The

1997–98 NBA season The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in ...

was the 32nd season for the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

. The Bulls entered the regular season as the two-time defending NBA champions, and in the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like that year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win their sixth championship in eight years and complete the franchise's second "3-peat". During the off-season, the Bulls acquired Scott Burrell from the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

, and signed free agent

Joe Kleine Joseph William Kleine (born January 4, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for the US national team. He won a gold medal as a member of the Un ...

. However, All-Star forward

Scottie Pippen Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with th ...

would miss the first half of the regular season due to an injured toe on his left foot sustained from the 1997 NBA playoffs. Without Pippen, the Bulls started with a slow 9–7 record in November, but then would go on a 15–4 run until he returned in January. However, three-point specialist

Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...

went down with a fractured collarbone in January, and played just 50 games. Despite the injuries, the Bulls held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Jason Caffey to the

in exchange for David Vaughn. Vaughn would play just three games with the Bulls before being waived on March 2, 1998. Also in early March, the team re-signed former Bulls reserve forward Dickey Simpkins, who was previously released by the Warriors, and played in the final 21 games of the regular season. The Bulls posted a 13-game winning streak between March and April, and still finished in first place in the Central Division with a 62–20 record, earning the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA. In the 1998 NBA playoffs, the Bulls swept the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, 3–0 in the Eastern Conference First Round, defeated the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

, 4–1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, despite losing Game 2 at the

United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

, 78–76, and then defeated the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to advance to the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

. In the

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1997–98 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ...

, they met the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like last year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win the championship; the championship was their sixth in eight years and completed the franchise's second "3-peat". The season also saw

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

earn his fifth and final NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year award, while being selected for the

1998 NBA All-Star Game The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. Besides the NBA All-Star game, there were t ...

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, where he also won his third and final NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award. He once again led the league in scoring averaging 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while being named to the

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

, and

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...

. In addition, Pippen averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 44 games, and was named to the

All-NBA Third Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

, and also to the All-Defensive First Team, and rebound-specialist

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...

once again led the league in rebounding with 15.0 rebounds per game.

Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful period in European basketball, he was one of ...

provided the team with 13.3 points per game, playing most of the season as the team's starting small forward in Pippen's absence, while

Luc Longley Lucien James Longley (born 19 January 1969) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He was the first Australian to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played for four teams over 10 seasons. He m ...

averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Ron Harper contributed 9.3 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Kerr contributed 7.5 points per game off the bench. Jordan also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Rodman finished tied in fifth place, and Pippen finished tied in ninth place; Pippen also finished in tenth place in

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

voting, and head coach

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

finished tied in seventh place in

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

voting. This was Jordan's last season as a Bull, as he announced his second retirement after it was over. However, he did make a second comeback with the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

. Following the season, Jackson resigned as head coach after nine seasons with the Bulls, while Pippen was traded to the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

, Rodman left for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

as a free agent, Longley was dealt to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

, Kerr was traded to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, Burrell signed with the

, Jud Buechler signed with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, and Kleine re-signed with the Suns, his former team. Because of this dismantling of the team, this was the last season for the Bulls dynasty that had headlined the NBA throughout the 1990s. What followed was a long rebuilding process between 1998 and 2004, and the Bulls did not return to the postseason until

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

. The story of this season was captured in

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

's '' The Last Dance'', which aired in April 2020.

Offseason

NBA draft

Roster

Roster Notes

* Power forward David Vaughn was waived on March 2, 1998.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

, - style="background:#fcc;" , 1 , October 31 , @

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

L 85–92
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(30) ,

(9) , Harper &

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

(4) , FleetCenter
18,624 , 0–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2 , November 1 ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

W 94–74
, Ron Harper (17) ,

(13) , Ron Harper (8) ,

24,196 , 1–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 3 , November 3 ,

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

W 87–83 (OT)
,

(29) ,

(22) ,

& Harper (4) ,

23,868 , 2–1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 4 , November 5 ,

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

W 94–81
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(29) ,

(17) ,

(5) ,

23,809 , 3–1 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 5 , November 7 , @

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

L 78–80
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(27) ,

& Longley (9) ,

(6) ,

Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a Stadium#Types, domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown Atlanta, downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of th ...

