Most people, 15 years removed, probably don't remember that the 1997-1998 Bulls team didn't have Pippen for the first 38 games, and they STILL won 62 games that year. Amazing.
11 year old me was on my first trip to america, all the way from europe and i got to watch these legends play ball. Still got the tickets tucked away, what a memory.
MJ blocking Zo @2:55 showcases the most forgotten part of his game: He was a GREAT defender. Guy was All Defensive First Team NINE times and Defensive POY in 1988.
Damn man, this is MJ at 35 years old and he's dominating everybody. That's what happens when you've mastered every facet of the game, even as he lost his athleticism he was still able to use all the other parts of his game and it was like he never lost a step.
WOW, just WOW. I realize these are only highlights, but you can just see how much better the bball that the Bulls played then than a lot of teams do today (if not all). I mean, you have excellent, excellent team defense, MJ, Pippen and Kukoc showing their usual offensive prowess, Kerr with one or two passes, Rodman dominating in defense, etc... No wonder they won 72 games in 1996 and again won a championship in 1998. Comparing this team to the teams of today, no comparison, in my opinion.
First of all....how super duper rare is it to hear Kevin Harlan commentating in the back end of the Bulls dynasty....it seems surreal, almost like filling the gap between then and now with his over the top sensational commentating and zeal.
Power Gear mj said pippen was the greatest defender he played against. and knowing those 2 i know they are going at it in practice. i pippen decides to shut you down, you are shut. greatest perimiter defending duo ever.
Man these games use to be sooooo good! Come home from work, take a shower, get something to eat and drink, relax and watch the Bulls play on TNT or WGN. MJ never disappointed. A real good time in my life.
Doc said I think he's the best post player in basketball. Shidd, that was never a debate especially after the first 3peat. He completely changed his game...And he still was the best.
I agree with you but you wouldn't argue if someone else says Hakeem the dream or The Diesel (Just because of their efficiency around the rim). MJ all day and forever though. #OlimpusGOAT
And to think Jordan was already 35 years old at this point, but the way he played around with Miami's D would make you think that he was still in his twenties. Greatest ever!
Michael finished his career #3 on the all-time scoring list (is still #5 now) despite playing significantly FEWER season than everyone ahead of him AND attempting not being a high volume 3-pt shooter.
Gotta love Kevin Harlan, he makes everything sound exciting. "OHHHH! WHAT A GORGEOUS TURNOVER! AND THEN THE HEAT TAKE A TIMEOUT! OHHHH, THAT GATORADE LOOKS GOOD!" lmao
The play/shot by Jordan from 3:53-3:57 is insane. Totally scrapes Lenard with the change of direction crossover, then hits the double-clutch high-arching jumper over Mourning's outstretched arms. Amazing. Lenard actually hacked the crap out of Jordan back then (this game plus the previous year's playoffs) and got away with a ton of it. He constantly walked under Jordan on his fadeaways and hit his elbows/arms on his shots. You can see it here, how tight he is on many of Jordan's fadeaways.
The fact that you compared James "Flop so Hard" Harden to Penny Hardaway makes me just shake my head. James Harden isn't shit without being gifted 10 free throws a game by dumbass refs and he would get his ass busted in the 90's for falling down every other play pretending he got fouled. It was a different era back then. The fact that Harden averaged more free throws than the G.O.A.T says how wack and pussified this era is today. 10 free throws a game for that fuckin scrub is inexcusable.
This is the reason why I LOVE the 90's NBA Basketball in the 90's was AWESOME! God Bless MJ and God Bless Zo Even though I LOVED the Bulls back when Jordan was on the team, I was SO glad to see Alonzo Mourning FINALLY win an NBA Title with the Heat in 2006 when he had Shaq, D-Wade, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Udonis Haslam and James Posey especially after Zo had to go though with the Kidney Transplant 2006 Miami over the Miami Heat with LeBron James & Chris Bosh Jordan, Pippen, and Alonzo all played with Heart unlike some of today's NBA Players and LeBron has NO Class
I really love watching those games from the 90s not only because it was the best times of the NBA but also because those stupid CG graphics all over the screen never spoiled the picture apart from today's broadcasting.
