1997–98 NBA Championship

Lore & Background

During the off-season, the team acquired Scott Burrell from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Joe Kleine. All-Star forward Scottie Pippen missed the first half of the regular season due to an injured toe on his left foot sustained from the 1997 NBA playoffs. Without Pippen, the Bulls started by winning the 1997 McDonald's Championship overseas in Paris, France in October, with Michael Jordan being named the Most Valuable Player. The team got off to a slow 8–7 start, but then won 15 of their next 18 games, including an eight-game winning streak in December, until Pippen returned in January.

Steve Kerr suffered a fractured collarbone in January and played only 50 games. The Bulls held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Jason Caffey to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for David Vaughn, who played only three games before being waived on March 2, 1998. The team re-signed Dickey Simpkins, who played in the final 21 games.

The Bulls posted another eight-game winning streak in February, then a 13-game winning streak between March and April, finishing first in the Central Division with a 62–20 record, earning the first seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA. Jordan led the league in scoring averaging 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game; he was named to the All-NBA First Team and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and won his fifth NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Pippen averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 44 games, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team and NBA All-Defensive First Team. Toni Kukoč provided 13.3 points and 4.2 assists per game, Luc Longley provided 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Ron Harper contributed 9.3 points and 1.3 steals per game, Kerr contributed 7.5 points per game, Burrell averaged 5.2 points per game, Dennis Rodman provided 4.7 points and 15.0 rebounds per game, and Randy Brown contributed 4.1 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Jordan was selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, scored 23 points along with 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals, and won his third NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 135–114.

Reader's Guide

The 1997–98 Chicago Bulls season culminated in the franchise's second '3-peat' and sixth NBA championship in eight years. Key events include the acquisition of Scott Burrell and Joe Kleine in the off-season, Scottie Pippen's absence for the first half due to a toe injury, winning the 1997 McDonald's Championship in Paris, a slow 8–7 start followed by strong streaks, the trade of Jason Caffey for David Vaughn (who was waived on March 2, 1998), the re-signing of Dickey Simpkins, and a 62–20 record.

In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the Nets, beat the Hornets in five, defeated the Pacers in seven, and beat the Jazz in six games in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan won his fifth NBA MVP and sixth Finals MVP. The team was the oldest to win an NBA championship and led the league in home attendance. The season marked the end of the Bulls dynasty, with Jordan retiring, Jackson resigning, and key players departing.