1991 NBA Finals

1991 basketball championship series February 2024 1991NBAFinals.png NBA 1991 Los Angeles Lakers Mike Dunleavy 1 Chicago Bulls Phil Jackson 4 June 2–12 Michael Jordan(Chicago Bulls) Lakers:Vlade Divac (2019)Magic Johnson (2002)James Worthy (2003)Bulls:Michael Jordan (2009)Scottie Pippen (2010)Coaches:Phil Jackson (2007)Tex Winter (2011)Officials:Dick Bavetta (2015)Hugh Evans (2022)Darell Garretson (2016) Bulls defeated Pistons, 4–0 Lakers defeated Trail Blazers, 4–2 The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1990–91 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS. The Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage. It was Michael Jordan's first NBA Finals appearance, Magic Johnson's last, and the last NBA Finals for the Lakers until 2000. The Bulls would win the series, 4–1. Jordan averaged 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks en route to his first NBA Finals MVP Award.Michael Jordan 1990–91 NBA Finals, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 26, 2009. The series was not the first time that the Bulls and Lakers faced off in the playoffs. Prior to 1991, they met for four postseason series (1968, 1971, 1972 and 1973), all Lakers victories. Chicago was a member of the Western Conference at the time and moved into the East in 1980. The 1991 Finals marked the first time the Bulls defeated the Lakers in a playoff series. This series would mark the end of the Lakers Showtime era and the beginning of the Bulls' dynasty. After winning five championships in eight finals appearances in the 1980s, the Lakers would enter a period of mediocrity for most of the 1990s before winning five championships between the 2000 and 2010 seasons.Poulard J. M. 2011-11-25 Magic's Forgotten Finals https://www.forumblueandgold.com/2011/11/25/magics-forgotten-finals/ 2026-06-22 Forum Blue And Gold The 1991 Lakers were led by Johnson, who was 31 and playing in what would be his last full season, as well as fellow All-Star teammate James Worthy; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired two seasons earlier. The Bulls, led by Jordan and small forward Scottie Pippen, would win five more championships after 1991 in a seven-year span, cementing their status as a dynasty. Jordan became only the fourth player in NBA history (after Joe Fulks, George Mikan, and Abdul-Jabbar) to capture the scoring title and a championship in the same season.@NBAcrazystats Crazy Stats February 17, 2025 Michael Jordan is the only player in league history to win MVP, Scoring Title, 1st Team All-Defensive selection, NBA Championship, and Finals MVP in the same year. He did it four times (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, and 1997-98). https://x.com/NBAcrazystats/status/1891456321179828453?lang=en X, formerly known as Twitter Background This was the first meeting between teams from Chicago and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship since the 1959 World Series. Chicago Bulls 1990–91 Chicago Bulls season The 1990–91 season marked the Bulls' 25th in franchise history. The team was coming off a grueling seven-game loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 1990 Eastern Conference finals, and in the six years since Michael Jordan joined the Bulls, they were showing signs of improvement.Kirschenbaum Alex 2026-03-01 Sam Smith Unpacks Origins of 'The Jordan Rules' (Exclusive) https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2026/03/01/sam-smith-jordan-rules/ 2026-06-22 thumb|Jordan, with the ball, against the New Jersey Nets during the 1990–91 season. They managed to put it all together that season, winning a then-franchise record 61 games. Jordan won the scoring title for a fifth consecutive season, but the team was no longer a one-man show of years past. Instead, Jordan distributed the ball with regularity, thanks in large part to the triangle offense instituted by head coach Phil Jackson and assistant Tex Winter. This gave the Bulls additional offensive weapons to choose from, ranging from wingman Scottie Pippen and post players Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright to shooters such as John Paxson and B. J. Armstrong. Jordan's improved all-around play earned him his second MVP award.1990-91 NBA Awards Voting https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1991.