NBA Finals MVP (Michael Jordan, 1996)

Lore & Background

Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the 1996 NBA Finals, which the Chicago Bulls won 4 games to 2 over the Seattle SuperSonics. This was his fourth Finals MVP award.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Seattle Coliseum was thick with humidity and anticipation as Game 6 approached the final minutes. The scoreboard read 87-75, a lead that felt insurmountable yet required one last act of defiance from the visitors. Michael Jordan stood at the free-throw line, the roar of the home crowd fading into a dull hum in his ears. He looked up at the rafters where banners swayed, then locked eyes with Gary Payton, who had been his shadow all series. With a calm exhale, he sank the first shot, then the second. The clock ticked down, the Bulls' bench erupted, and as the final buzzer sounded, Jordan didn't celebrate wildly; he simply raised the trophy, the weight of history resting lightly on his shoulders.

Reader's Guide

The 1996 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1995–96 season. The Bulls defeated the SuperSonics 4–2. Michael Jordan won Finals MVP.

Did You Know?

• Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP, his fourth time winning the award.
• The Bulls won the series 4 games to 2.
• This was the first championship in the Chicago Bulls' second three-peat.