1996 NBA Finals Game 7 vs Bulls

Lore & Background

The Bulls were coming off a season where they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Orlando Magic. Chicago built a new core around players such as Luc Longley, Toni Kukoč, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Jud Buechler, Bill Wennington, and Randy Brown, with the notable addition of Dennis Rodman. The Bulls won a record-high 72 games in the regular season. In the playoffs, they swept the Miami Heat in the first round, defeated the New York Knicks in five games in the second round, and swept the Orlando Magic in the conference finals. The SuperSonics were led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, with George Karl as head coach. Seattle finished the regular season with a franchise-record 64 wins. In the playoffs, they swept the Sacramento Kings, swept the defending champion Houston Rockets, and beat the Utah Jazz in seven games in the Western Conference finals to advance to their first NBA championship round since 1979.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the United Center was thick with anticipation and the deafening roar of a home crowd expecting another dynasty victory. On the bench, Pat Riley watched intently as his team fought to keep pace against an unstoppable force. Every possession felt like a battle for survival, with the Heat's defense swarming the Bulls' stars while their offense struggled to find rhythm in the final minutes.

Reader's Guide

The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Bulls won Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3. The SuperSonics won Game 4 and Game 5. The Bulls won Game 6 on Father's Day to clinch the series 4-2. Key moments included Dennis Rodman tying an NBA Finals record with 11 offensive rebounds in Game 2, and Rodman delivering 19 rebounds in Game 6, tying his own NBA Finals record. Michael Jordan led the Bulls with 28 points in Game 1, 29 points in Game 2, and 36 points in Game 3. Shawn Kemp scored 32 points in Game 1 and 29 points in Game 2 for Seattle. The SuperSonics never overcame a 3-0 series deficit; they extended the series to Game 6.

Did You Know?

• The teams' 136 combined regular season wins shattered the previous record of 125, set in 1985 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
• This was the first championship in the Chicago Bulls' second three-peat.
• The Bulls' 72 regular-season wins would be broken by the Golden State Warriors in the 2015–16 season.
• Seattle's victory in Game 4 prevented the NBA Finals from being swept in two consecutive years, something which, as of 2026, has never occurred.
• Game 5 marked the last NBA Finals game played in Seattle.