Lot's of people forget that one of the toughest opponents for the Bulls to reach the NBA finals was the 92,93 New York knicks!! Sometimes it felt like those series were the real finals, because of the intensity and physically it was played!! The unforgettable Bulls of the 90's!! Were something special to watch!! I was lucky to attend the game between Bulls vs Lakers at the Forum of Inglewood during the "last Dance "season!! !!
There were several tough defensive teams in the East during that time. The Knicks being one of the biggest. I got the impression once they got past the Easton Conference and into the finals, it was like a weight was lifted. Not every year, but 92 and 93 for sure.
I´ve been rewatching the UNSTOPABULLS championships seasons all over again and its so addictive!! those guys had great teams, the GOAT, the GOAT coach, GOAT Robin AND a league full of personality!
By the time Barkley got to the Rockets he was steeply declining and Hakeem’s knees were going, though he was still very good. If it had been 92-93 versions of those players with these rosters then I’d give it to the rockets.
Definitely agree with the Jazz and their brand of team basketball being a thing of beauty. I could watch Stockton and Malone play forever. I want to add though that I think the late great Jerry Sloan deserves a mention as well. Those Jazz teams were basically the embodiment of his mindset, grit, and overall scrappy perseverance. I don't think that Utah team gets anywhere _near_ the Bulls (or probably even The Finals itself) without Sloan at the helm.
Could not agree more! Their discipline and how they perfected the fundamentals, was all Sloan. They played the pick and roll better than any team I've ever seen.
The anticipation for the '98 Finals was so high. I was a Jazz fan and my roommate supported the Bulls. Whoever's team lost had to buy the other guy a dinner. I bought four times and he bought two, but it still felt like there was hope for a Utah upset.
The 1997 Knicks had a chance too. They splitted the season series, had added Houston, Johnson and Childs and Ewing had his legs. Unfortunately, the suspensions ended their season and instead of a bloodbath against the Bulls, we faced a Chicago cakewalk against Miami, which didn't deserve to be in the ECF.
@@useyourthirdeye9083 Yes, but not so talented offensively and that's why they couldn't reach the top from 1992 to 1996. They fixed their offensive issues in the summer of 1996 by adding Chlids, Houston and L.J., but the suspensions doomed them. After that year Ewing went downhill with wrist and achilles injuries and even the addition of Spreewell couldn't propel them to the top.
The ‘96 Bulls had four great defensive players on their roster; Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Harper. Phil Jackson was also the top coach and preached team ball. The 1993 Suns had the best chance.
Nahhh the 98 jazz had the best shot Im old enough to have witnessed all of Jordan I was a Jordan fanatic growing up I still have tons of MJ memoribilia ..long story short the last dance year was the only year when it felt like they could be dethroned
Just me maybe but outside of championship series, I think is where Jordan was tested the most. I would say the series that went to game 7 with the pacers and Reggie Miller was the closest he had to losing during the championship runs.
Did you see Jordan destroying Payton the next regular season games though in ‘97? He leaned down a bit in 97 to manage his tendonitis and dominated Payton whenever Payton guarded him.
he always did. That game where Payton is really bodying him up and MJ shot poorly was a combination of the refs letting it go and Jordan just not shooting well. The size difference between the 2 is much wider that what's on paper. I didn't know he leaned down in 97. Grover and MJ did a masterful job keeping him pretty much injury free during his run. That's something his HOF successors Magic, Bird, etc weren't able to do.
@@andrewchester3527 Magic tore his hamstring in 89 and that’s why they got swept. Had tendonitis in 86 and lost to the rockets and his numbers were way down that series. Had serious stamina issues in the 91 finals. Bird had a bad back since 86. Magic didn’t rely on athleticism later in his career and played on the ground. If he kept playing the way he did from 79-82 he would’ve been ineffective. He was unable to guard anyone that was an offensive threat after Nixon left as well as his lateral movement went to shi*t and was on roller skates
If we can add the 98 Pacers, that would be great. This team pushed the Bulls to 7 games in the ECF. Also imagine what if Stockton missed the three pointer, and the Rockets went to the finals instead. How do you see Hakeem, Clyde, and Barkley, against the Bulls?
Barkley was a cream puff by now, he’d be negated pretty soundly, along with Drexler. MJ I’d boldly say tore out his manhood in ‘92. I will always present this scenario what if Magic Johnson continued playing after ‘91. I’m sure LA would have retooled with a bang and have made a formidable finals opponent, having the Bulls actually at uncertainty themselves at coming out on top, because Magic Johnson was at least still good enough as he’d proven in ‘96. They’d have shaken up the roster with a hungry formidable all star who was 110% aboard and ready to do whatever it took being paired with a legend in Magic who would have figured it out with his better bball IQ.
This is ABSOLUTELY the right answer. I love this dude’s channel but he totally bone-headed this one by ignoring the 98 Pacers. Even Jordan said this was their toughest test of the decade outside of Detroit. And I think it’s obvious for anyone who was around to watch that series. I was a huge Miller fan, and this was a big heartbreaker for me.
@@chriscurry2496 I think he was focusing on Western Conference Teams in the Finals, but if any team had a chance to beat MJ in the ECF, it was the Pacers.
Oh, the irony of a Jordan fan complaining about a non-foul call. We can play the what-if game all day, but when we do let’s remember the Pacers were up six deep in the 4th in Game 7th. And I agree with my boy Reg-the Pacers WERE the better team at that point.
Hey Sean! Your observations are spot on! The 90's NBA was a great decade with plenty of competition for the Bulls, but the Bulls had all the pieces of the puzzle for a great team, the other teams were close, but not quite there. I say all of this as a fan of all of the teams that you mentioned of that decade. I like to see teams work together rather than individual players try to be the whole team and being a ball hog just for their own personal stats. Superstars are great, every team in any sport to watch, but those same Superstars need to let other players do their job too, because if that Star player gets injured, now you have a team that has to work twice as hard to try to win without their Star player......I just enjoy watching teams work together to eliminate their competition! Keep posting great video's bro!