45,790 , 3–2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 6 , November 8 ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

W 99–86
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(21) ,

(12) ,

(7) ,

23,898 , 4–2 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 7 , November 11 , @

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

L 80–101
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(19) , Jason Caffey (8) ,

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

Kerr Kerr may refer to: People *Kerr (surname) *Kerr (given name) Places ;United States *Kerr Township, Champaign County, Illinois *Kerr, Montana, A US census-designated place *Kerr, Ohio, an unincorporated community *Kerr County, Texas Kerr Co ...

(5) , Gund Arena
20,562 , 4–3 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 8 , November 12 ,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

L 83–90
,

(28) ,

(14) , Harper & Longley (5) ,

23,749 , 4–4 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 9 , November 14 , Charlotte
W 105–92
,

(28) ,

(14) ,

(7) ,

23,894 , 5–4 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 10 , November 15 ,

W 79–70
,

(27) ,

(18) ,

(7) ,

23,906 , 6–4 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 11 , November 20 , @ Phoenix
L 85–89
,

(30) ,

(14) , Ron Harper (5) , America West Arena
19,023 , 6–5 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 12 , November 21 , @ L.A. Clippers
W 111–102 (2OT)
,

(49) ,

(17) ,

(6) ,

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

16,199 , 7–5 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 13 , November 23 , @

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

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(33) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

ARCO Arena ARCO Arena (known as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012 and Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until 2022) was an indoor arena located in Sacramento, California, United States. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Sacramento Kings of the Nation ...

17,317 , 8–5 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 14 , November 25 , @

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

L 90–91
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(30) ,

(17) , Harper & Kukoč (6) , KeyArena
17,072 , 8–6 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 15 , November 28 , @

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

L 83–94
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(26) ,

(11) ,

(4) ,

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena (MSA) was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of larg ...

16,736 , 8–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 16 , November 29 , @

W 88–83
,

(29) ,

(17) , Ron Harper (7) , US Airways Arena
18,756 , 9–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 17 , December 3 , @

W 97–87
,

(29) ,

(17) ,

(11) , FleetCenter
18,624 , 10–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 18 , December 5 ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

W 82–64
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(19) ,

(14) ,

(5) ,

24,041 , 11–7 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 19 , December 9 ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

W 100–82
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(29) , 3 players tied (9) , Harper &

(4) ,

24,107 , 12–7 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 20 , December 10 , @

L 98–106
,

(25) ,

(16) ,

(7) , Orlando Arena
17,248 , 12–8 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 21 , December 12 , @ Charlotte
L 77–79
,

(28) ,

(19) ,

(7) ,

Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles Coliseum, which was called Charlotte ...

24,042 , 12–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 22 , December 13 ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

W 97–70
, Ron Harper (20) ,

(14) ,

(6) ,

23,867 , 13–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 23 , December 15 , Phoenix
W 111–104
,

(31) ,

(21) ,

& Rodman (6) ,

23,888 , 14–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 24 , December 17 , L.A. Lakers
W 104–83
,

(36) ,

(14) ,

(8) ,

24,119 , 15–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 25 , December 20 , @

W 100–92
,

(24) ,

(5) ,

Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

20,049 , 16–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 26 , December 23 , L.A. Clippers
W 94–89
,

(27) ,

(25) , 3 players tied (4) ,

23,904 , 17–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 27 , December 25 ,

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

W 90–80
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(24) ,

(13) ,

(5) ,

24,182 , 18–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 28 , December 27 ,

W 97–90
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(47) ,

(29) ,

(5) ,

24,131 , 19–9 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 29 , December 29 ,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

W 111–105
,

(41) ,

(27) ,

(8) ,

23,712 , 20–9 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 30 , December 30 , @

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

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(33) ,

(13) ,

(8) ,

Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, h ...

20,097 , 20–10 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 31 , January 2 ,

W 114–100
,

(44) ,

(21) ,

(8) ,

23,897 , 21–10 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 32 , January 3 , @

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

W 105–96
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(34) ,

(18) ,

(9) ,

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...

22,076 , 22–10 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 33 , January 6 ,

W 90–79
,

& Kukoč (19) ,

(20) ,

(6) ,

23,804 , 23–10 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 34 , January 7 , @

L 72–99
,

(26) ,

(17) ,

, Harper (4) ,

Miami Arena Miami Arena was an indoor arena located in Miami, Florida. The venue served as the home of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1988 until 1999, it also ...

