1991–92 NBA Championship

Lore & Background

The Chicago Bulls set a franchise record with 67 wins in a season (later broken by the 1996 team). Michael Jordan scored 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, setting records for most points in a Finals half and most three-pointers in a half (six) until the latter was broken by the Houston Rockets' Kenny Smith (seven) in 1995. He also set a new NBA record for the most times a player has won a championship and led the league in scoring in the same season.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Memorial Coliseum was thick with tension and sweat. The clock ticked down to zero as the final buzzer echoed off the rafters. Michael Jordan stood at center court, his chest heaving beneath the red jersey, eyes scanning the crowd before locking onto the trophy presentation area. He did not need a speech; the weight of the Larry O'Brien Trophy in his hands spoke for itself. Around him, teammates embraced in a chaotic celebration of blue and red, knowing they had just secured history.

Reader's Guide

The Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat were swept in the first round by the Bulls.

Did You Know?

• This was Larry Bird's final season as a player in the NBA.
• Magic Johnson announced his retirement early in the season after testing positive for HIV.
• Luc Longley became the first Australian to play in the NBA; he would later play in three Bulls championship teams.
• Dennis Rodman recorded 1,530 rebounds and averaged 18.7 rebounds per game, the highest figures since 1973, and the first of an NBA record seven consecutive rebounding titles.