If the NBA wants better ratings and more fans they should allow much more physicality out of teams, not fights, but more banging and showing true passion for the game and willing to do what you have to do to win the game especially when the playoffs roll around. Let them push and shove, let them get in each others face and push and committ hard fouls (to an extent) I just think it would be better for the NBA.
ThatNewPimpTrickGangstaClickAlbum GonnaBeThatFire - exactly. Media is so dishonest today. Lbj may have gotten to the finals 8 times in a row but he was on two superteams with three prime superstars while facing not one competitive team. Not one competitive team in the East. His delusional fans say Jordan never played a gsw while ignoring the fact that's he had a literal free pass to the finals. Jordan had to face countless tough teams to get there. There is simply no comparison. The NBA let Lbj get there without any difficulty with his superteams. It's pathetic. Of course he chokes in the finals - he never has to face tough competition before he gets to the finals so he doesn't know how to compete. Lbj wins a Championship playing one tough series (finals) Jordan wins championships playing 4 tough series - the entire playoffs. No comparison.
Get Off This Rock Travel - definitely. Jordan was number 1 in free throws back then and averaged 7 or so per game. Harden has averaged 11 per game in some seasons. And if you look at Jordan's era, the top free throw shooters except for MJ were all big men - today's soft rules and open paint allows perimeter players to score easily and dominate the ball which is why they shoot so many more free throws today. Back then, the game was much more physical, was much less regulated by restrictive rules and just tougher all around.
Cont. In fact, you could argue that the NBA was more watered down in 1996 than it was now, with 2 teams being added in the 96-97 season, the Grizzlies and Raptors were a joke for a long time
That '98 season is fascinating to watch.A lot of people talk about it as MJ's worst season, but I think it was his best.Sure, his FG% and PPG were down and age played a part, but he also had a hand injury and had to shoot more with Pippen out half the season.Also, that was the period when NBA scoring and FG% dropped a ton.The '91 Bulls scored 110 a game on 51% FG, '98 Bulls scored 96 a game on 45% FG.His 28.7 PPG on 47% in '98 is like 30 PPG on 49% in '93.His impact on wins was the same as ever.
@BobyCasasola87 I want to say it's Kevin Harlan. He's one of the commentators along with Steve Kerr and Clark Kellogg. Phenomenal announcer on NBA 2k12.
jordan, as doc said, is the best post player in the game, probably in the history. he has 9 fadeaway shots made in this game alone, which is insane for a guy his size. if i remember it right he was very hot and has a pretty good shooting %. also funny to see that celebration by kline throws mj off a bit hahaha. i think randy brown did something just like that to him before and he reacts the same. at this stage jordan is very calm and keep his composure well.
90's era was about speed and athleticism, you are absolutely right, but it was about skill and working hard. I stand by my comment on teams not being fundamentally sound
Can't say it any better than this. The league is so weak now and I can't believe that sorry Pacers team took the Heat to 7 games. Roy Hibbert was a 12 point scorer in the regular season and the Heat defense made him look like an all-star. The Bulls were facing teams like the Penny/Shaq Magic in the ECF. Can you imagine what Shaq and Penny would do to the East today? Miami thought they had their hands full with Hibbert. Shaq would make them straight up quit and Penny would murder Wade.
Yes, he was at his peak in 98. His Bball IQ, experience, his sharpness, mentally, and maybe a little less so physically. After 98 he retired so we wouldn't know what he was capable of if he continued to play. He came back from retirement a 2nd time and he just simply wasn't the same.
Everyone who mentions how Scottie made it easy for Jordan never considers how easy he made it for Scottie. Speaking of people who don't know what they are talking about Pippen was not the ultimate team player, just a good one. He really did not even have more assists than MJ. Pippen's greatness was he was the most dangerous transition player in the league, even more than MJ. He prospered with MJ and Grant/Rodman and stalled with grinding post players. What would Pip do without them?
For sure dude, and lets not forget Dennis Rodman, That block they showed in this video is just a small bit of what Dennis really contributed. He had the greatest blocking and rebounding ability in the NBA at the time. Kerr was also a dynamite shooter from long range (something that even Jordan struggled a bit with. The 95 bulls really were the perfect team
Paytan never said that, he said it was harder to get into stockton's head because stockton always maintained his composure while jordan would go out of his way to school you if you talked trash to him.
