didn’t celebrate not fully because this time the journey hadn’t refueled him it had drained him all the battles all the victories all the applause they no longer filled the spaces they once did something was broken now and Michael Jordan knew it he just hadn’t said it out loud yet can you imagine it i can’t the summer of 1993 was supposed to be a coronation three straight championships finals MVPs stacked like trophies on a mantel michael Jordan had nothing left to prove to anyone not the league not to the critics not even to himself but peace never came today it is with regret that I advise you that a body located in Bennisville South Carolina has been positively identified as the body of Mr james Jordan on July 23rd 1993 James Jordan pulled off a North Carolina highway to take a nap in his red Lexus somewhere near Lumberton beneath the heavy summer heat two teenagers approached his car with a stolen gun they shot him dumped his body in a swamp left him there to rot he wasn’t found for weeks by the time the news reached Michael the world knew first james Jordan had been more than a father he was Michael’s compass his anchor the voice that kept him human when the world tried to turn him into a god the murder ripped a hole through him that nothing could feel rumors swirled in the weeks that followed whispers that James’ death was somehow tied to Michael’s gambling theories with no proof no mercy it didn’t matter the damage was done the grief the exhaustion the constant microscope it finally broke him on October 6th 1993 at a crowded press conference Michael Jordan announced his retirement from basketball 23 years old when he entered the league 30 years old when he walked away he wasn’t limping off the stage he was sprinting from it uh it’s time for me to move away from the game of basketball he said he had nothing left to prove said the game no longer challenged him i don’t believe he should continue playing he’s come to a point in his life where he needs to go and do something else most of the world didn’t believe it the NBA reeled overnight tv ratings cratered the Bulls were left stunned leaderless they started the 1993 94 season without the man who had made them matter without their engine without their soul scotty Pippen stepped into the void he played the best basketball of his life careerhighs and points rebounds assists he led the Bulls to 55 wins and dragged them to the second round of the playoffs but even greatness has limits in the 1994 Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Knicks with the score tied in seconds left in game three coach Phil Jackson drew up a final play for Tony Cuck coach not Pippen scotty refused to go back in the game he sat on the bench arms crossed while Cuckoo hit the game winner their Bulls survived that night but something cracked you don’t just lose a legend and keep walking like nothing happened against the Knicks they fought they clawed they even had a chance to steal the series but a phantom foul call against Pippen in game five one that even New York media admitted was suspicious flipped the momentum the Bulls eventually fell in seven brutal games no Jordan no finals the dynasty wasn’t dead yet but it was unrecognizable across the country Jordan wore a Birmingham Baron’s baseball uniform riding buses swinging at minor league curveballs smiling for cameras but lost somewhere underneath for the first time in a decade the NBA world spun without Michael Jordan at its center but the storm he had created wasn’t gone it was just waiting [Music] like his heart is here his body’s here and he is very happy competing at this level trying to get to the major leagues michael Jordan was gone from the NBA but he wasn’t sitting still he was in Birmingham Alabama chasing a different dream wearing cleats instead of sneakers swinging a bat instead of a fist the Birmingham Barren double A minor league baseball long bus rides small stadiums cheap motel jordan didn’t care in his mind he wasn’t escaping basketball he was honoring a promise to his father and maybe to a younger version of himself he struggled badly fast balls blew past him breaking balls spun him into knots he batted 202 hit three home runs struck out 114 times but he showed up early stayed late ran the bases like every sprint mattered never asked for shortcuts never asked for pity in the lonely stretches of those bus rides somewhere between forgotten towns and empty ballparks the fire began to return meanwhile in Chicago the Bulls fought to move forward pippen carried the load cuc grew into a weapon phil Jackson willed them to compete but it was clear the NBA was changing without Jordan hakeiman led the Rockets to a title in 1994 new stars rose shaquille O’Neal Anthony Hardaway young wolves sniffing around the throne Jordan had left vacant and then came the strike in the spring of 1995 a labor dispute between Major League Baseball players and owners froze the game spring training was cancelled minor league seasons were endangered players faced uncertain futures jordan had a decision to make he started showing up at the Berto Center the Bulls practice facility under the radar at first just casual workouts shooting drills light scrimmages but the rust fell off faster than anyone expected the instinct was still there the elevation the precision it was Pippen who pushed first “come back,” he said “we need you.” Jordan didn’t answer right away he hated half measures but he returned he needed to be certain for weeks he stayed quiet then I’m back that’s all Jordan said on