72-10 Record

Lore & Background

The 1995–96 Bulls were named one of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History during the celebration of the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. The team set the record for most wins in an NBA regular season. The Bulls had the best team offensive rating and the best team defensive rating in the NBA, and are widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. The Bulls' 37–0 home winning streak spanned two seasons, part of a then-NBA-record 44-game winning streak that included games from the 1994–95 regular season. Their 33 road wins were the most in NBA history until the 2015–16 Warriors won 34 road games. The Bulls had the best start through 44 games in NBA history at 41–3 (.932). They are also the only team in NBA history to win more than 70 games and an NBA title in the same season.

In Their Own Story

It was late January, and the scoreboard read a daunting deficit against a playoff-bound opponent. Michael Jordan dribbled up the court, his eyes locked on the rim, while Scottie Pippen set a screen that seemed to freeze time. The crowd held its breath as Jordan drove past two defenders, launching a mid-range jumper that swished through the net with surgical precision. In that moment, the 72nd win felt less like a statistic and more like destiny.

Reader's Guide

The Bulls won their first five games of the regular season, and later on posted a 13-game winning streak between November and December, which led to a 23–2 start to the season. The Bulls posted an 18-game winning streak between January and February, which led to a 41–3 record as of February 2, 1996; the team also went undefeated by posting a 14–0 record in January, and held a 42–5 record at the All-Star break. The Bulls finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Charlotte Hornets, with an attendance of 969,149 at the United Center during the regular season.

Did You Know?

• The Bulls became the first NBA team to ever win 70 regular season games.
• The 1995–96 Bulls have the best combined regular and postseason record in NBA history at 87–13 (.870 in winning percentage).
• Michael Jordan averaged 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year.
• Dennis Rodman averaged 5.5 points and 14.9 rebounds per game.
• The Bulls' head coach, Phil Jackson, was named the NBA Coach of the Year.