1992 NBA Finals

1992 basketball championship series February 2024 1992NBAFinals.png NBA 1992 Portland Trail Blazers Rick Adelman 2 Chicago Bulls Phil Jackson 4 June 3–14 Michael Jordan(Chicago Bulls) Trail Blazers:Clyde Drexler (2004)Bulls:Michael Jordan (2009)Scottie Pippen (2010)Coaches:Rick Adelman (2021)Phil Jackson (2007)Tex Winter (2011)Officials:Dick Bavetta (2015)Hugh Evans (2022)Darell Garretson (2016) Bulls defeated Cavaliers, 4–2 Trail Blazers defeated Jazz, 4–2 The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1991–92 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA that season. 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.It's Bulls Against Blazers As Jordan Rules Again Brown Clifton The New York Times May 30, 1992 27 https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/30/sports/basketball-it-s-bulls-against-blazers-as-jordan-rules-again.html 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.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003760/index.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20120811143644/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003760/index.htm dead August 11, 2012 Clyde Drexler, now no worse than the NBA's No. 2 player May 11, 1992 Sports Illustrated 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 went on to win the series in six games, becoming the fourth NBA team to win back-to-back championships after the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Detroit Pistons. Michael Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring title. Background Chicago Bulls 1991–92 Chicago Bulls season The Bulls won their first NBA championship the previous season and finished the 1991–92 season with a 67–15 record, surpassing last season's record by six games. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with a 30.1 points/6.4 assists/6.1 rebounds season.1991-92 NBA Awards Voting https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1992.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com After sweeping the Miami Heat in the opening round, they played the New York Knicks, who were now coached by Pat Riley and won in seven games. Then they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they had beaten in two prior postseason meetings, in the conference finals. The Bulls won in six games.Bulls clinch on Jordan's late revival Isaacson Melissa The Chicago Tribune May 30, 1992 Sports.1 Portland Trail Blazers 1991–92 Portland Trail Blazers season Coming off an NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons the previous season, the 1990–91 Trail Blazers won a franchise record 63 games and, as the top seed in the Western Conference, appeared destined to meet the Bulls for the championship. However, the Los Angeles Lakers upended the narrative, defeating Portland in a six-game Conference Finals. However, the Lakers would lose to the Bulls in the Finals.1991 NBA Finals - Lakers vs. Bulls https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1991-nba-finals-lakers-vs-bulls.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Of note, the upset marked a final hurrah for the "Showtime"-era Lakers, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired two years prior, and Magic Johnson would retire unexpectedly in the first week of the 1991–92 season, after learning he had tested positive for HIV.20 Years After HIV Announcement, Magic Johnson Emphasizes: "I Am Not Cured" https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/20-years-after-hiv-announcement-magic-johnson-emphasizes-i-am-not-cured/ 2026-06-22 FRONTLINE PBS Official Site Documentary Series en For the 1991–92 season, the Blazers retained the same core from the previous two seasons; the team won the Pacific Division title with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they avenged the previous year's loss, dispatching a weakened Lakers team, 3–1. Portland followed that up with a five-game defeat of the Phoenix Suns in the second round, before booking another trip to the Finals with a six-game elimination of the Utah Jazz in the Conference Finals.1991-92 Portland Trail Blazers Schedule https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1992_games.html 2026-06-22 Basketball-Reference.com Road to the Finals 1992 NBA playoffs Portland Trail Blazers (Western Conference champion) Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference champion)POR1st seed in the West, 2nd best league