1992 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991–92 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls
of the Eastern Conference
took on the Portland Trail Blazers
of the Western Conference
for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA.
The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler
and Michael Jordan
throughout the season. A month earlier Sports Illustrated
had even listed Drexler as Jordan's "No. 1 rival" on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson
-Larry Bird
type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler, compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype.
The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games. Michael Jordan
was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring titles.
NBC Sports used commentator Ahmad Rashad
(both teams' sidelines).
in the second round and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers
in the Conference Finals, the Bulls advanced to defend their title.
champions. They steamrolled through the Western Conference
playoffs en route to the epic showdown with the Bulls. The 1992 NBA Finals would cement the reputations of both Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler (placing the latter firmly in the former's shadow).
(Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the 6th 3 that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise. Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. This was needed as Portland made their first seven shots and ran to an eight-point lead in the first half, only to go down 29-28 to the Bulls at the end of the quarter. Portland was leading by 1 at 45-44, only for Chicago go on a 22-6 run to grab a 66-51 halftime lead and take control. The game was decided, and the Bulls earned a 122-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.
, the Blackhawks
, were in the Stanley Cup Finals
at the same time, but got swept by the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins
. (It would not be until their next finals appearance, in when the Blackhawks won their first championship since , when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers
, in-state rivals of the Penguins, in six games).
, it recaps the Bulls' championship season. "Jam" by Michael Jackson
was used as the theme song for the documentary. That same year, Jordan was featured in Jackson's music video for "Jam".
in the 1993 NBA Finals
. In the offseason that preceded Michael Jordan
and Scottie Pippen
played for the Dream Team
that won the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
. That team also included Blazers guard Clyde Drexler
.
The 1992 Finals would be the Blazers' last finals appearance to date. In the next three seasons, the Blazers rebuilt the team, hiring general manager Bob Whitsitt
in 1994 and lost the core of their 1992 Finals team to free agency and trades, beginning with Kevin Duckworth
's departure to the Bullets
in the 1993 offseason. The last remaining piece of the team, Clyde Drexler, was traded and went on to win the NBA championship with the Houston Rockets
in .
The 1991-92 Bulls, along with the 1995-96 Bulls, were named one of the 10 greatest teams in NBA history during the league's golden anniversary.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
took on the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA.
The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
and Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
throughout the season. A month earlier Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
had even listed Drexler as Jordan's "No. 1 rival" on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
-Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler, compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype.
The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring titles.
NBC Sports used commentator Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
(both teams' sidelines).
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991-92 season, finishing with a 67-15 record. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with a 30.1/6.4/6.1 season. After a physical seven game series over the emerging New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the second round and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in the Conference Finals, the Bulls advanced to defend their title.
Portland Trail Blazers
In the 1991-92 campaign, the Blazers repeated as PacificPacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
champions. They steamrolled through the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
playoffs en route to the epic showdown with the Bulls. The 1992 NBA Finals would cement the reputations of both Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler (placing the latter firmly in the former's shadow).