Ignorance. The Bulls went through Mourning/Tim Hardaway in 96 in the first round, took out the Ewing/Starks/Mason Knicks in Round 2, swept the dynamic Penny/Shaq combo in the ECF and then finally took out Payton/Kemp in the Finals. In 97 the Heat were stacked with Mourning, Hardaway, Mashburn, Majerle, and PJ Brown and they STILL got smashed by the Bulls in the ECF lol. Those 90s East teams would make the crap East teams of today cry. And any of those 90s big men would be the best center today.
Anybody who actually watched the Bulls in '94-95 would realize they lost more than Horace Grant. They lost Paxson to retirement, Cartwright was history, Scott Williams was gone to Philly as a free agent. Luc Longley was hurt the first 3 months of the season with a foot fracture. Their entire frontline was wiped out. Pippen had to put up his best defensive season ever (guarding damn near every position) and lead that team in every major statistical category that year just to keep them afloat.
@Barnum6241996 your point is wrong because all great teams/players went through a slump at some point, a bad performance and lost to a much weaker opponent. It is how sports works, it is part of the magic.
Most people, 15 years removed, probably don't remember that the 1997-1998 Bulls team didn't have Pippen for the first 38 games, and they STILL won 62 games that year. Amazing.
rs44 big facts!!!
rs44 Jordan carried them that season. His shooting percentage and free throw percentage reflected the stress of that season for him.
and the Bulls started off 7-8.
so they finished 55-14 to get to 62-20.
Facts
@@StoneGone kucoc help too with some of the scoring
Its nice to hear players back then so fundamentally sound when it comes to their post game interviews. Such a class act. Missin the 90's basketball.
It's still there, lol.
11 year old me was on my first trip to america, all the way from europe and i got to watch these legends play ball. Still got the tickets tucked away, what a memory.
Jordan's post game is unstoppable.
you could say MJ was the best post PLAYER in the 90's.
outside of Hakeem ..... there isn't a player with much of an argument.
@MUFC dude who gives a fuck about soccor
FSC
MJ blocking Zo @2:55 showcases the most forgotten part of his game: He was a GREAT defender. Guy was All Defensive First Team NINE times and Defensive POY in 1988.
AlonZO Mourning.
And Lebron flexing his muscles when blocking 6'2" point guards... MJ > LBJ
I was at this game!!! The one and only time I got to see MJ play in the flesh! All the way from the UK to Chi Town. Best day of my life!!
Damn man, this is MJ at 35 years old and he's dominating everybody. That's what happens when you've mastered every facet of the game, even as he lost his athleticism he was still able to use all the other parts of his game and it was like he never lost a step.
People forget MJ was a 9 time all nba first team player. The goat.
Um... Nobody forgot
I absolutely love watching these. Brings back memories
MJ had that undeniable Fade-away 🔥💯🔥
WOW, just WOW. I realize these are only highlights, but you can just see how much better the bball that the Bulls played then than a lot of teams do today (if not all). I mean, you have excellent, excellent team defense, MJ, Pippen and Kukoc showing their usual offensive prowess, Kerr with one or two passes, Rodman dominating in defense, etc... No wonder they won 72 games in 1996 and again won a championship in 1998. Comparing this team to the teams of today, no comparison, in my opinion.
that was the most comfortable interview i've ever watched
First of all....how super duper rare is it to hear Kevin Harlan commentating in the back end of the Bulls dynasty....it seems surreal, almost like filling the gap between then and now with his over the top sensational commentating and zeal.
Jordan is the Goat , Nobody can"t guard him , Nobody
except pippen and rodman. the irony...
jjays otag they can't either Mike was probably killing them in practice
Power Gear mj said pippen was the greatest defender he played against. and knowing those 2 i know they are going at it in practice. i pippen decides to shut you down, you are shut. greatest perimiter defending duo ever.
jjays otag Will Perdue said Jordan would destroy, embarass pippen in practice
Well, he was well protected by the refs
Man these games use to be sooooo good!
Come home from work, take a shower, get something to eat and drink, relax and watch the Bulls play on TNT or WGN.
MJ never disappointed.
A real good time in my life.
