Eastern Conference Champions 1992

Lore & Background

The Bulls changed their starting lineup after John Paxson suffered a knee injury, replacing him with B. J. Armstrong at point guard. Michael Jordan led the league in scoring with 32.6 points per game and was named to the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Scottie Pippen was named to the All-NBA Third Team and also to the All-Defensive First Team. Horace Grant was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The Bulls swept the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and defeated the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Chicago Stadium was thick with the scent of popcorn and nervous energy as the final seconds of Game 6 against Cleveland ticked away. Jordan, sweat dripping from his brow, stood at the free-throw line, the arena roaring in a chaotic symphony. He sank the shots needed to seal the series, sending the building into a frenzy. As the buzzer sounded, Scottie Pippen rushed to embrace him, their eyes locking with a silent understanding: the Eastern Conference was theirs again, and the world awaited their arrival.

Reader's Guide

The Bulls' 1993 NBA Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns was clinched by John Paxson's game-winning three-point shot with 3.9 seconds left in Game 6, giving the Bulls a 99–98 win. Michael Jordan averaged a Finals-record 41.0 points per game and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP Awards. The Bulls became the first team since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles.

Did You Know?

• Michael Jordan finished third in Most Valuable Player voting behind Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
• Jordan also finished tied for second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Olajuwon.
• The Bulls won Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Atlanta Hawks 98–88 despite Jordan playing with a sprained right ankle.
• In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Jordan hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• The Bulls' home and road uniforms were slightly updated for the season, adding a black outline to player names on white jerseys and changing name color from white to black on red jerseys.