The epic first-round playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989 is still remembered as one of the most iconic playoffs in NBA history. At that time, the Bulls were relatively underdogs to defeat a formidable Cavs team. However, that never deterred the spirit of Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls team.
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In Game 5 of the tournament, Jordan hit the iconic ‘shot’ to clinch the series 3-2 and win that game 101-100 against the Cavs. Jordan finished that game with 44 points, and to this day, this legendary buzzer-beater is considered one of the greatest clutch moments of the league.
Despite the Bulls winning the first game in the then best-of-five series, beat writers such as Lacy Banks of the Sun-Times, Ken McDill of the Chicago Herald, and Sam Smith of the Tribune had all picked the Cavs to win the subsequent Game 3, 4, and 5 respectively. However, Chicago had proved the media perception of themselves wrong and entered Game 5 with the series tied over a single, decider win.
Before starting the game, Jordan personally approached all three beat writers to remind them never to underestimate the Bulls in a contentious playoff series. As CBS wrote in a 2020 article what Jordan told the reporters before putting in a clutch performance to clinch the series,
“We took care of you,” Jordan told Banks. “We took care of you,” he told McDill. Then he looked at Smith. “We take care of you today.”
Jordan emanated confidence even further after publicly declaring Chicago as the eventual winner ahead of the series. The most incredible thing about this series was that the Bulls constantly fell short of the Cavs, finishing the regular season 0-6 against the team in 1988-89.
Perhaps a win over such a formidable rival was much of the pressure relieved for the rest of the post-season campaign for Jordan and the Bulls. The iconic buzzer shot and MJ’s celebration following this win are still revered as two of the greatest moments in basketball and North American sporting history.
Michael Jordan and the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers four times between 1993 and 1998
Since the 1989 playoffs, the Chicago Bulls have always had a way to get better than the Cleveland Cavaliers. That season was an important focal point in the Bulls’ history, given the franchise had laid their faith and experimented with Michael Jordan as the team’s primary point guard.
It seemed to fall in place as the Bulls next defeated the Knicks in the Conference Semi-Finals, only to be overwhelmed by a formidable Detroit Pistons team in the Conference Finals. The Pistons went on to win two NBA championships consecutively between 1989 and 1990, only for the Bulls to emerge from the shadows and continue dominating throughout the 90s decade.
The Bulls eventually faced the Cleveland Cavaliers four times between 1993 to 1998. During these faceoffs, Chicago always had the upper hand, showcasing their dominance in the league. The Bulls of the late 80s and the 90s decade were indeed a force to be reckoned with, forever cementing the legacy of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman as the greatest players in the history of the league and the franchise.