Saturday that was really all Jordan needed to say on March 18th 1995 a two-word fact landed in the newsrooms across the country i’m back no speeches no interviews no staged comeback tour just a fact two words and the world stopped spinning the very next day wearing the unfamiliar number 45 jersey Jordan walked onto the court in Indianapolis against the Pacers his touch was rusty his legs not fully conditioned but the crowds buzzed every time he touched the ball the camera lens followed his every breath he scored 19 points missed shots he used to bury looked mortal looked human but something was awake again the Bulls surged down the stretch fueled by Jordan’s return they clawed into the playoffs facing the young electric Orlando Magic led by Shaq and Penny Hardaway jordan battled he wheeled he pulled Magic out of thin air even dropping 40 points in game five but the timing wasn’t there the chemistry wasn’t there the old invincibility wasn’t there in game six it was over the Magic knocked the Bulls out ending Jordan’s comeback season early for the first time since 1990 Michael Jordan walked off the court in defeat but there was no sadness in his eyes only calculation he knew what needed to happen next the old Jordan wasn’t coming back he was building something new and the league had no idea what was about to hit them the loss to Orlando didn’t just sting it branded itself onto Michael Jordan’s soul all summer he vanished into the shadows into empty gyms sweaty weight rooms silent practice courts he wasn’t rebuilding the old Jordan he was creating something meaner harder stronger 5 a.m weightlifting sessions endless drills pickup games that turned into fist fights he refused to lose again not to Shaq not to Penny not to anyone and he wasn’t the only one changing jerry Krauss saw the opening too he traded for Dennis Rodman a move that made everyone flinch rodman was Chaos Incarnate a rebounding savant a defensive genius but unstable volatile a grenade with a halfpulled pin he had clashed violently with the Pistons burned bridges with the Spurs and dyed his hair every color except ordinary but Krauss didn’t care phil Jackson didn’t blink and Jordan after a brief ice cold meeting gave his blessing if they could harness Rodman’s madness the Bulls wouldn’t just be good they would be unstoppable the 199596 Chicago Bulls weren’t chasing respect they were hunting history jordan had shed the number 45 jersey and reclaimed number 23 his legs were back his lift his edge pippen was in his absolute prime smoother smarter deadlier and Rodman rodman was the hammer smashing opposing big men off the glass diving for loose balls throwing himself into every fight from opening night it was clear nobody could touch them the Bulls started the season 23 and2 they won 13 straight on the road they crushed good teams and humiliated bad ones their offense flowed like a symphony their defense closed like a steel trap jordan averaged 30.4 points won another MVP and reclaimed his throne without [Music] mercy pippen nearly averaged a triple double some nights rodman led the league in rebounding by a mile grabbing balls over centers half a foot taller they closed the regular season at 72-10 the best record in NBA history a mark nobody thought would ever fall but 72 wins means nothing without the trophy in the playoffs they dismantled Miami outlasted the Knicks gutted the Magic in a coldblooded four-game sweep settling old deaths in silence and in the finals they faced the Seattle SuperSonics a team built to challenge them gary Payeyton the glove the league’s best perimeter defender shawn Kimp a walking explosion dunking through gravity itself for the first few games Jordan smothered Seattle before they could even breathe the Bulls jumped out to a 3-0 lead putting one hand on the trophy by halftime of game three seattle fought back stealing games four and five as Payton finally was unleashed onto Jordan the glove frustrated him battered him slowed him just enough but there was no stopping destiny in game 6 June 16 1996 on Father’s Day Michael Jordan completed the comeback the Bulls closed out Seattle 8775 this is my daddy jordan collapsed onto the locker room floor cradling the ball sobbing uncontrollably not because of the championship because his father wasn’t there to see it 3 years after James Jordan’s murder Michael had returned to the top of the world alone but unbroken a fourth title another finals MVP a team etched into history 72 wins a ring an empire the Bulls weren’t just champions anymore they were legends the Bulls had conquered everything 72 wins a championship for the ages Michael Jordan back on top but history doesn’t just weigh you down from the outside it crushes you from within the 9697 Bulls weren’t chasing greatness anymore they were defending it every night under a microscope that never blinked winning didn’t feel like a celebration it felt like survival from the outside they still looked invincible they started 42-6 they finished 69 and 13 just three wins shy of their own record jordan was still Jordan pippen remained the ultimate weapon filling every crack doing whatever the moment needed and Rodman Rodman waged his own private wars on the court he led the NBA in rebounding again off the court he spiraled deeper into chaos suspensions absences Vegas trips he dyed his hair every color rebellion could imagine he married himself in a wedding dress he was a headline machine barely held together by a basketball court the Bulls survived it all but the cracks were no longer invisible