1998 NBA Championship

Lore & Background

The Bulls entered the series as two-time defending champions and were heavily favored. After a hard-fought seven-game Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, they faced the Utah Jazz, who had swept the Lakers in the West. In Game 6, with about 20 seconds left, Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone, dribbled downcourt, and called a timeout. After the timeout, he hit a 20-foot jumper with 5.2 seconds left to win 87–86. Jordan scored 45 points.

In Their Own Story

The Delta Center air hung heavy, a suffocating blend of Salt Lake City humidity and the crushing weight of history. With the scoreboard frozen at 87-86 in favor of Chicago, time seemed to dissolve as Michael Jordan took possession at the top of the key. His legs burned, yet his eyes remained laser-focused on the rim. He dribbled once, twice, feeling the defense collapse around him like a tightening net. Then came the sudden crossover that froze Bryon Russell, creating a sliver of space just wide enough for immortality. Jordan rose, his form perfect against the fading light of the arena, and released the ball in a high, impossible arc. In that suspended heartbeat, the second three-peat was sealed, and an era ended not with a whisper, but with the definitive snap of a basketball swishing through the hoop.

Reader's Guide

The series was televised by NBC with Bob Costas on play-by-play. The Bulls won Games 2, 3, 4, and 6. Game 3 was a 96–54 blowout, the largest margin in Finals history. Game 5 was the most recent NBA Finals game played in Chicago. As of 2026, this is Chicago's most recent championship and Finals appearance.

Did You Know?

• The 1998 Finals had the highest Nielsen TV ratings in NBA history at 18.7, surpassing the 1998 World Series.
• Until 2021, this was the last Finals not to feature a team from California, Florida, or Texas.
• The Bulls' 42-point win in Game 3 set a record for largest margin in Finals history.
• Michael Jordan won his sixth Finals MVP in six full basketball seasons.