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only once in the first three rounds. They swept the New York Knicks in the first round, then eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. Their much-awaited rematch with the Detroit Pistons in the Conference finals showcased the maturity and poise that the Bulls displayed all season, as they swept the Pistons. In a last show of defiance, most of the Pistons walked off the court with :08 left on the clock in a blowout loss at home so as not to congratulate the new Eastern Conference champions, though Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, and John Salley did remain to shake the Bulls' hands.http://detnews.com/article/20100701/SPORTS0102/7010448/1361/Ex-Piston-Isiah-Thomas-regrets-snub-of-Bulls-in--91 Ex-Piston Isiah Thomas regrets snub of Bulls in '91 Vincent Goodwill The Detroit News July 1, 2010 July 1, 2010 Los Angeles Lakers 1990–91 Los Angeles Lakers season The Lakers were coming off a second-round loss to the Phoenix Suns in prior season's playoffs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eR8uIQ0M1k Phoenix Suns @ L.A. Lakers (Game 5 1990 NBA WCSF) 2024-07-15 Retro Junk (Including Classic NBA) 2026-06-22 YouTube Even though the Lakers won 63 games that season, and Magic Johnson was second in league MVP voting while surpassing Oscar Robertson for the all-time career assist record, it was clear that the team was growing weary of head coach Pat Riley's intense approach.Pearlman Jeff Exclusive Book Excerpt: Bitter, Dark Days of Pat Riley and the 'Showtime' Lakers https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1967588-exclusive-book-excerpt-bitter-dark-days-of-pat-riley-and-the-showtime-lakers 2026-06-22 bleacherreport.com The Lakers replaced Riley with Mike Dunleavy, Sr., formerly an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. Dunleavy then abandoned the trademark Showtime offense in favor of a more deliberate style of play, but despite the change in playbook, the Lakers still enjoyed an impressive season, winning 58 games.CHERWA JOHN 1992-05-12 Bucks Reportedly Hire Dunleavy : Pro basketball: Laker coach for two seasons said to be leaving to become Milwaukee coach and general manager. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-12-sp-1855-story.html 2026-06-22 Los Angeles Times In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Houston Rockets in the first round, then eliminated Run TMC and the Golden State Warriors in the second round. Next up for the Lakers were the Portland Trail Blazers, who were coming off a trip to the NBA finals the previous year. The Lakers stunned the Blazers in Portland to open the series, and went on to win the conference finals in six games.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgYHsYjoS1o Blazers @ Lakers 1991 WCF Game 6 (NBA On NBC) 2025-01-31 MDBBall 2026-06-22 YouTube Road to the Finals 1991 NBA playoffs Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference champion) Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference champion)LAL3rd seed in the West, 3rd best league recordRegular seasonCHI1st seed in the East, 2nd best league recordDefeated the (6) Houston Rockets, 3–0First roundDefeated the (8) New York Knicks, 3–0Defeated the (7) Golden State Warriors, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the (5) Philadelphia 76ers, 4–1Defeated the (1) Portland Trail Blazers, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the (3) Detroit Pistons, 4–0 Regular season series Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team: #fff December 21, 1990 Los Angeles Lakers 103 Chicago Bulls 114 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois February 3, 1991 Chicago Bulls 86 Los Angeles Lakers 99 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California 1991 NBA Finals team rosters Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls 1990–91 10 B. J. Armstrong PG 6 2 175 1967-09-09 Iowa 24 Bill Cartwright C 7 1 245 1957-07-30 San Francisco 54 Horace Grant PF 6 10 245 1965-07-04 Clemson 14 Craig Hodges SG 6 2 190 1960-06-27 Long Beach State 2 Dennis Hopson SG 6 5 200 1965-04-22 Ohio State 23 Michael Jordan SG 6 6 215 1963-02-17 North Carolina 34 Stacey King PF 6 11 230 1967-01-29 Oklahoma 53 Cliff Levingston PF 6 8 230 1961-01-04 Wichita State 5 John Paxson PG 6 2 185 1959-06-13 Notre Dame 32 Will Perdue C 7 0 240 1965-08-29 Vanderbilt 33 Scottie Pippen SF 6 7 220 1965-09-25 Central Arkansas 42 Scott Williams basketball PF 6 10 1968-03-21 230 North Carolina Phil Jackson Johnny Bach Jim Cleamons Tex Winter Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 1990–91 41 Elden Campbell PF 6 11 215 1968-07-23 Clemson 12 Vlade Divac C 7 1 243 1968-02-03 SFR Yugoslavia 10 Larry Drew PG 6 1 170 1958-04-02 Missouri 45 A.C. Green PF 6 9 220 1963-10-04 Oregon State 32 Magic Johnson PG 6 9 215 1959-08-14 Michigan State 14 Sam Perkins PF 6 9 235 1961-06-14 North Carolina 4 Byron Scott basketball SG 6 3 195 1961-03-28 Arizona State yes 34 Tony Smith basketball SG 6 3 185 1968-06-14 Marquette 20 Terry Teagle SG 6 5 195 1960-04-10 Baylor 30 Irving Thomas PF 6 8 225 1966-01-02 Florida State 43 Mychal Thompson