behind closed doors Jerry Krauss the Bulls’s general manager made it clear he believed the dynasty’s best days were already behind them he believed he could rebuild faster cheaper smarter jerry started the negotiations last year with me whispers leaked that Phil Jackson’s days were numbered that Pippen could be traded that Rodman was expendable and Krauss’s quote “Players don’t win championships organizations do.” What I said was that players and coaches alone don’t win championships that organizations do was gasoline poured over a raging fire jordan never forgot it never forgave it every practice every press conference every playoff game became something personal not just against the opponents but against the very people upstairs by spring the Bulls limped into the playoffs bruised and battered they didn’t dominate they endured battling past the bullets outlasting the Hawks gritting through the heat their reward a final showdown with the Utah Jazz carl Malone John Stockton a team built on discipline toughness and perfect execution malone had just been named MVP barely edging out Jordan a slight he would not forgive the series was brutal every possession felt like trench warfare the team split the first four games and then game five Salt Lake City jordan woke up violently ill flu symptoms dehydration vomiting doctors told him not to play he played anyway he dragged himself across the court like a man hunted by ghosts pale dripping gasping for air he scored 38 points he hit the go-ahad three and then collapsed into Scottie Pippen’s arms with less than a minute left the Bulls stole game five the flu game one of the most iconic performances in sports history three nights later back home in Chicago the Bulls stood one possession away from another championship the game was tied 8686 28 seconds left steve Kerr brought the ball up the court cautious but calm he passed to Scottie Pippen on the left wing pippen waited found Jordan at the top of the key utah blitzed him immediately double team suffocating pressure jordan didn’t force it he trusted he fired the ball back to Steve Kerr curling into open space near the free throw line kerr caught rose released swish bulls 88 Jazz 86 on Utah’s final desperation inbound Scotty Pippen tipped to pass away tony Cuck coach scooped it up and raced for a thunderous breakaway dunk as the buzzer blared final score 90 to 86 the Bulls were champions again five titles michael Jordan 1997 finals MVP jordan’s fifth finals MVP another parade another dynasty layer carved into stone but beneath the banners and champagne the fractures had widened this wasn’t a family anymore it was a final march toward an ending everyone could see coming and no one could stop the last dance had already begun i do sincerely believe that organizations as a whole win have a sense of respect for the people who have laid the groundworks so that you can be a profitable organization uh this will be Phil’s last year as the coach of the Bulls at the conclusion of the year we’ll look towards a future it didn’t start with a loss it started with a deadline before the 1997 98 season even tipped off Jerry Krauss made it clear i don’t care if Phil Jackson goes 82 and0 he’s not coming back phil was out which meant by extension Michael Jordan was out too as it may be I have choices you know and I will not choose to play for another coach jordan said it plainly i’m not playing for another coach the dynasty was officially living on borrowed time the players knew it the coaches knew it the fans didn’t at least not yet inside the Bulls locker room the season was nicknamed the last dance a funeral march disguised as a championship tour scottie Pippen started the season in open rebellion angry over a lowpaying contract he had long outperformed furious at Krauss’s attempts to trade him he delayed surgery on his injured foot until right before training camp not to get healthy for the team to make a point without Pippen the Bulls stumbled early jordan carried the weight alone again every night the media swarmed every practice was a feeding frenzy every small crack became a headline pippen eventually returned in January and slowly the Bulls steadied the ship jordan as always refused to let them sink he won his fifth regular season MVP at 35 years old averaging 28.7 points per game controlling games not just with athleticism but with coldblooded precision the Bulls finished 62 and 20 they weren’t the same sleek machine of 1996 they were older slower beat up but they were still alive in the playoffs they tore through New Jersey survived a brutal seven-game war against the Indiana Pacers the toughest Eastern Conference series of Jordan’s career pushed their bodies to the limit just to get one last shot at glory the finals brought a familiar enemy the Utah Jazz carl Malone John Stockton Jeff Hornosk a team just as desperate for a ring as Chicago was desperate to end on their terms the series was a slugfest the Bulls stole game two in Utah behind Jordan’s clutch jumper they fought off the Jazz in game three with a record setting 96 to 54 demolition the fewest points ever scored in an NBA Finals game but the Bulls were bleeding scotty Pippen’s back gave out early in game six every move was agony every step a gamble he could barely stand barely breathe yet he stayed on the floor a decoy a shadow of himself just to give Jordan a chance jordan didn’t ask for help he took over in the final minute down by three Jordan scored an acrobatic layup to cut the lead to one on Utah’s next possession he stalked