Doc said I think he's the best post player in basketball. Shidd, that was never a debate especially after the first 3peat. He completely changed his game...And he still was the best.
I agree with you but you wouldn't argue if someone else says Hakeem the dream or The Diesel (Just because of their efficiency around the rim). MJ all day and forever though. #OlimpusGOAT
Second Best player in the History of NBA who ever played the Game, is without No Doubt Scottie Pippen 33 🏀
Kevin Harlan: "HE GOT UP HIGH AND CAME DOWN HARD!!!! THEY CALL THAT THE 'HIGH HARD ONE!!!!'" Vintage Kevin Harlan! #ilovethisgamebasketball
sometimes i wonder if jordan is the GOAT. Then i watch old vids like this, and i remember that he is.
His post game and fade aways were amazing.
The way the net would "splash" after the ball left his hand was like no other.
And to think Jordan was already 35 years old at this point, but the way he played around with Miami's D would make you think that he was still in his twenties. Greatest ever!
craig sager still with the snazzy suits hahah classic
gymnastbg1 Yep. #ripcraigsager #sagerstrong
"I had the flu"
"You shoudn't be out here then"
Whatever you say, Michael
Michael finished his career #3 on the all-time scoring list (is still #5 now) despite playing significantly FEWER season than everyone ahead of him AND attempting not being a high volume 3-pt shooter.
Vashon Leonard should've known better not to talk smack to mike, mj came back the next game and put up 37 on him!!!!
These team is so nice than now
Scottie is the man.
Gotta love Kevin Harlan, he makes everything sound exciting. "OHHHH! WHAT A GORGEOUS TURNOVER! AND THEN THE HEAT TAKE A TIMEOUT! OHHHH, THAT GATORADE LOOKS GOOD!" lmao
Nothing to see here, just the GOAT doing GOAT things
Best comment ever
I remember watching this game on TV, thank you for uploading
Pure awesomeness!! what a team.
Like many of you all i miss those 90's nba season...
Love the post game interviews back in the day.
Simply the greatest player of all time. It's Michael Jordan's game
Your right! I remember that game, like 97 I think. It was on NBC back then, Jordan and Pippen were unreal.
He's such a stand-up guy never really wants to trash talk. but you get it. Thank you mj for all the great memories
mj at this age in this league average 40 points a game.
i cant think of any one else who practiced as much as mike did (in basketball) he deserves the respect
1:59 that footwork move was personal!
Mj puts on a clinic in this one...he is just toooooo good
3:55 GOOD SHOT
4:01 ( super slow mo verseion ) DAMN HE BROKE HIS ANKLES & DOUBLE CLUTCHED ON THE SHOT...G.O.A.T.
final dominant year of a legendary bulls team
The play/shot by Jordan from 3:53-3:57 is insane. Totally scrapes Lenard with the change of direction crossover, then hits the double-clutch high-arching jumper over Mourning's outstretched arms. Amazing. Lenard actually hacked the crap out of Jordan back then (this game plus the previous year's playoffs) and got away with a ton of it. He constantly walked under Jordan on his fadeaways and hit his elbows/arms on his shots. You can see it here, how tight he is on many of Jordan's fadeaways.
Man, these are great uploads. Thanks a bunch.
Mourning is a fool, he goes for every fake
Dkouts57 😂😂😂
The fact that you compared James "Flop so Hard" Harden to Penny Hardaway makes me just shake my head. James Harden isn't shit without being gifted 10 free throws a game by dumbass refs and he would get his ass busted in the 90's for falling down every other play pretending he got fouled. It was a different era back then. The fact that Harden averaged more free throws than the G.O.A.T says how wack and pussified this era is today. 10 free throws a game for that fuckin scrub is inexcusable.
i remember this game alonzo elbow scottie and scottie really getting mad...
That wasn’t this game
This is the reason why I LOVE the 90's
NBA Basketball in the 90's was AWESOME!
God Bless MJ and God Bless Zo
Even though I LOVED the Bulls back when Jordan was on the team, I was SO glad to see Alonzo Mourning FINALLY win an NBA Title with the Heat in 2006 when he had Shaq, D-Wade, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Udonis Haslam and James Posey especially after Zo had to go though with the Kidney Transplant
2006 Miami over the Miami Heat with LeBron James & Chris Bosh
Jordan, Pippen, and Alonzo all played with Heart unlike some of today's NBA Players and LeBron has NO Class
ahh I remember the INTRO! Just like YESTERDAY!