C 6 10 226 1955-01-30 Minnesota 42 James Worthy SF 6 9 225 1961-02-27 North Carolina yes Mike Dunleavy, Sr. Bill Bertka Jim Eyen Randy Pfund Series summary March 2021 Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 June 2 Los Angeles Lakers 93–91 (1–0) Chicago Bulls Game 2 June 5 Los Angeles Lakers 86–107 (1–1) Chicago Bulls Game 3 June 7 Chicago Bulls 104–96 (OT) (2–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 4 June 9 Chicago Bulls 97–82 (3–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 June 12 Chicago Bulls 108–101 (4–1) Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 #eee June 2 3:30 pm EDT Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois NBC Los Angeles Lakers 93 Chicago Bulls 91 29–30 22–23 24–15 18–23 Perkins, Worthy 22 each Michael Jordan 36 Vlade Divac 14 Horace Grant 10 Magic Johnson 11 Michael Jordan 12 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 14 Jack Madden No. 42 Hue Hollins Los Angeles leads the series, 1–0 Michael Jordan started dominating with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the first quarter alone. In the second quarter, the Lakers continued to stay competitive despite Magic Johnson not attempting one field goal in the second quarter. Despite this, Johnson would hit back-to-back 3 pointers in the third quarter to give the Lakers their largest lead, and also Johnson's 29th career playoff triple-double. Jordan made a comeback in the fourth quarter with 13 points, but it was Scottie Pippen's two free throws that would give the Bulls a 91–89 lead. Each team ran the shot clock down but neither could hit a shot until Sam Perkins hit a 3-pointer (the potential game winner) with 14 seconds left to give the Lakers a 92–91 lead. Jordan's 17-foot jumper then rattled out and was rebounded by Byron Scott, who was fouled with 2.7 seconds remaining. Scott missed the first of his two free throws and made the second for a 93–91 Lakers lead. The Bulls, out of timeouts, had a final chance, but a midcourt heave from Pippen at the buzzer caromed off the back of the rim.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNmzbX79dic ✮ 1991 NBA Finals Game 1 Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Lakers Full Game Replay 2024-07-06 NBA Archive 2026-06-22 YouTube This was also the last time any game of the NBA Finals aired in the afternoon (Eastern Time Zone), with every game of the NBA Finals since this game in 1991 airing in prime time, including all weekend games. To date, this is the most recent time any finals game in any of the four major American sports leagues started before 6:00 p.m. Eastern.Nidetz Steve 1991-07-19 NBA FINALS STICK WITH PRIME TIME https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/07/19/nba-finals-stick-with-prime-time/ 2026-06-22 Chicago Tribune en-US Game 2 #eee June 5 9:00 pm EDT Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois NBC Los Angeles Lakers 86 Chicago Bulls 107 23–28 20–20 26–38 17–21 James Worthy 24 Michael Jordan 33 Green, Johnson 7 each Jordan, Perdue 7 each Magic Johnson 10 Michael Jordan 13 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 13 Mike Mathis Series tied, 1–1 25em right "Oh! A SPECTACULAR move by Michael Jordan!"@NBA NBC Michael Jordan Switches Hands In Mid-Air for the Iconic ... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TJx3SSRC_1s Youtube 26 March 2025 en NBC play-by-play announcer Marv Albert after Jordan's 13th straight point on a mid-air, switch-handed layup. This would be one of Albert's most iconic calls. The biggest decision of the game was putting Scottie Pippen on Magic Johnson, while Michael Jordan guarded Vlade Divac and also switched to the point guard position for the rest of the series.Scottie Pippen's Greatest Moments: World champions for the first time in 1991 Chicago Bulls https://www.nba.com/bulls/history/pippen10_1991.html 2026-06-22 www.nba.com For the Bulls, the hero was Horace Grant who led the Bulls with 14 first half points, while Jordan only had 2 points for the first 20 minutes; however, for Jordan, this shooting drought would only prove to be temporary and Jordan would hit his next 13 shots in compensation, capped by the signature moment of the series came when Jordan accelerated towards the basket, raised the ball in his right hand for a dunk, then, to avoid a potential Sam Perkins block, switched the ball to his left and banked in a layup that caused a booming standing ovation at Chicago Stadium. This would go on to be one of the most memorable plays in NBA Finals history.This Date in NBA History: Michael Jordan Switches Hands in Mid-Air vs. LAL in Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals NBA.com https://www.nba.com/watch/video/this-date-in-nba-history-michael-jordan-switches-hands-in-mid-air-vs-lal-in-game-2-of-the-1991-nba-finals NBA 8 June 2025 en The Lakers were in the game even when Chicago was leading 58–51 until Byron Scott fouled Pippen, and the Bulls would make 17 of their next 20 field goals in the third quarter despite Jordan spending time on the bench with foul trouble. By the time Jordan returned, their lead was 16 and then Jordan led the Bulls to an 11–0 run to a Bulls victory.1991 NBA Finals Game 2: Lakers vs Bulls, June 5, 1991 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199106050CHI.