1996 NBA Finals

Did You Know?

• The Finals was aired on NBC with Bob Costas hosting pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows alongside analysts Julius Erving and Peter Vecsey.
• The local NBC stations for the participants were WMAQ-TV (Chicago) and KING-TV (Seattle).
• The Bulls' 72 regular-season wins were broken by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, who went 73–9.

Background

The Bulls entered the 1995–96 season after a second-round playoff loss to the Orlando Magic. Key members of their first three-peat—John Paxson, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, B. J. Armstrong, Stacey King, Will Perdue, and Scott Williams—had retired or left via free agency. A new core formed around Luc Longley, Toni Kukoč, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Jud Buechler, Bill Wennington, and Randy Brown. Dennis Rodman, a nine-year veteran and four-time rebounding champion, joined the team, though his unpredictability and controversial behavior drew some criticism.

The Bulls posted a record 72 regular-season wins, a mark later broken by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors. In the playoffs, they swept the Miami Heat, defeated the New York Knicks in five games, and swept the Orlando Magic in the conference finals. The team's success, Jordan's first full season back from baseball, and Rodman's celebrity—including his relationship with Madonna—turned the Bulls into global rock stars, creating fanfare and sellouts on the road.

The SuperSonics, led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp under coach George Karl, had been perennial contenders but lost to the Phoenix Suns in seven games in the 1993 Western Conference finals. After two straight first-round exits—including a stunning 1994 loss to the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets—Seattle finished the regular season with a franchise-record 64 wins.

Series summary

Game 1 saw Chicago overcome poor offensive play with strong defense. Frank Brickowski was ejected after a flagrant foul on Dennis Rodman and two technical fouls. The Bulls led by two after three quarters, then Toni Kukoč's shots and two key steals by Ron Harper secured the win. Shawn Kemp scored 32 points but fouled out; Michael Jordan had 28 points, Scottie Pippen 21, and Rodman 13 rebounds.

Seattle captain Nate McMillan left with a back injury in the second quarter. In Game 2, Seattle led 27–23 after the first quarter but lost the lead before halftime. Rodman tied an NBA Finals record with 11 offensive rebounds and made a clutch free throw. Jordan scored 29 points.

The Sonics, with a 44–5 home record including playoffs, lost Game 3 by 22 points in Seattle, giving Chicago a 3–0 lead. Brickowski was again ejected for a flagrant foul on Rodman. Jordan led with 36 points. In Game 4, coach George Karl assigned Gary Payton to guard Jordan, sparking a 107–86 Seattle win.

Fans held signs reading "Sweepless in Seattle. Nate McMillan's return from injury drew a standing ovation. The victory prevented the NBA Finals from being swept in consecutive years, something that as of 2026 had never occurred.

Aftermath

This was the SuperSonics' last Finals appearance while in Seattle; the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became the Thunder, reaching the Finals four years later and losing to the Miami Heat in five games. In 2025, the Thunder won their second championship over the Indiana Pacers in seven games. George Karl's only Finals appearance as an NBA head coach came in this series. The Bulls nearly won 70 games the next season but finished with 69 wins; they repeated as champions by defeating the Utah Jazz in six games.

Scottie Pippen became the first person to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year twice, playing for Team USA at the Atlanta Olympics. The Bulls' combined 87 regular-season and postseason wins stood as an NBA record until the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, coached by former Bull Steve Kerr, achieved 88 total wins (due to a best-of-7 first round) and a 73–9 regular season, though the Warriors lost the 2016 Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This was the first NBA Finals to feature a Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy patch on uniforms, a practice that continued until 2009, with design changes in intervening years.