Series Summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Wednesday, June 3 | Chicago Bulls | 122-89 (1-0) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 2 | Friday, June 5 | Chicago Bulls | 104-115 OT (1-1) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 3 | Sunday, June 7 | Portland Trail Blazers | 84-94 (1-2) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 4 | Wednesday, June 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 93-88 (2-2) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 5 | Friday, June 12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 106-119 (2-3) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 6 | Sunday, June 14 | Chicago Bulls | 97-93 (4-2) | Portland Trail Blazers |
Game 1
Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin BaylorElgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
(Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the 6th 3 that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise. Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. This was needed as Portland made their first seven shots and ran to an eight-point lead in the first half, only to go down 29-28 to the Bulls at the end of the quarter. Portland was leading by 1 at 45-44, only for Chicago go on a 22-6 run to grab a 66-51 halftime lead and take control. The game was decided, and the Bulls earned a 122-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Game 2
Portland built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and also built a nine-point lead in the half. However, as in Game 1, their lead started to disappear as the Bulls made their run - Jordan would score 14 points while Paxson would score 9 points in the third quarter, taking a seven-point lead in the third quarter. Chicago was looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series when Clyde Drexler fouled out with 4:36 remaining. With the Bulls up by 10, Jordan started to lose his poise, committing a foul and then a technical foul. This would help Portland build a 15-5 run pushing the game into overtime after Jordan narrowly missed at the buzzer. In overtime, Portland dominated, especially Ainge who scored six points with one minute remaining as the Blazers won 115-104, the Bulls worst home defeat in an NBA Finals game.Game 3
Chicago had lost home court advantage, but dominated Portland, holding them to numerous franchise playoff lows: 84 points in a game, 39 second-half points and 28 field goals. Chicago would go on a 30-13 run in the first half to gain a 44-30 lead which Portland would cut to three with 7:09 left in the third before the Bulls went to another 12-3 run. Portland would then go on a field goal drought not scoring from the 4:33 mark in the third quarter until the 9:36 mark of the fourth, a 6:57 stretch.Game 4
Portland was still playing as they were during Game 3, not scoring for four minutes and finding themselves down 10-0. The Bulls would be up 22-9 before the Blazers climbed up and cut the deficit to three at half but found themselves down again in the third quarter. While Jordan scored 13 points in the third quarter, he would not score in the game's final 10:26. Portland would go on a 15-6 run to even the series at two games.Game 5
The Bulls jumped out to a 10-2 lead and never looked back, answering every Blazers comeback attempt with a run of their own. Chicago opened the second half on a 16-8 run to give the Bulls a 20-point lead. Portland didn't pull back within single digits until less than four minutes were left in the game, and ended up losing 119-106.Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.
Game 6
Portland started strongly as they held Michael Jordan scoreless for the game's first 11 minutes, and would take a 43-28 lead midway through the second quarter before Chicago went on a 16-7 run and cut the deficit to only six points. Portland also dominated the third quarter, building a 79-64 lead. Phil Jackson would go with four reserves and Scottie Pippen to start the fourth quarter, cutting Portland's lead to three after only three minutes. Jordan returned and had two steals and converted them to hoops to give Chicago a permanent lead. The Bulls' defense would hold Portland to only six points in the final four minutes, leading the Bulls to their second straight championship.Miscellaneous Information
The Bulls' co-tenants at Chicago StadiumChicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
, the Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, were in the Stanley Cup Finals
1992 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1992 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Prince of Wales Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the Clarence Campbell Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks were making their first appearance in the Final since...
at the same time, but got swept by the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. (It would not be until their next finals appearance, in when the Blackhawks won their first championship since , when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, in-state rivals of the Penguins, in six games).
Untouchabulls and "Jam"
Just months later, the 1991-92 NBA season documentary Untouchabulls was released. Narrated by Hal DouglasHal Douglas
Hal Douglas is a retired American voice actor best known for his work on movie trailers and television commercials.-Life and career:...
, it recaps the Bulls' championship season. "Jam" by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
was used as the theme song for the documentary. That same year, Jordan was featured in Jackson's music video for "Jam".
Quotes from the Finals
Team Rosters
Aftermath
The Bulls won their third straight championship in the season, winning 57 games and defeating the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the 1993 NBA Finals
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
. In the offseason that preceded Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
played for the Dream Team
1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ...
that won the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
. That team also included Blazers guard Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
.
The 1992 Finals would be the Blazers' last finals appearance to date. In the next three seasons, the Blazers rebuilt the team, hiring general manager Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt is a former sports executive in both the National Basketball Association and the National Football League. He has served as the general manager for three teams: the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL...
in 1994 and lost the core of their 1992 Finals team to free agency and trades, beginning with Kevin Duckworth
Kevin Duckworth
Kevin Jerome Duckworth was an American professional basketball player at center in the National Basketball Association. A native of Illinois, he played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University before being drafted in 1986 in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs...
's departure to the Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in the 1993 offseason. The last remaining piece of the team, Clyde Drexler, was traded and went on to win the NBA championship with the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in .
The 1991-92 Bulls, along with the 1995-96 Bulls, were named one of the 10 greatest teams in NBA history during the league's golden anniversary.