15,200 , 23–11 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 35 , January 9 , @

W 90–89
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(44) ,

(10) ,

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Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

19,763 , 24–11 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 36 , January 10 , Golden State
W 87–82
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(32) ,

(16) ,

(5) ,

23,902 , 25–11 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 37 , January 13 ,

W 101–91
,

(40) ,

(17) ,

(6) ,

24,112 , 26–11 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 38 , January 15 , @

L 96–106
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(22) ,

(20) , Harper & Pippen (5) , CoreStates Center
21,104 , 26–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 39 , January 16 , @

W 96–86
,

(27) ,

(12) ,

(5) , Bradley Center
18,717 , 27–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 40 , January 18 ,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

W 106–100
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(45) , Longley & Rodman (5) ,

(10) ,

24,209 , 28–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 41 , January 21 , Charlotte
W 110–79
,

(33) ,

(13) ,

(7) ,

23,967 , 29–12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 42 , January 23 , @

W 100–98 (OT)
,

(32) ,

(7) , Kukoč & Pippen (9) ,

20,049 , 30–12 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 43 , January 25 ,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

L 94–101
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(32) ,

(14) ,

(10) ,

24,361 , 30–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 44 , January 27 , @

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

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(29) ,

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General Motors Place Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place), is a multi-purpose arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General Motors Place (GM Place) from its opening u ...

19,193 , 31–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 45 , January 29 , @

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

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Rose Garden A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped ...

21,538 , 32–13 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 46 , January 30 , @ Golden State
W 87–80
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(22) ,

(4) , The Arena in Oakland
19,804 , 33–13 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 47 , February 1 , @ L.A. Lakers
L 87–112
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(31) ,

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Great Western Forum The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Laffit Pincay Jr., P ...

17,505 , 33–14 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 48 , February 2 , @

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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McNichols Sports Arena McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado, United States. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games and 17,171 for basketball games. Sp ...

17,171 , 34–14 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 49 , February 4 , @

L 93–101
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(40) ,

(11) ,

(4) , Delta Center
19,911 , 34–15 , - align="center" , colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff", All-Star Break , - style="background:#cfc;" , - bgcolor="#bbffbb" , - style="background:#cfc;" , 50 , February 10 ,

W 93–86
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(21) ,

(17) ,

(9) ,

23,881 , 35–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 51 , February 11 , @ Charlotte
W 92–90
,

(29) ,

(11) , 3 players tied (6) ,

24,042 , 36–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 52 , February 13 ,

W 112–110
,

(37) ,

(7) ,

24,207 , 37–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 53 , February 15 ,

W 99–90
,

(22) ,

(12) ,

& Pippen (5) ,

24,139 , 38–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 54 , February 17 ,

W 105–97
,

(27) ,

(13) ,

(6) ,

24,131 , 39–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 55 , February 19 , @

W 123–86
,

(22) ,

(19) ,

(6) ,

SkyDome Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to ...

30,172 , 40–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 56 , February 21 , @

W 94–88
,

(23) ,

(17) ,

(5) ,

MCI Center Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Chinatown section of the larger Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The arena was opened on D ...

20,674 , 41–15 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 57 , February 23 ,

W 97–75
,

(17) , Ron Harper (10) ,

& Kukoč (7) ,

23,902 , 42–15 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 58 , February 25 ,

L 101–106
,

(33) ,

(14) , Kukoč & Pippen (6) ,

23,821 , 42–16 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 59 , February 28 ,

W 109–94
,

(29) ,

(18) , Pippen & Rodman (6) ,

23,914 , 43–16 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 60 , March 3 ,

W 118–90
,

(30) ,

(17) ,

(10) ,

23,810 , 44–16 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 61 , March 8 , @

W 102–89
,

(42) ,

(20) ,

& Pippen (6) ,

19,763 , 45–16 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 62 , March 10 ,

W 106–91
,

(37) ,

(10) , Kukoč & Pippen (8) ,

24,102 , 46–16 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 63 , March 12 , @

L 97–104 (OT)
,

(26) ,

(22) ,

(6) ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...

18,255 , 46–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 64 , March 14 , @

W 96–86
,

(30) ,

(16) ,

(5) ,

Alamodome The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...