The 93-94 and 94-95 Rockets had a really good chance. Too bad we'll never know. It's still incredible that none of the Bulls 6 championships even went to 7 games. No other team was close enough to challenge.
Not just a chance but would have likely beat them. Especially the 95 Rockets. Those guys were incredible. While they squeaked in as the 6 seed, they were truly the best team top to bottom in the league that year. It sure would have been a heck of series.
@@jeffspicoli7619 Pffft. Please. Stick to surfing, Spicoli. The Bulls would've punked that Rockets team off the floor just like all of their other victims.
You should have mentioned the regular season record of every team and whom they beat to get to the finals. Some fans underestimate these teams, not knowing each one of them had gone through an incredibly tough western conference. The 98 Jazz beat the Rockets, the Spurs, and Shaq and Kobe on way to the finals.
the '92 ring is hugely underestimated, and you just said what I'm saying the whole time. Blazers were a great team and the biggest mistake they did was letting MJ shoot uncontested 3s. ... they thought he's a lame 3pt shooter. He defo was with the hand check rule, but uncontested?! One of the main reasons I still believe MJ would dominate today's era
that Utah Jazz team is also my pick of a legit chance winning. that team is scary... It's like a well oiled machine with stockton and malone running the pick and roll outside hornacek and russell..
I can see why some might be inclined to call the 98 Jazz the toughest opponent of the Bulls. But one must keep in mind that Jazz team couldn't beat the worst Bulls team to win a championship. To me, the 96 Sonics - with a healthy Nate McMillan - could've forced a game 7. Plus Seattle was more talented and deeper than Utah, and defended MJ and Pippen very well in that 96 finals. After that it would be between the Blazers and the 97 Jazz, since the 92 and 97 Bulls were the next best Jordan teams. The 97 Jazz were virtually the same as the 98 version, so they were not going to win against any Bulls team. Portland had the talent and the depth, but you know MJ took that Drexler comparison personally. In terms of depth and talent, the Suns had arguably the most of both, but as you said, they couldn't play any defense. Overall I'd go 1. Seattle, 2. Portland, 3. 97 Jazz, 4. 98 Jazz, 5. Phoenix, 6. LA. I have Portland over Utah also because in a head to head matchup they had the advantage at the 2 with prime Drexler, while Buck Williams could've slowed down Malone. Prim Terry Porter was also a good matchup with Stockton, and Utah didn't have any big coming off the bench versatile enough to match up with Clifford Robinson. Both teams very well matched though, but I'd give Portland the edge because of their bench. But as a starting 5 I'd say Seattle had the best unit, with Payton and Hawkins at guard, Kemp, Schrempf and Perkins in the front court
I have 4 teams that in my opinion beat the 96 Bulls, 86 Celtics, 87 Lakers, 01 Lakers and 2017 Warriors. I listed them in order I think 01 Lakers and the Warriors would be super close, the 80s teams I think are definitely better, but hey MJ can always make it close.
The Denver Nuggets of last year would have a big chance to beat the Bulls. The are a huge team and Jokic is one of the greatest point centers of all time.
Looking back on all the Bulls Finals opponents, I think the 98 Finals run, when they were pitted up against the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, respectively in succession, was when they were definitely tested the most. They had their chances to win in my opinion, but they couldn't get the baskets when it mattered most in the clutch. So in my opinion, it all came down to Chicago having MJ, and Indiana and Utah didn't. I believe it was the difference in the end. Jordan single-handedly closed it out both times. He is truly the Master Craftsman at closing games out. He's the best I ever seen, hands down.
Great video. I understand the premise of the video seems to be teams limited to the other conference, but if not, i think the 98 pacers would top this list having been the team to take them to 7.
Also Knicks took them to 7, and it was 67-15 Bulls team from 1992, much tougher series IMO. I think Pacers were brutal and tough but overrated. They got a luck to win ALL 3 close home games and in game 7 Bulls felt much more pressure and scare of elimination. After 2 games probably nobody would have said it'll be longer than 5 games series.
I don't know if I disagree with any of the Finals takes, but I think the '97 Knicks vs the '97 Bulls would have been a competitive series. One of the series we were robbed of seeing along with a Shaq/Penny Orlando trilogy.
1980 Lakers 1981 Celtics 1982 Lakers 1983 Sixers 1984 Celtics 1985 Lakers 1986 Celtics 1987 Lakers 1988 Lakers 1989 Pistons 1990 Pistons 1994 Rockets 1995 Rockets 2015 Warriors 2016 Cavaliers 2017 Warriors Sorry man, those Bulls had one offensive scorer. One. They weren’t stopping any team with any semblance of an inside game. And the Warriors had more potential offensive players than they could’ve handled. Even in 2015. They couldn’t have handled any 1980’s championship team
I think the 97 Jazz were a little bit more challenging than in 98: games 1, 5 and 6 were only decided in the last seconds, and Utah even had a potential series-altering morale-killer coming from behind win in game 4. In 98 the Jazz had homecourt advantage and only could win one game at home (in OT) and were completely massacrated in game 3. The only factor that makes me think is the concrete situation in Game 6 in 98: Pippen injured potentially for good in the series, a prospect of a game 7 at home and Karl Malone was finally up to the challenge scoring 35ppg in the last two game of that series
If Jordan wasn’t Jordan in any of those Finals series (especially in 93, 97, and 98) the Bulls could have lost. Even with Jordan averaging 41 ppg, the Bulls only just barely won in 93.
Yo Sean ! Great video!! What you say about the Supersonics is very interesting…. You put them at number 4 because they faced the greatest team of all time…. They had the hardest opponent you re right…. And they were a young team with limited expérience if you compare to the others Bulls opponents…. But they did the best work on Michael and Scottie….
I think if the Lakers were not injured in 1991 (Worthy and Scott), they would've given the Bulls hell. The Lakers should've really won Game 3 and Worthy and Scott were done at this time. Plus The Bulls were very raw in 1991 and Scottie wasn't the player he was compared to 1994. Magic Johnson was still good and their inside/outside game could've given the Bulls hell. I still think that the Bulls would've won in 7 though because Michael Jordan would've willed the Bulls to victory whereas Magic was no longer in his prime in 1991 and probably couldn't will his team to victory in a Game 7.
