1990–91 Chicago Bulls season
The 1990–91 NBA season was the Bulls' 25th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Bulls acquired Dennis Hopson from the New Jersey Nets, and signed free agent Cliff Levingston. The Bulls overcame a slow start, losing their first three games of the season, as they later on went on an 11-game winning streak between February and March, held a 32–14 record at the All-Star break, then posted a nine-game winning streak also in March. The Bulls finished in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 61–21 record, surpassing their previous franchise-best from the 1971–72 season. Widely regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time, the Bulls had the best team offensive rating and the seventh best team defensive rating in the NBA.
| 1990–91 Chicago Bulls season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Phil Jackson |
| General manager | Jerry Krause |
| Owner(s) | Jerry Reinsdorf |
| Arena | Chicago Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 61–21 (.744) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Central) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–1) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WGN-TV 9 SportsChannel Chicago (Jim Durham, Johnny "Red" Kerr) |
| Radio | WLUP–AM 1000 (Jim Durham, Johnny "Red" Kerr, John Rooney, Tom Boerwinkle) |
Michael Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game, and won another scoring title and his second Most Valuable Player award, while being named to the All-NBA First Team, NBA All-Defensive First Team, and was selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game. Scottie Pippen averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Horace Grant provided the team with 12.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and Bill Cartwright contributed 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Three-point specialist Craig Hodges won the Three-Point Shootout for the second consecutive year during the All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, and head coach Phil Jackson finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Bulls swept the New York Knicks in three straight games. Then in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they defeated Charles Barkley and the 5th-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in five games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they swept the defending champion Detroit Pistons in four straight games, and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time.
After losing Game 1 at home, 93–91 to Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Bulls would win the 1991 NBA Finals in five games, winning their first ever championship in franchise history. This season was the first of three consecutive NBA titles for the Bulls, as well as marking the beginning of the legendary Bulls dynasty, which would net the team another five more championships over the next seven seasons.