The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, arguably the greatest team in the history of the NBA, has a mythological vibe around it. Retired NBA star John Salley was part of that team and gave some insight into how the team functioned. During an appearance on the Run It Back podcast, three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner Lou Williams asked Salley about his experience on that roster. He revealed how the Bulls, at the time, were the first to take fitness and physical health seriously.
Advertisement
Salley said,
“First, the Berto Center (Chicago Bulls’ training facility from 1992 to 2014) was the first of its kind. It had a track inside, Olympic-style weight room, it had a swimming pool. It had three rooms for massage therapy. Just sign your name on the top (to book an appointment). Well, you had to sign your name because Michael (Jordan) and Scottie (Pippen)’s name was put there in ink.”
He then reminisced about the incredible fandom the Bulls had in the 1990s, adding,
“I mean it was like being with The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson all at the same time.”
After losing to Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic in six games in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, Michael Jordan, who had returned to the NBA three months prior after retiring in 1993, and the rest of the team did not go on vacation in the offseason. They spent the entire summer at the Berto Center and worked arduously to prepare for the 1995-96 season.
Jordan and the Bulls had won three straight NBA titles but had failed to win in each of the previous two campaigns. Despite their unmatched popularity and success, they were focused on returning to the pinnacle of basketball. The results were evident.
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ magical 1995-96 season
The 1995-96 Bulls needed some firepower on the defensive end to replace Horace Grant. They controversially traded for Dennis Rodman, the troublesome former Detroit Pistons star. He struggled to keep his behavior in check even with the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite some shenanigans, Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Bulls managed to control Rodman’s erratic behavior, and he had one of the best seasons of his career. The team played incredible basketball. They were almost invincible at home in the United Center and finished 39-2 for the second year running. On the road, the Bulls went 33-8, breaking the record for the best away numbers in an 82-game NBA season, previously held by the 1974-75 Boston Celtics.
The Bulls finished the regular season with a 72-10 record, surpassing the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers‘ mark of 69-13. They were the first team to win 70 regular season games in a campaign. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors are the only other team to win at least 70 of 82 regular season games in a campaign. They finished 73-9.
However, unlike the Warriors, the Bulls went on to win the NBA title. The gentlemen swept the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in the first two rounds of the playoffs before setting up a grudge series against the Orlando Magic. O’Neal, Grant, and the team had no answer to the retooled Bulls’ might. They couldn’t muster a single win and were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Bulls met the Seattle Supersonics. Chicago was at its devastating best, winning the first three games to take a 3-0 lead. However, the Supersonics shockingly took Games 4 and 5 to make the series intriguing. However, Rodman’s incredible 19-rebound performance and the Bulls’ stifling defense helped them win 87-75 and collect their fourth NBA title in six seasons.
Jordan won his fourth NBA Finals MVP, 15 months after coming back from retirement. The Bulls added two more championships to their trophy haul in the subsequent two seasons to take their overall tally to six in the Jordan-Pippen era.
Of the Bulls’ six title-winning teams, the 1995-96 roster is widely considered the best. Even Jordan agrees with that assessment.