37,492 , 47–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 65 , March 16 ,

W 88–72
,

(21) ,

(16) , Kukoč & Rodman (5) ,

23,908 , 48–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 66 , March 17 , @

W 90–84
,

(35) ,

(19) ,

(5) ,

16,729 , 49–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 67 , March 20 ,

W 98–92
,

(24) ,

(11) , Ron Harper (4) ,

24,023 , 50–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 68 , March 22 , @

W 102–100
,

& Pippen (33) ,

(18) , 3 players tied (5) ,

33,216 , 51–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 69 , March 23 ,

W 111–88
,

(27) ,

(14) ,

(10) ,

23,944 , 52–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 70 , March 25 , @

W 85–70
,

(23) ,

(18) ,

(8) , Orlando Arena
17,248 , 53–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 71 , March 27 , @

W 89–74
,

(34) ,

(15) , Ron Harper (6) ,

62,046 , 54–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 72 , March 29 , @

W 104–87
,

(30) ,

(17) ,

(8) , Bradley Center
18,717 , 55–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 73 , March 31 ,

W 106–101 (OT)
,

(27) ,

(18) ,

(8) ,

23,942 , 56–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 74 , April 3 ,

W 107–93
,

(27) ,

(18) ,

(8) ,

23,985 , 57–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 75 , April 5 , @

W 109–94
,

(40) ,

(12) , Pippen & Rodman (8) , Compaq Center
16,285 , 58–17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 76 , April 7 ,

W 103–85
,

(30) ,

(20) ,

(7) ,

23,969 , 59–17 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 77 , April 9 , @

L 85–91
,

(29) ,

(20) ,

(8) , Gund Arena
20,562 , 59–18 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 78 , April 11 ,

W 87–78
,

(37) ,

(10) , Pippen & Rodman (6) ,

24,104 , 60–18 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 79 , April 13 ,

L 105–114
,

(28) ,

(9) , Harper & Rodman (4) ,

23,957 , 60–19 , - style="background:#fcc;" , 80 , April 15 , @

L 79–87
,

(19) ,

(15) , Harper & Kukoč (5) ,

22,076 , 60–20 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 81 , April 17 , @

W 87–80
,

(24) ,

(17) ,

(4) , CoreStates Center
21,305 , 61–20 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 82 , April 18 ,

W 111-109
,

(44) ,

(8) ,

(10) ,

24,182 , 62–20

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , April 24 ,

W 96–93 (OT)
,

(39) ,

(8) , 3 players tied (5) ,

23,844 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 26 ,

W 96–91
,

(32) ,

(16) , Burrell & Rodman (4) ,

23,844 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 29 , @

W 116–101
,

(38) ,

(17) ,

(10) ,

19,889 , 3–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , May 3 , Charlotte
W 83–70
,

(35) ,

(14) ,

& Pippen (4) ,

23,844 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , May 6 , Charlotte
L 76–78
,

(22) ,

(18) ,

(6) ,

23,844 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , May 8 , @ Charlotte
W 103–89
,

(27) ,

(17) ,

(6) ,

23,799 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , May 10 , @ Charlotte
W 94–80
,

(31) ,

(18) ,

(8) ,

23,799 , 3–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 13 , Charlotte
W 93–84
,

(33) ,

(21) , Longley & Pippen (5) ,

23,844 , 4–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , May 17 ,

W 85–79
,

(31) ,

(10) ,

(7) ,

23,844 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , May 19 ,

W 104–98
,

(41) , Ron Harper (9) ,

& Pippen (5) ,

23,844 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , May 23 , @

L 105–107
,

(30) ,

(12) ,

(7) ,

16,576 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , May 25 , @

L 94–96
,

(28) ,

(16) ,

(10) ,

16,560 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 27 ,

W 106–87
,

(29) ,

(8) , Kukoč & Pippen (7) ,

23,844 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , May 29 , @

L 89–92
,

(35) ,

(12) , 3 players tied (2) ,

16,566 , 3–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 7 , May 31 ,

W 88–83
,

(28) ,

(12) ,

(8) ,

23,844 , 4–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , June 3 , @

L 85–88 (OT)
,

(33) ,

(10) ,

(5) , Delta Center
19,911 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , June 5 , @

W 93–88
,

(37) , Kukoč & Rodman (9) ,

(4) , Delta Center
19,911 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , June 7 ,

W 96–54
,

(24) , Ron Harper (10) , Ron Harper (7) ,

23,844 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , June 10 ,

W 86–82
,

(34) ,

(14) ,

(5) ,

23,844 , 3–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , June 12 ,

L 81–83
,

(30) ,

(11) ,

23,844 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , June 14 , @

W 87–86
,

(45) ,

(8) , Kukoč & Pippen (4) , Delta Center
19,911 , 4–2

Player stats

Regular season

Postseason

Player Statistics Citation:

NBA finals

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1997–98 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ...
Roster

Series summary

''Legend: OT denotes a game decided in

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

'' ''Bulls win series 4-2''

Games 1 and 2

This was the first time in the 1990s that the same two teams played each other in two consecutive finals. The Jazz had won both regular season match-ups, and many analysts predicted a hard-fought seven-game series. Predictions of a Jazz championship were strengthened with their game one victory in overtime in Utah. The Bulls would tie the series in game 2 putting together a fourth quarter run to silence the Delta Center and holding on to win 93–88, finally securing their first victory against Utah all season.