As a log time Utah Jazz fan, I could clearly see a decline in 97-98 season, it was beginning of the end. Both 95-96 and 96-97 teams were better. It is just because Bulls themselves degraded in their last champions year Utah had a chance. I know, many would disagree but among the all six opponents in the finals, I would rank Supersonics as #1. Yeah, right, performance was not great neither the start. But they had hell of a team. By the way Jazz won 3 games in wcf, and could even win the series where '98 Jazz probably would take only one game. And at the end the toughest competition Jordan always had before finals, those Knicks and Pacers teams they were great. Probably Rockets could succeed against Bulls. And one last comment, many fans judge by the results after all those years, back then people were excited, it was not seen as nobody, nobody had any chance to win against Jordan and bulls. Happy new Year to everyone!
It definitely was that 98 jazz team the problem was is the jazz swept the Lakers and the bulls ended up playing in a seven game series and they gave the bulls a couple extra days to get ready for the finals which made the jazz just about 2 weeks before they played a game and it really hurt them and put them behind the eight ball. I believe if they didn’t wait so long to play they had the best shot. Because the jazz came out really rusty and it was clearly obvious.
They were definitely a solid group, but I think collectively lacked talent and were overachieving veterans. The 1988 team had more raw talent with Bailey and shot blocking Eaton in my opinion but lacked experience.
For me, the No. 1 team is the Phoenix Suns. The team was nervous at the beginning and gave away the first game and if Paxton hadn't hit the 3-pointer, it would have been a game 7 and then everything would have been open.
Good analysis. I immediately thought, 'Seattle' before I watched it and was so disappointed in that series, it was like the Sonics didn't believe they coudl win. But, the best playoff game against that incredible Bulls team was in my opinion the last one in Seattle, when the Sonics tore the Bulls apart. If only they'd started out like that! They relied too much on Payton and Kemp, and Kemp was one of the few players who could trouble Jordan (I remember at least one awesome block) but Jordan could get him into foul trouble so easily. I thought if McMillan was scoring more like he used to, sharing the load, and if they had a better center, like one of the best in the league, things might've been different. Here's a question for you Sean. Do you think the 92 Rockets could have beaten the Bulls in the finals? They had a winning record in the regular season; had Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Tree Rollins, Smith, Vernon Maxwell and a few other good players
Disagree on the Sonics placement. The Pacers aside, the Sonics were the only team to win multiple games (regular + post season) against the Bulls. They split the 2 games in-season. An MJ-less season in 95-96 likely means the first title in Seattle since 1979. Leads to a big "What If?" of are the Sonics still in Seattle if that were to take place? That 98 Jazz team got a lot of help from the refs. Vintage MJ kicked in, the Jazz lost their mental edge when bully-ball wasn't getting the job done, and the rest is history.
The Sonics had some really bad luck in the playoff brackets in the 90s. Even Kenny Smith admits they were better than the Rockets 93-95, but unfortunately they played the Suns and Nuggets who they matched up terribly against. To me the bigger "what if" is what if Sonics management actually paid Shawn Kemp what he was worth, and kept him happy. The team probably stays in Seattle and Kemp is a first ballot HOFer.
Amazing how much UA-cam basketball content is on two players from 3 decades ago. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The baby boomer and aging Gen-x population is clearly very nostalgic for things from their youth. Magic Johnson is everywhere talking about his playing days. It's too bad Jordan and Bird are so reclusive these days. It would be fun to hear them talk about their prime playing days more on podcasts or NBA shows. Jordan is clearly as super famous as ever. Bird doesn't care or want to be in the spotlight. It was a shame he didn't attend the 75 greatest player celebration a couple of years ago.
Great job with the rankings i would have picked the same teams. I also think all those team are great but i don’t think any of them had a chance to win against MJ & the bulls!!!
Who had the best team? I'd say `96 Sonics, but it's close over the `93 Suns. Doesn't mean they had a chance, although at the time Phoenix sure looked like they did. Who had the best chance in the Finals? Probably the Jazz in 1998. The teams with the best chance to beat the Bulls in those 6 years was probably the Pacers, particularly in `98, and the Knicks who took them to 7 games in `92. Although the Rockets are intriguing . . . . What if? AND, if Shaq would have stayed in Orlando, maybe they beat them in `98. Best Bulls teams IMO . . . `96, `97, `92, `93, `91, `98.
If Gary Payton was guarding Michael starting from game 1. And frankly speaking. The Sonics needed to get Kemp the ball more. The Bulls didn't have a answer for Kemp .
Man, you missed the 1998 Indiana Pacers and the 1993 New York Nicks. Don't forget the 1992 Nicks. There were only two times where the Bulls faced a 7 games series. The 1993 Eastern Conference finals were a great mountain to climb for the Bulls; that was the only time they were on a 0-2 disadvantage in a play-off/final series. With this said: 1) 1993 New York Nicks 2) 1998 Indiana Pacers 3) 1992 Portland Trail Blazers 4) 1995 Houston Rockets 5) 1995 San Antonio Spurs
I'm a bulls fan for ever, but I hear kids say "well the lakers had a weak team blah blah" so then how the hell did they make it to the finals then?????????
The Lakers were more talented than the Bulls from top to bottom. Magic, Worthy, B.Scott, Divac, Perkins, Elden Campbell, AC Green, Terry Teagle, Tony Smith.
@@BTMBasketballTimeMachine90-91 Magic & Worthy Lakers. Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Buck Williams, Cliff Robinson, Duckworth D.Ainge Blazers. KJ, Hornacek, Majerle and Chambers Suns, Run TMC, Stockton & Malone Jazz etc. The East and West were pretty even in the 80s-90s
If it’s a Western Conference team, it’s the 97 Jazz and the 94 Rockets. 94 Rockets were at their prime and Dream’s 94 team will give the 96 Bulls a good challenge.
98 Pacers would be my #1 and Jordan said the same thing in The Last Dance. Surprised it didn't get a mention. Had to double-check that the list wasn't "Which Finals Team Actually Had a Chance..."