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Game 3 #eee June 7 9:00 pm EDT Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California NBC Chicago Bulls 104 Los Angeles Lakers 96 OT 25–25 23–22 18–25 26–20 12–4 Michael Jordan 29 Sam Perkins 25 Scottie Pippen 13 Sam Perkins 9 Michael Jordan 9 Magic Johnson 10 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 17 Joey Crawford No. 21 Bill Oakes Chicago leads the series, 2–1 The Bulls were having trouble in the frontcourt (in Game 1, the Lakers frontcourt outscored Chicago's 60–31). In Game 3, the Lakers would be the ones having trouble, setting a rebounding low in the Finals. Despite this problem, the Lakers went for an 18–2 run that brought them from 3 down (49–52) to 13 up (67–54). The Bulls would answer with a 20–7 run that would tie the game in the 4th quarter at 74. Horace Grant's layup gave the Bulls a 90–87 lead with 1:07 to play. Perkins then scored to cut the Bulls' lead to 90–89 with 49 seconds left. After a Bulls' miss, Divac scored on a layup and was fouled. He made the free throw to give the Lakers a 92–90 lead with 10.9 seconds remaining. Jordan made a 14-foot jump shot just inches away from Divac's fingertips with 3.4 seconds left to tie the game at 92 and force overtime. In overtime, Jordan would score half of the Bulls' 12 points to win the game.1991 NBA Finals Game 3: Bulls vs Lakers, June 7, 1991 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199106070LAL.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com en Game 4 #eee June 9 7:00 pm EDT Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California NBC Chicago Bulls 97 Los Angeles Lakers 82 27–28 25–16 22–14 23–24 Michael Jordan 28 Vlade Divac 27 Scottie Pippen 9 Vlade Divac 11 Michael Jordan 13 Magic Johnson 11 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 27 Dick Bavetta Chicago leads the series, 3–1 thumb|right|280px|A ticket for Game 4 of the 1991 NBA Finals at the Great Western Forum. The Lakers had a 28–27 lead in the first quarter; only the second time in the 1991 playoffs that a team led the Bulls at the end of the first quarter. This did not matter as Chicago went on a 19–9 run to start the second period and gain a 46–37 lead. While Michael Jordan scored 11 points in the second quarter, the Lakers only made 12 of their 41 shots in the second and third quarters. The Lakers faced a huge blow as Worthy and Scott left the game (and eventually the series) with ankle and shoulder injuries, respectively (Worthy's ankle injury from the Conference finals against Portland had flared up, and Scott injured his shoulder after slipping on a wet spot on the floor). With the lack of Worthy and Scott, and bad shooting (especially from Sam Perkins), the Bulls were able to take a 16-point lead in the third quarter. The Lakers refused to go down and shrank the deficit to 7 points in the fourth quarter, but it was the closest they would get, as Pippen and Jordan led the Bulls on a 19–8 run to put them one game away from their first NBA Championship.1991 NBA Finals Game 4: Bulls vs Lakers, June 9, 1991 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199106090LAL.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Game 5 #eee June 12 9:00 pm EDT Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California NBC Chicago Bulls 108 Los Angeles Lakers 101 27–25 21–24 32–31 28–21 Scottie Pippen 32 Sam Perkins 22 Scottie Pippen 13 Magic Johnson 11 Michael Jordan 10 Magic Johnson 20 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 14 Jack Madden No. 13 Mike Mathis Chicago wins the NBA Finals, 4–1 The Lakers were facing elimination, and the absences of James Worthy and Byron Scott increased the difficulty for the Lakers. This would not stop Magic Johnson who added 20 assists and 11 rebounds. Jordan guarded Magic Johnson in Game 5 which led Magic to struggle by scoring 16 points on 33% (4/12) shooting with 6 turnovers.Tremendous Upside https://youtube.com/watch?v=S-drsM6ULVk Lakers x Bulls 1991 Finals Game 5 YouTube January 18, 2019 November 25, 2021 Elden Campbell outscored Michael Jordan with 13 points in the first half. The Lakers still fought and even led 93–90 in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls went on a 9–0 run, and Paxson's 10 points in the final half of the fourth quarter helped secure the Chicago Bulls', and Jordan's, first NBA title. It was the only one of the Bulls' six Finals appearances to end in four games to one. This was also the last NBA Finals game to be played in The Forum (by the time the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals, they had moved to the new Staples Center). Scottie Pippen led the Bulls with 32 points and collected 13 rebounds. Jordan, who was named the Finals MVP, added 30 points and 10 assists.1991 NBA Finals Game 5: Bulls vs Lakers, June 12, 1991 https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199106120LAL.