Games 3, 4 and 5

The Finals would move to Chicago with control of the series at stake in Game 3. Though anticipation was high, no one could have expected a blow-out of the proportions seen in Game 3. With a 96–54 triumph over Utah, the Bulls would help the Jazz set an embarrassing record for the lowest points scored in Finals history and biggest margin of defeat, while everyone on the Bulls scored. The Jazz would pull themselves together in Game 4 in a better attempt to tie the series, but lost 86–82. The early Jazz series-lead seemed like a distant memory, a false indication of a tough series as they hit the floor for Game 5 behind 3–1. Chicago fans prepared for the last game they would host with the Jordan-led Bulls of the 1990s. But any notions of a championship at the United Center would be snuffed out when, with 0.8 seconds on the game, Michael Jordan airballed an off-balance 3 to the right of the basket giving the Jazz a narrow 83–81 win. The play might have been for Toni Kukoč to shoot a three. With the series shifting back to Utah with a far more generous 3-2 Bulls advantage, the promise of another Chicago championship was not so certain.

Game 6

The Chicago Bulls had never let a Finals series go to a Game 7. As they arrived at the Delta Center for Game 6, things didn't look good for the Bulls. Scottie Pippen's back gave out when he dunked the opening basket of the game and he was slowed down and held to just 8 points. The Jazz suffered a bad break when the referees incorrectly nullified a Howard Eisley three-pointer that, replays showed, was clearly released just before the 24-second clock expired. In the 4th quarter, the Bulls closed the gap as Michael Jordan tallied many of his 45 overall points. Then things got worse for Chicago when John Stockton hit a clutch 3 with 41.9 seconds left to give Utah an 86–83 lead as the Delta Center crowd roared happily. Down by 3, the Bulls had one last chance to stay alive. Running perilously low on energy, it would be imperative for Chicago to win the series before the game went into OT, and also for the Bulls to avoid a Game 7 on the road when Scottie Pippen was so badly injured and their entire lineup was exhausted. After Michael Jordan made a quick layup to cut the Jazz lead to one, the Bulls needed to stop the Jazz from scoring again. When John Stockton passed the ball to Karl Malone, Michael Jordan stole the ball away and dribbled to the front. Guarding him was Bryon Russell, one of the Jazz's best perimeter defenders. Jordan drove inside the 3-point line, executed a quick cross-over, and drilled a 20-ft. jump shot to give the Bulls an 87–86 lead with 5.2 seconds left. After Utah took a timeout, Stockton's 3 hit the rim and bounced away, giving the Bulls their 6th title in 8 years. The famous winning shot has been immortalized in many records, as Jordan completed a perfect sextet: 6 NBA Finals, 6 championships, and 6 NBA Finals MVP trophies.

Awards and honors

1997 McDonald's Championship The 1997 McDonald's Championship took place at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France. Summary The teams that took part in the 8th edition of the tournament were the Chicago Bulls, Paris Basket Racing (France), Olympiacos Piraeus (Gre ...

Winners *

NBA All-Star Game MVP The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to ...

, NBA MVP *

NBA Finals MVP The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...

, Favorite Male Athlete *

, Favorite Sports Team

NBA All-Star Game

, Guard

Transactions

References

External links

*
Bulls on Basketball Reference
*
The Last Dance
, ''

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:1997-98 Chicago Bulls Season Chicago Bulls seasons 1997 in Chicago

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictionaries classified ...

1998 in Chicago

Eastern Conference (NBA) championship seasons NBA championship seasons

Offseason

NBA draft

Roster

Roster Notes

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Regular season

Playoffs

Player stats

Regular season

Postseason

NBA finals

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1997–98 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ... Roster

Series summary

Games 1 and 2

Games 3, 4 and 5

Game 6

Awards and honors

NBA All-Star Game

Transactions

References

External links

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1997–98 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ...
Roster