MJ my favorite basketball player ever and the greatest of all time!
his post play! OMG his post play ... thats perfection baby
rodman's block was so epic
Nice videos man. I miss the old NBA times...
My money would be on the team that was in the process of their second three-peat in the same decade.
Are you kidding me, Wade and Lebron wouldn't be able to handle Pippen and Jordan. It would be pure domination.
I really love watching those games from the 90s not only because it was the best times of the NBA but also because those stupid CG graphics all over the screen never spoiled the picture apart from today's broadcasting.
GOAT MJ,....God BLESS 👊👊👊👊👊👊❤❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏
If the NBA wants better ratings and more fans they should allow much more physicality out of teams, not fights, but more banging and showing true passion for the game and willing to do what you have to do to win the game especially when the playoffs roll around. Let them push and shove, let them get in each others face and push and committ hard fouls (to an extent) I just think it would be better for the NBA.
I think people forget that Michael had to go through actual contenders in the East unlike LeBron
ThatNewPimpTrickGangstaClickAlbum GonnaBeThatFire - exactly. Media is so dishonest today. Lbj may have gotten to the finals 8 times in a row but he was on two superteams with three prime superstars while facing not one competitive team. Not one competitive team in the East.
His delusional fans say Jordan never played a gsw while ignoring the fact that's he had a literal free pass to the finals. Jordan had to face countless tough teams to get there. There is simply no comparison. The NBA let Lbj get there without any difficulty with his superteams. It's pathetic. Of course he chokes in the finals - he never has to face tough competition before he gets to the finals so he doesn't know how to compete.
Lbj wins a Championship playing one tough series (finals)
Jordan wins championships playing 4 tough series - the entire playoffs.
No comparison.
Count the highlights on this video how many times there was handchecking & elbow tapping. Todays players like harden will milk 50 free throws a game
Get Off This Rock Travel - definitely. Jordan was number 1 in free throws back then and averaged 7 or so per game. Harden has averaged 11 per game in some seasons. And if you look at Jordan's era, the top free throw shooters except for MJ were all big men - today's soft rules and open paint allows perimeter players to score easily and dominate the ball which is why they shoot so many more free throws today.
Back then, the game was much more physical, was much less regulated by restrictive rules and just tougher all around.
Except Lebron did too.
@@boogieloo1831 bs, the media isnt dishonest lol
Cont. In fact, you could argue that the NBA was more watered down in 1996 than it was now, with 2 teams being added in the 96-97 season, the Grizzlies and Raptors were a joke for a long time
Good old 90s. Miss it so much.
@gbinct Won more rings, won more mvp awards, won an mvp and defensive man in the same year and has more points.
Great way to continue a discussion right there
I miss these days!!!
That '98 season is fascinating to watch.A lot of people talk about it as MJ's worst season, but I think it was his best.Sure, his FG% and PPG were down and age played a part, but he also had a hand injury and had to shoot more with Pippen out half the season.Also, that was the period when NBA scoring and FG% dropped a ton.The '91 Bulls scored 110 a game on 51% FG, '98 Bulls scored 96 a game on 45% FG.His 28.7 PPG on 47% in '98 is like 30 PPG on 49% in '93.His impact on wins was the same as ever.
Jordan was always a great interview. He always said something interesting, not just the same old cliches and bs.
8:08 michael has his JORDAN logo on his head (literally)
Vow. Good eye if you ever read this.
@BobyCasasola87 I want to say it's Kevin Harlan. He's one of the commentators along with Steve Kerr and Clark Kellogg. Phenomenal announcer on NBA 2k12.
this is a great game, but kevin harlen is the best at calling games
Oh man !!!!! Sounds like a dream !!!! Must have been great for you !!!!
jordan, as doc said, is the best post player in the game, probably in the history. he has 9 fadeaway shots made in this game alone, which is insane for a guy his size. if i remember it right he was very hot and has a pretty good shooting %.
also funny to see that celebration by kline throws mj off a bit hahaha. i think randy brown did something just like that to him before and he reacts the same. at this stage jordan is very calm and keep his composure well.
