1991 Overview
From Hoopedia
1990-91 NBA Season
With each passing season, Michael Jordan’s “greatness” had become an issue. He had won four straight NBA scoring titles, but was he the kind of player who could lead a team to a championship? Or was he the kind of superstar whose gifts were good only for the show? Those questions haunted Jordan more than ever as training camp opened in 1990.
Never had his basketball skills been a question. But his leadership skills, and his character, were. There was only one way to answer.
“I think there came a point where he understood his greatness was going to be defined by winning,” Bulls guard John Paxson would later explain. “That’s why I saw a change in his real commitment to winning championships.”
Jordan’s main frustrations grew out of the Bulls’ failures against the physical Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990.
The Bulls matured into a determined unit over the 1990-91 season. The key development came with 6-7 Scottie Pippen. He had been stung by criticism, most of it stemming from his migraine headache against Detroit in Game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. Pippen answered with determination, averaging nearly 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
“I thought about it all summer,” he said of the migraine. “I failed to produce last season.” “For Pippen,” Bulls Coach Phil Jackson observed, “it was ultimately taking him from being a wing into a point guard role. He became a guy who now had the ball as much as Michael. He became a dominant force.”
In December, the Bulls’ defense held the Cleveland Cavaliers to just five points in the first quarter at Chicago Stadium. The Bulls lost to Boston in their third game of the season, then reeled off 30 straight home wins on their way to a franchise-best 61 victories, a run that helped Jordan earn his second league MVP honor. He again led the league in scoring at 31.5 points per game (to go with six rebounds and five assists per outing).
The Bulls opened the playoffs against the Knicks, winning the first game by 41 points en route to a sweep. Next Philadelphia fell 4-1, setting up the only rematch the Bulls wanted: Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chicago hammered the Pistons, who were reeling from injuries, in four straight games, an outcome Jordan boldly forecast.
The Portland Trail Blazers had ruled the regular season in the Western Conference with a 63-19 record, but Magic Johnson and the Lakers again survived in the playoffs, ousting Portland 4-2 in the Conference Finals.
For many observers, the NBA Finals seemed a dream matchup: Jordan and the Bulls against Magic and the Lakers. Many, including former Laker Coach Pat Riley, figured the Lakers’ experience made them a sure bet. Los Angeles was making its ninth Finals appearance since 1980, and had five titles to show for it.
Los Angeles won Game 1 93-91 on a late three-pointer by Sam Perkins. Although the Bulls blew out the Lakers 107-86 in Game 2, the Lakers had gotten a split in Chicago Stadium and were headed home for three straight games in the Forum.
But the Bulls met the challenge in Game 3. Jordan hit a jumper with 3.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime. There, the Bulls ran off eight straight points for a 104-96 win and a 2-1 lead in the series.
Chicago’s Game 4 weapon was defense. The Bulls won, 97-82, harrying the Lakers into shooting 37 percent from the floor.
“I didn’t even dream this would happen,” Magic Johnson said.
The Bulls turned to their offense to claim the title in Game 5, 108-101. Pippen led the scoring parade with 32 points, and Paxson hit five buckets in the final four minutes to finish with 20 points and seal the win.
Jordan’s numbers for the series? 31.2 points, 11.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. Afterward, Johnson tracked him down. “I saw tears in his eyes,” Johnson said. “I told him, ‘You proved everyone wrong. You’re a winner as well as a great individual basketball player.’”