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Player statistics Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls |- | align="left" | B. J. Armstrong || 5 || 0 || 7.4 || .455 || .000 || .000 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | Bill Cartwright || 5 || 5 || 32.0 || .435 || .000 || .667 || 5.0 || 2.4 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 8.8 |- | align="left" | Horace Grant || 5 || 5 || 39.6 || .627 || .000 || .750 || 7.8 || 1.6 || 1.6 || 0.6 || 14.6 |- | align="left" | Craig Hodges || 5 || 0 || 10.6 || .391 || .167 || .000 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.8 |- | align="left" | Dennis Hopson || 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Michael Jordan || 5 || 5 || 44.0 || .558 || .500 || .848 || 6.6 || 11.4 || 2.8 || 1.4 || 31.2 |- | align="left" | Stacey King || 2 || 0 || 3.0 || .000 || .000 || 1.000 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 |- | align="left" | Cliff Levingston || 5 || 0 || 18.0 || .615 || .000 || .000 || 2.8 || 0.6 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 3.2 |- | align="left" | John Paxson || 5 || 5 || 31.8 || .653 || .250 || 1.000 || 2.0 || 3.4 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 13.4 |- | align="left" | Will Perdue || 5 || 0 || 7.4 || .600 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.4 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 1.6 |- | align="left" | Scottie Pippen || 5 || 5 || 43.6 || .453 || .200 || .862 || 9.4 || 6.6 || 2.4 || 1.0 || 20.8 |- | align="left" | Scott Williams basketball || 4 || 0 || 11.3 || .500 || .000 || .667 || 2.3 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 2.0 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers |- | align="left" | Elden Campbell || 3 || 0 || 11.0 || .625 || .000 || .750 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 7.7 |- | align="left" | Vlade Divac || 5 || 5 || 41.6 || .565 || .000 || 1.000 || 8.8 || 2.0 || 1.8 || 2.4 || 18.2 |- | align="left" | Larry Drew || 4 || 0 || 5.0 || .375 || .000 || .500 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.8 |- | align="left" | A.C. Green || 5 || 1 || 22.6 || .313 || .667 || .583 || 5.6 || 0.2 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 5.8 |- | align="left" | Magic Johnson || 5 || 5 || 45.6 || .431 || .286 || .951 || 8.0 || 12.4 || 1.2 || 0.0 || 18.6 |- | align="left" | Sam Perkins || 5 || 5 || 41.2 || .406 || .385 || .759 || 7.6 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 1.4 || 16.6 |- | align="left" | Byron Scott || 4 || 4 || 35.0 || .278 || .200 || .700 || 1.8 || 1.8 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | Tony Smith basketball || 2 || 0 || 16.0 || .714 || .000 || .667 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | Terry Teagle || 5 || 1 || 14.2 || .333 || .000 || .786 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 5.0 |- | align="left" | Mychal Thompson || 1 || 0 || 10.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | James Worthy || 4 || 4 || 41.0 || .479 || .167 || .667 || 3.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 19.3 Media coverage This was the first Finals to be telecast in the United States by NBC. NBC Sports used Marv Albert on play-by-play and Mike Fratello as color analyst. Ahmad Rashad (for the Bulls) and Steve "Snapper" Jones (for the Lakers) served as sideline reporters.Silverstein Jack M. 2021-06-11 The 1991 NBA Finals Were David Stern's Godsend https://readjack.substack.com/p/the-1991-nba-finals-were-david-sterns 2026-06-22 A Shot On Ehlo This was the only NBA Finals series in which recently departed Lakers coach Pat Riley worked as a broadcaster; he was paired with Bob Costas in the pre-game, half-time and post-game presentations.Stewart Larry 1991-06-07 NBC Will Improve if Riley Gets Costas Out of His Hair https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-07-sp-83-story.html 2026-06-22 Los Angeles Times Riley was then hired as head coach by the New York Knicks in the 1991 offseason and would eventually win another title with the Miami Heat in 2006. In