We’ll also never get to know how the bulls woulda stacked up against the 99 Spurs. I woulda love to have seen how the bulls contain Duncan and Robinson
The Jazz should have kept Dominique. The Jazz were always missing a closer on that time. With Dominique maybe they would have took a title from the Bulls.
The Lakers had Sam Perkins who was a knockdown shooter though and sure Vlade Divac was no Kareem but was still highly skilled, definitely an upgrade from when Kareem was on his very last legs in 89. Was Worthy really slowly declining at that point though? He had the highest scoring average of his career in 1991 at the age of 29. Maybe being less efficient than he was in the 80s can back up what you said though.
5:20 Michael Jordan shot 50% when he was guarded by Gary Payton in single coverage wasn't he? You can say Gary Payton being Jordan's primary defender gave the Bulls new life and he did do what he can to make it tougher for him to get good position but it wasn't all Gary Payton. He even had moments early in the series where he guarded Jordan and there were some shots Jordan missed with Payton nowhere near him. I watched all 6 games on UA-cam not that long ago.
Sonics were the closest. 93 Team was arguably better (healthy Payton but no Schrempf) In 96 Bulls only won cause of Rodman, check the Stats...And im no Seattle Fan ^^ My Fav Team is the 92-94 Hornets :)
To me that list makes no sense. The 96 Bulls were the best team of their 6 championships and the Jazz could not beat the 97 and 98 Bulls, both of which were significantly weaker than the 96 Bulls. So the Jazz were good, but very far away from beating the 96 Bulls and thus should not be in the top3. The most interesting team would probably have been the Rockets.
Shaq and Kobe Lakers have a chance against ANY all-time great teams. A killer in Kobe and the most dominating big man in the big men era. I would even give the edge to that Lakers team if not for Rodman being on the Bulls.
Nah. They got swept by the Jazz. Plus Phil purposely avoided the Spurs as he knew the Lakers were a dumb team. Kobe wasn’t a top playoff let alone finals performer. They’d get dusted too.
💥💥 Portland in 1991 definitely would've beat Chicago. 1991 was Portland's best team I know regular season don't many anything but they swept the bulls twice in the two season meetings. But unfortunately they waited late to start playing hard against the lakers in the western conference finals. The next Portland team that faced the bulls in 1992 obviously wasn't as good as Portland 1991 team. I did think one of those Utah teams were good enough to beat Chicago. As good as 1996 Seattle team was in 1996 they just had the misfortune of running into probably the best team of all time
Lot's of people forget that one of the toughest opponents for the Bulls to reach the NBA finals was the 92,93 New York knicks!! Sometimes it felt like those series were the real finals, because of the intensity and physically it was played!! The unforgettable Bulls of the 90's!! Were something special to watch!! I was lucky to attend the game between Bulls vs Lakers at the Forum of Inglewood during the "last Dance "season!! !!
Yeah, and it was tougher in 1992. Somehow, these playoff series weren't mention in the Last Dance documentary, only the 1993 did.
There were several tough defensive teams in the East during that time. The Knicks being one of the biggest. I got the impression once they got past the Easton Conference and into the finals, it was like a weight was lifted. Not every year, but 92 and 93 for sure.
😂… I agree, once the Bulls got through the Kicks, the Bulls were on autopilot.
I´ve been rewatching the UNSTOPABULLS championships seasons all over again and its so addictive!! those guys had great teams, the GOAT, the GOAT coach, GOAT Robin AND a league full of personality!
It would've been nice to have seen Jordan/Pippen/Rodman vs. Olajuwon/Drexler/Barkley!🏀
Bulls would have still won.
Haha...You already know! I met Dennis Rodman down in Houston a few weeks ago. He's a nice fellow.@@chukwunonyeanyakoha8573
Jordan would have dusted drexler ...no they had nothing for pip...and KUKOC would have wrecked that weak bench...but it would have been fun to watch 💯
By the time Barkley got to the Rockets he was steeply declining and Hakeem’s knees were going, though he was still very good. If it had been 92-93 versions of those players with these rosters then I’d give it to the rockets.
@@josephharden5592 I think Kukoc would have been a key factor to beating those Rockets.
Definitely agree with the Jazz and their brand of team basketball being a thing of beauty. I could watch Stockton and Malone play forever. I want to add though that I think the late great Jerry Sloan deserves a mention as well. Those Jazz teams were basically the embodiment of his mindset, grit, and overall scrappy perseverance. I don't think that Utah team gets anywhere _near_ the Bulls (or probably even The Finals itself) without Sloan at the helm.
Could not agree more! Their discipline and how they perfected the fundamentals, was all Sloan. They played the pick and roll better than any team I've ever seen.
The anticipation for the '98 Finals was so high. I was a Jazz fan and my roommate supported the Bulls. Whoever's team lost had to buy the other guy a dinner. I bought four times and he bought two, but it still felt like there was hope for a Utah upset.
Haha, must have been incredible if you watched those Finals together. I can't imagine that😂
Jordan DID NOT push off
@matthewklim2387 Ha! I'm sure that there are some who would disagree, but the refs agree with you and that's how the game is played.
The 1997 Knicks had a chance too. They splitted the season series, had added Houston, Johnson and Childs and Ewing had his legs. Unfortunately, the suspensions ended their season and instead of a bloodbath against the Bulls, we faced a Chicago cakewalk against Miami, which didn't deserve to be in the ECF.
Thank you for remembering that. Ewing with Houston and Larry Johnson would have been to much for the Bulls. But that blasted suspension.
I totally agree with this statement
I'm not sure they would be too much for the Bulls, but they were better than Miami for sure.@@ktapreswreckd921v9
The Knicks were like the new bad boys at that time.
@@useyourthirdeye9083 Yes, but not so talented offensively and that's why they couldn't reach the top from 1992 to 1996. They fixed their offensive issues in the summer of 1996 by adding Chlids, Houston and L.J., but the suspensions doomed them. After that year Ewing went downhill with wrist and achilles injuries and even the addition of Spreewell couldn't propel them to the top.
The ‘96 Bulls had four great defensive players on their roster; Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Harper. Phil Jackson was also the top coach and preached team ball.