90's era was about speed and athleticism, you are absolutely right, but it was about skill and working hard. I stand by my comment on teams not being fundamentally sound
Can't say it any better than this. The league is so weak now and I can't believe that sorry Pacers team took the Heat to 7 games. Roy Hibbert was a 12 point scorer in the regular season and the Heat defense made him look like an all-star. The Bulls were facing teams like the Penny/Shaq Magic in the ECF. Can you imagine what Shaq and Penny would do to the East today? Miami thought they had their hands full with Hibbert. Shaq would make them straight up quit and Penny would murder Wade.
Jordan,Pippen,Rodman..Exciting to watch them..
Gotta love Marv Albert calling a Jordan game
Yes, he was at his peak in 98. His Bball IQ, experience, his sharpness, mentally, and maybe a little less so physically. After 98 he retired so we wouldn't know what he was capable of if he continued to play. He came back from retirement a 2nd time and he just simply wasn't the same.
Classic TNT programming. So good and crisp. 90's baby yeah!!! (Austin Powers voice)
Everyone who mentions how Scottie made it easy for Jordan never considers how easy he made it for Scottie. Speaking of people who don't know what they are talking about Pippen was not the ultimate team player, just a good one. He really did not even have more assists than MJ. Pippen's greatness was he was the most dangerous transition player in the league, even more than MJ. He prospered with MJ and Grant/Rodman and stalled with grinding post players. What would Pip do without them?
For sure dude, and lets not forget Dennis Rodman, That block they showed in this video is just a small bit of what Dennis really contributed. He had the greatest blocking and rebounding ability in the NBA at the time. Kerr was also a dynamite shooter from long range (something that even Jordan struggled a bit with. The 95 bulls really were the perfect team
Paytan never said that, he said it was harder to get into stockton's head because stockton always maintained his composure while jordan would go out of his way to school you if you talked trash to him.
1998 was the BEST year ever!
@jimmychuang - Good call. Still they were a 55 win team while the Pacers were 58. And this was the marquis match-up at that point.
Ignorance. The Bulls went through Mourning/Tim Hardaway in 96 in the first round, took out the Ewing/Starks/Mason Knicks in Round 2, swept the dynamic Penny/Shaq combo in the ECF and then finally took out Payton/Kemp in the Finals. In 97 the Heat were stacked with Mourning, Hardaway, Mashburn, Majerle, and PJ Brown and they STILL got smashed by the Bulls in the ECF lol. Those 90s East teams would make the crap East teams of today cry. And any of those 90s big men would be the best center today.
This game is a real treat! Everyone firing on all cyclinders expect the defence challenged tim hardaway
The first WWE commentator.
So explain to me why "just because more people watched in the 90s does not make the product better"?
That's not Marv. That Kevin Harlan. Many people seem to get them confused for some reason. Harlan's broadcasting style is always more amped up.
Im 25, and can remember exact games from this season, simply because it was Jordan's last.
quality is pretty amazing.
Kevin Harlan calling a Bulls game with MJ- on TNT. Incredible!!!
I still got this game recorded on VHS lol classic!
Idk y i like this vid soo much
Commentators where so better back then, you got pumped up in every play
Anybody who actually watched the Bulls in '94-95 would realize they lost more than Horace Grant. They lost Paxson to retirement, Cartwright was history, Scott Williams was gone to Philly as a free agent. Luc Longley was hurt the first 3 months of the season with a foot fracture. Their entire frontline was wiped out. Pippen had to put up his best defensive season ever (guarding damn near every position) and lead that team in every major statistical category that year just to keep them afloat.
Top to bottom this team is the best to ever wear a NBA uniform!!!
Lebron needS to watch this and learn KILLER INSTINCT!!!!!
To bad he knows, dumbfuck.
3:20 WHAT A SHOT / reminded me of the old super nintendo basketball game.
That block was reminiscent of the one he had on Patrick Ewing that is in all of the highlight films (only 11 years earlier)
That Bulls team just was so confident, they made it look oh so easy.
@Barnum6241996 your point is wrong because all great teams/players went through a slump at some point, a bad performance and lost to a much weaker opponent. It is how sports works, it is part of the magic.