Chicago, this was Jim Durham's only Finals appearance as the Bulls' radio announcer (he also announced Bulls games on television via simulcast during the regular season and playoffs). He would later announce several NBA Finals games on ESPN Radio. Neil Funk succeeded Durham the following season and was the radio voice on five NBA Finals involving the Bulls (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998). The simulcasts would also end after the season, with Wayne Larrivee (on WGN-TV) and Tom Dore (on cable) becoming the Bulls' television announcers the next season; by the 2008–09 NBA season Funk was calling television play-by-play on both networks while Chuck Swirsky called radio play-by-play. This was also the only NBA Finals to feature Johnny Kerr on color commentary, as he would become exclusive to television after the Finals. Aftermath thumb|290x290px|President George H. W. Bush welcomes members of the 1991 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls, including Craig Hodges, to the White House. During the Bulls White House visit in 1991, guard Craig Hodges wore a dashiki and delivered a letter to President George H.W. Bush criticizing his administration's treatment of minorities and the poor. Hodges believed this act of activism, along with his outspokenness, led to him being blackballed from the NBA shortly after in 1992.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HevEcY5pgtU Why Craig Hodges Was Blackballed From The NBA 2025-05-02 ALL THE SMOKE 2026-02-18 YouTube The Bulls’ victory in the 1991 Finals started a dynasty that lasted until 1998. They continued their dominance over the NBA the next year, as they knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers in six games to repeat as champions.1991-92 Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1992.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com The Lakers' Showtime era would end on November 7, 1991, as Magic Johnson announced his retirement due to the HIV virus.Nestler Stefan November 8, 2024 Magic Johnson changed how HIV and AIDS are perceived https://www.dw.com/en/magic-johnsons-1991-press-conference-changed-how-hiv-and-aids-are-perceived/a-70906185 2026-06-22 dw.com en He did, however, play in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and eventually with the Dream Team in the 1992 Summer Olympics.Paying homage to greatest basketball ever assembled: The Dream Team https://www.nba.com/news/morning-tip-remembering-dream-team-michael-jordan-magic-johnson-larry-bird-1992 2026-06-22 NBA.com en The Lakers would decline in the years following Magic's retirement, being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs two straight years (1992 – 1993) before missing the playoffs entirely in 1994. The Lakers would eventually return to the Finals in 2000, knocking off the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers in six games, which marked the start of a new dynasty for the franchise led by stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Many of the Showtime era would stick around in the organizations after their playing careers were done. Magic Johnson coached the Lakers briefly in 1994 and ran the team as president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019; Byron Scott coached many teams in the NBA, but coached the Lakers from 2014 to 2016; Larry Drew coached the team as an assistant from 1992 to 1999; James Worthy has been a studio analysts for the Lakers since 1998 over the various networks the team has been on over the years; and Mychal Thompson has been the radio color commentator for the team since 2003. Norm Nixon and Kurt Rambis, players not on the 1991 Finals team but recognizable from their Showtime era days, also took jobs in and around the organization. Nixon was studio color analyst for all Lakers home games for Fox Sports West for a number of years. Rambis had a short-lived stint as head coach in 1999, was an assistant coach throughout multiple stints over 15 years, and senior basketball adviser in the front office since 2018. Phil Jackson would later coach to Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2011 after the Bulls dynasty ran its course in 1998, leading the Lakers to five championships over the course of those two stints.Most games coached: Los Angeles Lakers https://www.nba.com/news/most-games-coached-los-angeles-lakers 2026-06-22 NBA.com See also 1991 NBA playoffs The Last Dance References External links NBA History Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:GMA Network television specials Category:20th century in Los Angeles NBA Finals Category:1991 in Chicago Category:Basketball competitions in Chicago Category:Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Events at Chicago Stadium