Eastern Conference Champions 1993

Lore & Background

This was the first season without All-Star guard Michael Jordan since the 1983–84 season, as he retired during the off-season to pursue a baseball career after the murder of his father, James Jordan. The Bulls finished in second place in the Central Division with a 55–27 record, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, then lost to the New York Knicks in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Chicago Stadium buzzed with electric anxiety on Game 6. The Knicks had pushed them to the absolute limit, a war of attrition that left everyone gasping for breath. But when the final minutes arrived, it wasn't one shot that defined the night—it was the collective will to close out New York. Jordan locked in, Pippen silenced the guards, and as the clock ticked down, the roar from the crowd shifted from tension to pure release. The buzzer sounded, sealing a victory that felt less like a game and more like survival.

Reader's Guide

Scottie Pippen averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team. Horace Grant averaged 15.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. B. J. Armstrong provided the team with 14.8 points and 3.9 assists per game. Toni Kukoč was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Pippen was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

Did You Know?

• The Bulls won 14 of 15 games in November and December, including a 10-game winning streak in December.
• Pippen, Grant and Armstrong were all selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game; it was the first and only All-Star appearance for both Grant and Armstrong.
• In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, Toni Kukoč hit a game-winning 22-foot jumper at the buzzer after Scottie Pippen refused to enter the play.
• This was the Bulls' last season at the Chicago Stadium before moving to the United Center.