The 1993 Suns had the best chance.
The ‘94 and ‘95 Houston Rockets had the best chance of actually beating the Bulls.
Nahhh the 98 jazz had the best shot Im old enough to have witnessed all of Jordan I was a Jordan fanatic growing up I still have tons of MJ memoribilia ..long story short the last dance year was the only year when it felt like they could be dethroned
I'll never forget that triple OT game when the Suns beat the Bulls in the finals.
No Toni kucok?
98 Jazz defo best chance, old rodman and crocked pippen poor offensive output from the whole team barring MJ
Love the Bulls theme in the intro.
Just me maybe but outside of championship series, I think is where Jordan was tested the most. I would say the series that went to game 7 with the pacers and Reggie Miller was the closest he had to losing during the championship runs.
Did you see Jordan destroying Payton the next regular season games though in ‘97? He leaned down a bit in 97 to manage his tendonitis and dominated Payton whenever Payton guarded him.
he always did. That game where Payton is really bodying him up and MJ shot poorly was a combination of the refs letting it go and Jordan just not shooting well. The size difference between the 2 is much wider that what's on paper.
I didn't know he leaned down in 97. Grover and MJ did a masterful job keeping him pretty much injury free during his run. That's something his HOF successors Magic, Bird, etc weren't able to do.
@@eddieG667magic wasn’t injury prone tho ..
@@andrewchester3527 Magic tore his hamstring in 89 and that’s why they got swept. Had tendonitis in 86 and lost to the rockets and his numbers were way down that series. Had serious stamina issues in the 91 finals. Bird had a bad back since 86.
Magic didn’t rely on athleticism later in his career and played on the ground. If he kept playing the way he did from 79-82 he would’ve been ineffective. He was unable to guard anyone that was an offensive threat after Nixon left as well as his lateral movement went to shi*t and was on roller skates
I miss so much this time…..tks Gosh there is UA-cam to watch those games 😂😂
If we can add the 98 Pacers, that would be great. This team pushed the Bulls to 7 games in the ECF. Also imagine what if Stockton missed the three pointer, and the Rockets went to the finals instead. How do you see Hakeem, Clyde, and Barkley, against the Bulls?
Barkley was a cream puff by now, he’d be negated pretty soundly, along with Drexler. MJ I’d boldly say tore out his manhood in ‘92. I will always present this scenario what if Magic Johnson continued playing after ‘91. I’m sure LA would have retooled with a bang and have made a formidable finals opponent, having the Bulls actually at uncertainty themselves at coming out on top, because Magic Johnson was at least still good enough as he’d proven in ‘96. They’d have shaken up the roster with a hungry formidable all star who was 110% aboard and ready to do whatever it took being paired with a legend in Magic who would have figured it out with his better bball IQ.
This is ABSOLUTELY the right answer. I love this dude’s channel but he totally bone-headed this one by ignoring the 98 Pacers. Even Jordan said this was their toughest test of the decade outside of Detroit. And I think it’s obvious for anyone who was around to watch that series.
I was a huge Miller fan, and this was a big heartbreaker for me.
@@chriscurry2496 I think he was focusing on Western Conference Teams in the Finals, but if any team had a chance to beat MJ in the ECF, it was the Pacers.
Only because of an egregious two handed shove. Otherwise Bulls in 6. Instead of Bulls in 7!
Oh, the irony of a Jordan fan complaining about a non-foul call.
We can play the what-if game all day, but when we do let’s remember the Pacers were up six deep in the 4th in Game 7th. And I agree with my boy Reg-the Pacers WERE the better team at that point.
The Indiana Pacers had the best chance to bet them. They were a great team.
I second that. Bulls faced the best competition before they made it to the finals in the 90s IMO. Loved a couple of those Knicks series, too.
The Pacers took them to a game 7 so that’s not a bad pick. I personally think the Rockets had the best chance to beat the Bulls.
I would’ve liked to see the 86 Celtics versus that Bulls team just for kicks
Hey Sean! Your observations are spot on! The 90's NBA was a great decade with plenty of competition for the Bulls, but the Bulls had all the pieces of the puzzle for a great team, the other teams were close, but not quite there. I say all of this as a fan of all of the teams that you mentioned of that decade. I like to see teams work together rather than individual players try to be the whole team and being a ball hog just for their own personal stats. Superstars are great, every team in any sport to watch, but those same Superstars need to let other players do their job too, because if that Star player gets injured, now you have a team that has to work twice as hard to try to win without their Star player......I just enjoy watching teams work together to eliminate their competition! Keep posting great video's bro!
The 93-94 and 94-95 Rockets had a really good chance. Too bad we'll never know. It's still incredible that none of the Bulls 6 championships even went to 7 games. No other team was close enough to challenge.
Not just a chance but would have likely beat them. Especially the 95 Rockets. Those guys were incredible. While they squeaked in as the 6 seed, they were truly the best team top to bottom in the league that year. It sure would have been a heck of series.
@@jeffspicoli7619 Pffft. Please. Stick to surfing, Spicoli. The Bulls would've punked that Rockets team off the floor just like all of their other victims.
92 Portland and 97 Utah had the series tied at 2 with game 5 in their building their the only 2 actually had a shot, the other 4 were all down 3-1
Yes, I was very happy how it turned out. I'm still a Bulls fan to this day.
In the 90s the Knicks were the arch enemies of the Bulls, those series were amazing and 92 went to game 7.... the Pacers too in 98 what a Team!!!
You should have mentioned the regular season record of every team and whom they beat to get to the finals. Some fans underestimate these teams, not knowing each one of them had gone through an incredibly tough western conference. The 98 Jazz beat the Rockets, the Spurs, and Shaq and Kobe on way to the finals.
The into bro.....as a bulls fan I was hyped.❤
luv the Ray Clay intro soundbite 🔥🔥
Absolutely on point.
