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Jordan Transformed June 12, 1991 
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-It
ended seven years of
frustration for Michael
Jordan. It ended 25 years of
frustration for the Chicago
Bulls. And it ended in perfect
fashion for the Bulls,
because they did it not by
relying solely on Jordan, but
by relying on each other.
The Chicago Bulls are the
new National Basketball
Association champions, by
virtue of their emotional
108‚101 victory over the Los
Angeles Lakers tonight. By
ending the series in five
games and winning the final
four games of the series, the
Bulls turned what was supposed
to be a classic confrontation
into a personal
coronation.Chicago steamrolled through the playoffs with a 15-2 record, smothering teams with their defense, dazzling them with their offense and surprising them with their confidence. When it was over, Jordan shed tears of joy. He was unanimously voted the most valuable player of the series, after a 30-point, 10- assist performance that led to a moment he will treasure for a lifetime. So too will the city of Chicago treasure the Bulls' winning their first title in their 25-year history. "No one can ever take this away from me," said Jordan, whose voice cracked on several occasions in the postgame news conference. "This has been a seven-year struggle for me. It should get rid of the stigma of being a one-man team. We have players surrounding myself that make us an effective basketball team. I don't know if I'll ever have this same feeling again." Thanks to John Paxson and Scottie Pippen, Jordan will feel good all summer. Pippen capped a sensational playoff series with a stunning all-round game-32 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. But it was Paxson (20 points, 9-for-12 shooting) who made the clutch shots in the waning minutes of the game, scoring 10 points in the final 6 minutes. With the score tied at 93, Paxson made two jump shots and a driving layup to give the Bulls a 99‚93 lead. Chicago never trailed again, but Paxson wasn't finished. He added another jump shot from the top of the key to give Chicago a 103‚96 lead with 1:58 left. Then after the Lakers closed to within 102‚101 with 1:13 left, Paxson struck again. Jordan drove into the lane, and as usual three Lakers surrounded him and left Paxson wide open. Jordan made the pass, Paxson hit the 18-foot jump shot, and the Bulls led, 105‚101, with 56 seconds left. In the end, Jordan and the Bulls were too good. No longer will people wonder whether Michael Jordan's game is conducive to winning a championship. "We'll probably celebrate until training camp next year," Pippen said. "But we've been through a lot. We deserve it." Michael Jordan and the Bulls this season truly learned how to win. He led the team to five more N.B.A. titles in the next seven years, including the famous "three-peat" over the Phoenix Suns in 1993 (see June 14 and 20). |
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 Getty Images
Michael Jordan, surrounded by his wife and father, weeps as he holds the Bulls' first championship trophy after carrying the team
with no reward for seven seasons. He twice led the Bulls to three straight titles, 1991 to '93 and 1996 to '98.
Runners Up
2002: Led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Phil Jackson, beat the New Jersey Nets, 113‚107, in Game 4 of the N.B.A. finals at the Meadowlands. The Lakers became only the fifth team in league history to win three straight titles-and three of those teams were coached by Jackson. 1948: Calumet Farm's Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro and trained by Jimmy Jones, beat Better Self by eight lengths to win the Belmont Stakes and become the fourth horse of the decade, after Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet ('43) and Assault ('46), to win the Triple Crown. 1930: Max Schmeling of Germany became the only fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on a foul when Jack Sharkey of Boston was disqualified by Referee Jim Crowley for a low blow in the fourth round at Yankee Stadium. Schmeling and Sharkey, whose real name was Joseph Zukauskas, were fighting for the title vacated by Gene Tunney, who had retired. |
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