Carl Malone from the blind side ripped the ball clean out of his hands no timeout no hesitation jordan dribbled slowly up the floor calm calculating he sized up Byron Russell one crossover one lean one perfect release the ball hung in the air for a heartbeat then ripped through the net bulls 87 Jazz 86 5.2 seconds left utah missed at the buzzer the Bulls had won six championships in eight years a second three repeat jordan’s sixth finals MVP the Dynasty’s final masterpiece jordan stood at center court one arm raised frozen in that final pose the last image of his Bull’s career he walked away a champion the Bulls walked away into history not with a collapse not with a slow fade but with a final shot a final steel a final ring a perfect ending that would never come again the last dance was over there was a parade half a million people flooded Grant Park the city roared a sea of red and black jordan stood at the podium holding the sixth trophy it was the perfect ending on the surface but underneath the dynasty was already being dismantled jerry Krauss had made it clear long before the finals even started this was Phil Jackson’s last season no matter what no contract extension no second chance no feel meant no Jordan no Jordan meant no Dynasty scottie Pippen knew he was being shopped before the season even tipped off underpaid underappreciated and injured he wasn’t coming back either dennis Rodman the wild card who had made them unbeatable wasn’t in the future plans either the celebration in Grant Park was real but it was also a funeral the dismantling began almost immediately phil Jackson resigned scottie Pippen was traded to Houston in a sign and trade deal dennis Rodman was released steve Kerr was traded to San Antonio luke Longley was sent to Phoenix michael Jordan always said he wanted to retire on top and so he has today he made official the story that broke Monday night that he would not return to the Bulls after 13 seasons six championships and countless game highlights and Michael Jordan once again walked away not because the game had passed him not because he couldn’t dominate anymore but because the soul of the dynasty had been gutted from within he announced his retirement on January 13 1999 this time there was no comeback in Chicago waiting for him the Bulls collapsed overnight from 62 wins to 13 from soldout arenas to empty seas from dynasty to dust jerry Krauss believed he could rebuild it again he never did the players scattered across the league phil Jackson resurfaced in Los Angeles and built another empire five more championships with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal steve Kerr found rings in San Antonio and years later crafted his own dynasty in Golden State scottie Pippen battled through injuries in Houston and Portland chasing one last ring that never came dennis Rodman spun into chaos and tabloid fame and Jordan Jordan returned years later with the Washington Wizards still brilliant still unrelenting but it was never the same the magic wasn’t in the jersey it had been in the people the bond the fight the trust and once that was broken there was no rebuilding it the Chicago Bulls didn’t lose their dynasty they chose to end it not at the hands of an opponent not because of time but because of pride because of power because of the belief that dynasties are easy to recreate they are not the 1991 to 1998 Chicago Bulls didn’t just win basketball games they changed the world six championships six rings six impossible seasons stitched together by obsession brilliance loyalty and an unrelenting refusal to break the greatest dynasty the game had ever seen ended not by defeat but by choice the banners still hang six of them swaying quietly above the empty court the dynasty is gone the players are gone the moments are gone but the echoes remain a reminder that for eight impossible years one team rewrote what greatness could be not with promises not with polish but with blood sweat brilliance and the stubborn belief that nothing was ever over until they said it was the Chicago Bulls didn’t just win championships they built a legend one that will never be duplicated not by organizations not by plans not by luck because greatness isn’t assembled it’s born fought for and when it leaves it doesn’t come back it lives only in the banners and in the memories of those who witnessed it the last dance forever

From 1991 to 1998, the Chicago Bulls weren’t just the best team in basketball — they became a global phenomenon.

This is the complete story of the Bulls dynasty that redefined greatness, elevated the NBA to international heights, and changed sports culture forever. Led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coached by Phil Jackson, the Bulls captured six titles in eight seasons, becoming one of the most iconic teams in history.

This in-depth documentary breaks down every season, every Finals run, and every turning point that shaped the Bulls’ dominance. From MJ’s rise to global superstardom to the triangle offense, the drama, the rivalries, and the legacy — this is how the Bulls became the team that changed sports forever.

👑 Featuring:
– Michael Jordan’s legendary leadership and clutch moments
– Scottie Pippen’s evolution and underrated brilliance
– Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and Zen mentality
– Year-by-year breakdowns (1991–1998)
– Six NBA championships
– Rivalries with the Pistons, Knicks, and Jazz
– Global marketing, sneakers, and cultural impact

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