Blazers were 15 pts ahead after 3 qtrs. Who knows how game 7 would unfold
the '92 ring is hugely underestimated, and you just said what I'm saying the whole time. Blazers were a great team and the biggest mistake they did was letting MJ shoot uncontested 3s. ... they thought he's a lame 3pt shooter. He defo was with the hand check rule, but uncontested?! One of the main reasons I still believe MJ would dominate today's era
Happy New Year to you Sean and all BTM fans
From 1990-1998, MJ led Bulls never lost 3 in a row. Basically, the squad was a bona-fide juggernaut.
I like that Sonics squad. They were stacked.
Thanks for the Videos have an awesome blessed New Years Brother
that Utah Jazz team is also my pick of a legit chance winning. that team is scary... It's like a well oiled machine with stockton and malone running the pick and roll outside hornacek and russell..
Great intro man! Personally, I believe that none of these teams had a shot at the Bulls, since they went 6-0 in the finals!
I can see why some might be inclined to call the 98 Jazz the toughest opponent of the Bulls. But one must keep in mind that Jazz team couldn't beat the worst Bulls team to win a championship. To me, the 96 Sonics - with a healthy Nate McMillan - could've forced a game 7. Plus Seattle was more talented and deeper than Utah, and defended MJ and Pippen very well in that 96 finals. After that it would be between the Blazers and the 97 Jazz, since the 92 and 97 Bulls were the next best Jordan teams. The 97 Jazz were virtually the same as the 98 version, so they were not going to win against any Bulls team. Portland had the talent and the depth, but you know MJ took that Drexler comparison personally. In terms of depth and talent, the Suns had arguably the most of both, but as you said, they couldn't play any defense. Overall I'd go 1. Seattle, 2. Portland, 3. 97 Jazz, 4. 98 Jazz, 5. Phoenix, 6. LA.
I have Portland over Utah also because in a head to head matchup they had the advantage at the 2 with prime Drexler, while Buck Williams could've slowed down Malone. Prim Terry Porter was also a good matchup with Stockton, and Utah didn't have any big coming off the bench versatile enough to match up with Clifford Robinson. Both teams very well matched though, but I'd give Portland the edge because of their bench. But as a starting 5 I'd say Seattle had the best unit, with Payton and Hawkins at guard, Kemp, Schrempf and Perkins in the front court
I have 4 teams that in my opinion beat the 96 Bulls, 86 Celtics, 87 Lakers, 01 Lakers and 2017 Warriors. I listed them in order I think 01 Lakers and the Warriors would be super close, the 80s teams I think are definitely better, but hey MJ can always make it close.
2011 Mavericks would have a chance too imo
2001 Lakers 86 Celtics but GS 2017 were not gonna beat the Bulls nor where that Maverick team that's only against LeBron.
What about the ‘94 or ‘95 Rockets team?
The Denver Nuggets of last year would have a big chance to beat the Bulls. The are a huge team and Jokic is one of the greatest point centers of all time.
Let's not sleep on the '83 Sixers. The rebound battle between Moses and Rodman would have been epic.
The way MJ followed through with that index finger on the J was something to behold. MJ was the big fundamental first. All respect to Duncan though.
Looking back on all the Bulls Finals opponents, I think the 98 Finals run, when they were pitted up against the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, respectively in succession, was when they were definitely tested the most. They had their chances to win in my opinion, but they couldn't get the baskets when it mattered most in the clutch. So in my opinion, it all came down to Chicago having MJ, and Indiana and Utah didn't. I believe it was the difference in the end. Jordan single-handedly closed it out both times. He is truly the Master Craftsman at closing games out. He's the best I ever seen, hands down.
It's a shame that the Phoenix Suns couldn't win a championship in the 1990s.
The duo of Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson in particular is underrated.
Yeah, but they sucked defensively. Jordan looked like he was on the playground against them.
The Bulls had a bigger scare from the Indiana Pacers than the Jazz on 1998. Close call.
I remember MJ said the PHX Suns were the most dangerous one in his 6 final. The total score of the entire series of the two teams was even.
Great video. I understand the premise of the video seems to be teams limited to the other conference, but if not, i think the 98 pacers would top this list having been the team to take them to 7.
Also Knicks took them to 7, and it was 67-15 Bulls team from 1992, much tougher series IMO. I think Pacers were brutal and tough but overrated. They got a luck to win ALL 3 close home games and in game 7 Bulls felt much more pressure and scare of elimination. After 2 games probably nobody would have said it'll be longer than 5 games series.
the GOLDEN ERA OF BASKETBALL🏀🏀
The Chicago Bulls have been the Michael Jordan of all NBA Basketball Teams
I don't know if I disagree with any of the Finals takes, but I think the '97 Knicks vs the '97 Bulls would have been a competitive series. One of the series we were robbed of seeing along with a Shaq/Penny Orlando trilogy.
The Pacers with Bird & Miller. They took the Bulls to Game7.
The Indiana Pacers took the bulls to 7 games in the eastern conference finals with Larry Bird as coach. They should have been on that list
Again I agree with you 99.9% but if it wasn't for game 1 in the 92-93 finals or the "shrug" game.
1980 Lakers
1981 Celtics
1982 Lakers
1983 Sixers
1984 Celtics
1985 Lakers
1986 Celtics
1987 Lakers
1988 Lakers
1989 Pistons
1990 Pistons
1994 Rockets
1995 Rockets
2015 Warriors
2016 Cavaliers
2017 Warriors
Sorry man, those Bulls had one offensive scorer. One.
They weren’t stopping any team with any semblance of an inside game. And the Warriors had more potential offensive players than they could’ve handled. Even in 2015.
They couldn’t have handled any 1980’s championship team
agreed ....i think though the lakers were the second most difficult ring as it was the first one
I think the 97 Jazz were a little bit more challenging than in 98: games 1, 5 and 6 were only decided in the last seconds, and Utah even had a potential series-altering morale-killer coming from behind win in game 4. In 98 the Jazz had homecourt advantage and only could win one game at home (in OT) and were completely massacrated in game 3.
The only factor that makes me think is the concrete situation in Game 6 in 98: Pippen injured potentially for good in the series, a prospect of a game 7 at home and Karl Malone was finally up to the challenge scoring 35ppg in the last two game of that series
For me Sonics were their toughest opponents
If Jordan wasn’t Jordan in any of those Finals series (especially in 93, 97, and 98) the Bulls could have lost. Even with Jordan averaging 41 ppg, the Bulls only just barely won in 93.
