Bulls on Parade

Twenty seconds left, the Chicago Bulls are down 86-85 to the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. In front of a sold out crowd at The Delta Center (considered to be one of the loudest stadiums in all of sports), the Jazz had possession and the hope of forcing a game 7. The Bulls had been down 86-83, but a Michael Jordan lay-up had cut the lead to one.

Of all the players on the court, it was ironic, yet fitting, that Jordan would steal a pass between John Stockton and Karl Malone in the final seconds. As the precious few remaining seconds began dwindling away, Jordan, being guarded by Byron Russel, cut across to the free throw line (and some say he pushed off Russel) and released a pull up jump shot. With his hand held in the air, as to indicate a "swish," Jordan was calling his would be final shot. And sure enough, with 5.2 seconds remaining, Jordan's shot scorched the nothing but net to give the Bulls an 87-86 lead over the Utah Jazz. The Jazz would have one last chance, but in the final seconds John Stockton's jumper rattled around and off the rim. And with that, the Bulls had taken their third championship in a row, and 6th in the 8 previous years. With that shot, and that title, Michael Jordan retired, and although he did come back once again, this was the last shot he took as a Chicago Bull. And it is only fitting that the greatest player of all time would go out on such a perfect note. The words of Bob Costas say it best: That may have been the last shot Michael Jordan ever made in the NBA...If that's the last image of Michael Jordan...how magnificent is it!? Truly, how magnificent it is.

The quote from Bob Costas was retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_NBA_Finals