Yo Sean ! Great video!! What you say about the Supersonics is very interesting…. You put them at number 4 because they faced the greatest team of all time…. They had the hardest opponent you re right…. And they were a young team with limited expérience if you compare to the others Bulls opponents…. But they did the best work on Michael and Scottie….
I think if the Lakers were not injured in 1991 (Worthy and Scott), they would've given the Bulls hell. The Lakers should've really won Game 3 and Worthy and Scott were done at this time. Plus The Bulls were very raw in 1991 and Scottie wasn't the player he was compared to 1994. Magic Johnson was still good and their inside/outside game could've given the Bulls hell. I still think that the Bulls would've won in 7 though because Michael Jordan would've willed the Bulls to victory whereas Magic was no longer in his prime in 1991 and probably couldn't will his team to victory in a Game 7.
It was said Jordan had a long shot weakness, can I suggest a video about his half court (and beyond) shots? Greetings from Mexico
As a log time Utah Jazz fan, I could clearly see a decline in 97-98 season, it was beginning of the end. Both 95-96 and 96-97 teams were better. It is just because Bulls themselves degraded in their last champions year Utah had a chance.
I know, many would disagree but among the all six opponents in the finals, I would rank Supersonics as #1. Yeah, right, performance was not great neither the start. But they had hell of a team. By the way Jazz won 3 games in wcf, and could even win the series where '98 Jazz probably would take only one game.
And at the end the toughest competition Jordan always had before finals, those Knicks and Pacers teams they were great. Probably Rockets could succeed against Bulls.
And one last comment, many fans judge by the results after all those years, back then people were excited, it was not seen as nobody, nobody had any chance to win against Jordan and bulls.
Happy new Year to everyone!
It definitely was that 98 jazz team the problem was is the jazz swept the Lakers and the bulls ended up playing in a seven game series and they gave the bulls a couple extra days to get ready for the finals which made the jazz just about 2 weeks before they played a game and it really hurt them and put them behind the eight ball. I believe if they didn’t wait so long to play they had the best shot. Because the jazz came out really rusty and it was clearly obvious.
They were definitely a solid group, but I think collectively lacked talent and were overachieving veterans. The 1988 team had more raw talent with Bailey and shot blocking Eaton in my opinion but lacked experience.
I would put Suns on 4 and Sonics on 5 th place of your list Sean. 😊
For me, the No. 1 team is the Phoenix Suns. The team was nervous at the beginning and gave away the first game and if Paxton hadn't hit the 3-pointer, it would have been a game 7 and then everything would have been open.
Good analysis. I immediately thought, 'Seattle' before I watched it and was so disappointed in that series, it was like the Sonics didn't believe they coudl win. But, the best playoff game against that incredible Bulls team was in my opinion the last one in Seattle, when the Sonics tore the Bulls apart. If only they'd started out like that! They relied too much on Payton and Kemp, and Kemp was one of the few players who could trouble Jordan (I remember at least one awesome block) but Jordan could get him into foul trouble so easily. I thought if McMillan was scoring more like he used to, sharing the load, and if they had a better center, like one of the best in the league, things might've been different. Here's a question for you Sean. Do you think the 92 Rockets could have beaten the Bulls in the finals? They had a winning record in the regular season; had Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Tree Rollins, Smith, Vernon Maxwell and a few other good players
Disagree on the Sonics placement. The Pacers aside, the Sonics were the only team to win multiple games (regular + post season) against the Bulls. They split the 2 games in-season. An MJ-less season in 95-96 likely means the first title in Seattle since 1979. Leads to a big "What If?" of are the Sonics still in Seattle if that were to take place?
That 98 Jazz team got a lot of help from the refs. Vintage MJ kicked in, the Jazz lost their mental edge when bully-ball wasn't getting the job done, and the rest is history.
The Sonics had some really bad luck in the playoff brackets in the 90s. Even Kenny Smith admits they were better than the Rockets 93-95, but unfortunately they played the Suns and Nuggets who they matched up terribly against. To me the bigger "what if" is what if Sonics management actually paid Shawn Kemp what he was worth, and kept him happy. The team probably stays in Seattle and Kemp is a first ballot HOFer.
Amazing how much UA-cam basketball content is on two players from 3 decades ago. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The baby boomer and aging Gen-x population is clearly very nostalgic for things from their youth. Magic Johnson is everywhere talking about his playing days. It's too bad Jordan and Bird are so reclusive these days. It would be fun to hear them talk about their prime playing days more on podcasts or NBA shows. Jordan is clearly as super famous as ever. Bird doesn't care or want to be in the spotlight. It was a shame he didn't attend the 75 greatest player celebration a couple of years ago.
Great job with the rankings i would have picked the same teams. I also think all those team are great but i don’t think any of them had a chance to win against MJ & the bulls!!!
Jordan had a personal vendetta against everybody.
Who had the best team? I'd say `96 Sonics, but it's close over the `93 Suns. Doesn't mean they had a chance, although at the time Phoenix sure looked like they did.
Who had the best chance in the Finals? Probably the Jazz in 1998.
The teams with the best chance to beat the Bulls in those 6 years was probably the Pacers, particularly in `98, and the Knicks who took them to 7 games in `92. Although the Rockets are intriguing . . . . What if? AND, if Shaq would have stayed in Orlando, maybe they beat them in `98.
Best Bulls teams IMO . . . `96, `97, `92, `93, `91, `98.
If Gary Payton was guarding Michael starting from game 1. And frankly speaking. The Sonics needed to get Kemp the ball more.
The Bulls didn't have a answer for Kemp .
'93 Suns and '98 Jazz, along with the Knicks in 2 CF and Pacers in 1 CF had the best chance of beating the '96 Bulls.
96 Bulls. 4 Hall of famers plus Ron Harper and Steve Kerr and two wide body space eating centers.
Not even if they made a selection of the best, the BULLS would be overlooked... That team was the greatest of all time...
Man, you missed the 1998 Indiana Pacers and the 1993 New York Nicks. Don't forget the 1992 Nicks. There were only two times where the Bulls faced a 7 games series. The 1993 Eastern Conference finals were a great mountain to climb for the Bulls; that was the only time they were on a 0-2 disadvantage in a play-off/final series. With this said:
1) 1993 New York Nicks
2) 1998 Indiana Pacers
3) 1992 Portland Trail Blazers
4) 1995 Houston Rockets
5) 1995 San Antonio Spurs
6-Sonics 96
5-Lakers 91
4-Blazers 92
3-Utah 97
2-Suns 93
1-Utah 98
I'm a bulls fan for ever, but I hear kids say "well the lakers had a weak team blah blah" so then how the hell did they make it to the finals then?????????
Was not the strongest season of the Western Conference.
That was the time when the East was a lot stronger than the west...
The Lakers were more talented than the Bulls from top to bottom. Magic, Worthy, B.Scott, Divac, Perkins, Elden Campbell, AC Green, Terry Teagle, Tony Smith.
@@BTMBasketballTimeMachine90-91 Magic & Worthy Lakers. Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Buck Williams, Cliff Robinson, Duckworth D.Ainge Blazers. KJ, Hornacek, Majerle and Chambers Suns, Run TMC, Stockton & Malone Jazz etc. The East and West were pretty even in the 80s-90s
I agree, They had a stacked team for sure. @@sideshowbobsaget8876
Orlando Magic
The thing about each of these teams is they likely would have won a championship if not for the fact they ran into the 90's Bulls.
As a Cavs fan, I hated the Bulls, but it was out of sheer respect
No mention of the Knicks who took the Bulls to 7 games??? Even though the Bulls won the championship the Knicks should have been an honorable mention
If it’s a Western Conference team, it’s the 97 Jazz and the 94 Rockets. 94 Rockets were at their prime and Dream’s 94 team will give the 96 Bulls a good challenge.
Always wonder what if Gary Paton would have been fully healthy in the 96 finals. Series changes after Gary was defending MJ in game 4
Happy New year 🎉🎉 everybody
One reason Michael Jordan is the GOAT is because he has the greatest rogues gallery ever.
98 Pacers would be my #1 and Jordan said the same thing in The Last Dance. Surprised it didn't get a mention. Had to double-check that the list wasn't "Which Finals Team Actually Had a Chance..."
98 jazz for sure. Other honorable mentions...92 Knicks and 98 pacers. Only 2 teams to take the bulls to 7 games during the 6 championships run.
We’ll also never get to know how the bulls woulda stacked up against the 99 Spurs. I woulda love to have seen how the bulls contain Duncan and Robinson
The Jazz should have kept Dominique. The Jazz were always missing a closer on that time. With Dominique maybe they would have took a title from the Bulls.
The Lakers had Sam Perkins who was a knockdown shooter though and sure Vlade Divac was no Kareem but was still highly skilled, definitely an upgrade from when Kareem was on his very last legs in 89. Was Worthy really slowly declining at that point though? He had the highest scoring average of his career in 1991 at the age of 29. Maybe being less efficient than he was in the 80s can back up what you said though.
Happy New year !! 🏀
The Bulls opposition really needed a third guy to step up to get them over the hill in order to beat them
I disagree, out of the 6 Finals opponents, I was most worried about Seattle. But the Knicks then Pacers were the biggest threat overall.
Love all your videos! They keep me enjoying basketball. I'm sorry but today's game is not as fun for me to watch 😕 😔
5:20 Michael Jordan shot 50% when he was guarded by Gary Payton in single coverage wasn't he? You can say Gary Payton being Jordan's primary defender gave the Bulls new life and he did do what he can to make it tougher for him to get good position but it wasn't all Gary Payton. He even had moments early in the series where he guarded Jordan and there were some shots Jordan missed with Payton nowhere near him. I watched all 6 games on UA-cam not that long ago.
Dont forget about the great Jerome kersey Sean.
Defo any GSW team with durant
If MJ didn’t have his dad on his mind so much. They would have swept the Sonic’s easily
The Sonic's 92 93 who were potentially robbed of a final's appearance by getting knocked out by PHX.
Teams don't win championships Jerry Krause wins championships!
Sonics were the closest. 93 Team was arguably better (healthy Payton but no Schrempf)
In 96 Bulls only won cause of Rodman, check the Stats...And im no Seattle Fan ^^
My Fav Team is the 92-94 Hornets :)
The Championship-era Olajuwon Rockets would've given the Bulls fits and possibly even beaten them.
To me that list makes no sense. The 96 Bulls were the best team of their 6 championships and the Jazz could not beat the 97 and 98 Bulls, both of which were significantly weaker than the 96 Bulls.
So the Jazz were good, but very far away from beating the 96 Bulls and thus should not be in the top3.
The most interesting team would probably have been the Rockets.
You're talking about these teams facing the 96 team. No team they faced would beat the 96 team
You can say the Knicks they pulled it out also the pacers the east was stacked that made the west easy work
The Sonics of 1996 had more chances than any other team, but Karl didn't coach the team with the correct attitude.
Shaq and Kobe Lakers have a chance against ANY all-time great teams. A killer in Kobe and the most dominating big man in the big men era. I would even give the edge to that Lakers team if not for Rodman being on the Bulls.
Nah. They got swept by the Jazz. Plus Phil purposely avoided the Spurs as he knew the Lakers were a dumb team. Kobe wasn’t a top playoff let alone finals performer. They’d get dusted too.
💥💥 Portland in 1991 definitely would've beat Chicago.
1991 was Portland's best team I know regular season don't many anything but they swept the bulls twice in the two season meetings.
But unfortunately they waited late to start playing hard against the lakers in the western conference finals.
The next Portland team that faced the bulls in 1992 obviously wasn't as good as Portland 1991 team.
I did think one of those Utah teams were good enough to beat Chicago.
As good as 1996 Seattle team was in 1996 they just had the misfortune of running into probably the best team of all time
The Sonics had the best chance. Except they waited too long to play Payton on Jordan and didn't account for Rodman.