recordRegular seasonCHI1st seed in the East, best league recordDefeated the (8) Los Angeles Lakers, 3–1First roundDefeated the (8) Miami Heat, 3–0Defeated the (4) Phoenix Suns, 4–1Conference semifinalsDefeated the (4) New York Knicks, 4–3Defeated the (2) Utah Jazz, 4–2Conference finalsDefeated the (3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–2 Regular season series The Chicago Bulls won both games in the regular season series: #fff November 29, 1991 Chicago Bulls |score1=116 Portland Trail Blazers 114 (2OT) Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon March 1, 1992 Portland Trail Blazers 91 Chicago Bulls |score2=111 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IllinoisNationally televised on NBC, the two teams met on March 1 at Chicago Stadium in a highly anticipated matchup. The Bulls blew out the Trail Blazers, 111–91, but pre-game comments made by Phil Jackson was the most important story of the game. Jackson stated in an interview with NBC that Portland had a reputation of self-destructing down the stretch in close games.June 14, 1992 Bulls 97, Portland Trail Blazers 93 Chicago Bulls https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/bullsclassics_smith_111206.html 2026-04-21 www.nba.com en Before the start of the Finals, Buck Williams called the comments by Jackson in March "sort of derogatory" and Portland's head coach Rick Adelman stated the only way for the narrative around his team would go away was to win the championship.1992-06-02 BLAZERS PROMISE PHYSICAL PLAY WHEN BULLS COME INTO THE LANE https://www.deseret.com/1992/6/2/18987236/blazers-promise-physical-play-when-bulls-come-into-the-lane-br/ 2026-04-21 Deseret News en In the opening montage before the Game 1, NBC's pre-game host Bob Costas highlighted this point.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaIM1NvBKO8 1992 NBA Finals Game 1 – Trail Blazers @ Bulls 2025-09-07 NBA finals!! 2026-04-21 YouTube Jackson's comments would prove to be prophetic for the 1992 Finals, as the Blazers blew a 79–64 lead at the start of the fourth quarter in the clinching Game 6 for the Bulls. Team rosters Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls 1991–92 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 20 Bobby Hansen SG 6 6 190 1961–01–18 Iowa 14 Craig Hodges SG 6 2 190 1960–06–27 Long Beach State 23 Michael Jordan SG 6 6 215 1963–02–17 North Carolina 21 Stacey King PF 6 11 230 1967–01–29 Oklahoma 53 Cliff Levingston PF 6 8 230 1961–01–04 Wichita State 25 Chuck Nevitt C 7 5 217 1960–02–19 Kansas 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 52 Mark Randall basketball PF 6 8 235 1967–09–30 Kansas 42 Scott Williams basketball PF 6 10 1968–03–21 230 North Carolina Phil Jackson Johnny Bach Jim Cleamons Tex Winter Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers 1991–92 31 Alaa Abdelnaby PF 6 10 240 1968–06–24 Duke 9 Danny Ainge SG 6 4 175 1959–03–17 BYU 2 Mark Bryant basketball PF 6 9 245 1965–04–25 Seton Hall 42 Wayne Cooper basketball C 6 10 220 1956–11–16 New Orleans 22 Clyde Drexler SG 6 7 210 1962–06–22 Houston 00 Kevin Duckworth C 7 0 275 1964–04–01 Eastern Illinois 25 Jerome Kersey SF 6 7 215 1962–06–26 Longwood 14 Robert Pack basketball PG 6 2 180 1969–02–03 USC 30 Terry Porter PG 6 3 195 1963–04–08 UW-Stevens Point 3 Clifford Robinson basketball, born 1966 PF 6 10 225 1966–12–16 Connecticut 12 Lamont Strothers SG 6 4 190 1968–05–10 Christopher Newport 8 Ennis Whatley PG 6 3 177 1962–08–11 Alabama 52 Buck Williams PF 6 8 215 1960–03–08 Maryland Rick Adelman Jack Schalow John Wetzel Series summary Game Date Road team Result Home team Game 1 June 3 Portland Trail Blazers 89–122 (0–1) Chicago Bulls Game 2 June 5 Portland Trail Blazers 115–104 (OT) (1–1) Chicago Bulls Game 3 June 7 Chicago Bulls 94–84 (2–1) Portland Trail Blazers Game 4 June 10 Chicago Bulls 88–93 (2–2) Portland Trail Blazers Game 5 June 12 Chicago Bulls 119–106 (3–2) Portland Trail Blazers Game 6 June 14 Portland Trail Blazers 93–97 (2–4) Chicago Bulls Game 1 #eee June 3 9:00et Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois NBC Portland Trail Blazers 89 Chicago Bulls |score2=122 30–33 21–33 17–38 21–18 Drexler, Robinson 16 each Michael Jordan 39 Jerome Kersey 7 Pippen, Williams 9 each Clyde Drexler 7 Michael Jordan 11 18,676 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 42 Hue Hollins No. 27 Dick Bavetta Chicago leads the series, 1–0 Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin Baylor (Jordan had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the sixth three-pointer that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise (Urban legend is Jordan and Magic Johnson were playing cards the night before and Johnson bet Jordan about shooting 3 pointers. The shrug was supposedly in Johnson's direction, who was on the NBC announce team). Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. Portland held their final lead at 45–44 in the second quarter before Chicago went on a 22–6 run to grab a 66–51 halftime lead and take control. The Bulls finished with a 122–89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Game 2 #eee June 5 9:00et Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois NBC Portland Trail Blazers |score1=115 Chicago Bulls 104 OT 31–23 23–22 16–32 27–20 18–7 Clyde Drexler 26 Michael Jordan 39 Buck Williams 14 Horace Grant 12 Clyde Drexler 8 Jordan, Pippen 10 each 18,676 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 22 Paul Mihalik Series tied, 1–1 With the Chicago Blackhawks playing for the Stanley Cup when the Bulls reached the Finals, Game 2 would have had conflict with Game 6 of the Blackhawks' series, as both teams would have played on the same day at Chicago Stadium.If necessary, Game 6 may be pushed back Kiley Mike The Chicago Tribune May 27, 1992 Sports.8 The Blackhawks may have to reschedule Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals because of a possible Chicago Stadium conflict with the Bulls. If Game 6, scheduled for Friday, June 5, remains necessary in the best-of-seven series against Pittsburgh, it may be pushed back a day...The Bulls are scheduled to play Game 2 of the championship series in the Stadium on June 5. However, the Blackhawks series ended in 4 games, so no rescheduling was needed. Portland built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and held a nine-point lead at the half. However, as in Game 1, their lead started to disappear as the Bulls made their run – Jordan scored 14 points while Paxson scored 9, taking a seven-point lead by the end of 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 helped 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 #eee June 7 7:00et Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon NBC Chicago Bulls |score1=94 Portland Trail Blazers 84 34–26 20–19 16–15 24–24 Michael Jordan 26 Clyde Drexler 32 Grant, Pippen 8 each Jerome Kersey 12 Scottie Pippen 7 Terry Porter 4 12,888 No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 13 Mike Mathis No. 21 Bill Oakes Chicago leads the series, 2–1 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 #eee June 10 9:00et Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon NBC Chicago Bulls 88 Portland Trail Blazers |score2=93 26–18 22–27 21–21 19–27 Michael Jordan 32 Drexler, Kersey 21 each Horace Grant 10 Kevin Duckworth 11 Jordan, Pippen 6 each Clyde Drexler 9 12,888 No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 17 Joey Crawford No. 27 Dick Bavetta Series tied, 2–2 Portland was still playing as they were during Game 3, not scoring for four minutes and finding themselves down 10–0. The Bulls were up 22–9 before the Blazers rallied and cut the deficit to three at the 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 went on a 15–6 run to even the series at two games apiece. Game 5 #eee June 12 9:00et Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon NBC Chicago Bulls |score1=119 Portland Trail Blazers 106 39–26 27–28 28–24 25–28 Michael Jordan 46 Clyde Drexler 30 Scottie Pippen 11 Jerome Kersey 12 Scottie Pippen 9 Terry Porter 8 12,888 No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 42 Hue Hollins Chicago leads the series, 3–2 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 5 remains the most recent NBA Finals game played in Portland to date. Game 6 #eee June 14 7:30et Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois NBC Portland Trail Blazers 93 Chicago Bulls |score2=97 25–19 25–25 29–20 14–33 Drexler, Kersey 24 each Michael Jordan 33 Jerome Kersey 9 Scott Williams 8 Terry Porter 8 Horace Grant 5 18,676 No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 13 Mike Mathis Chicago wins the NBA Finals, 4–2 Portland started strongly as they held Michael Jordan scoreless for the game's first 11 minutes, and took 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 went 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. With 11.8 seconds left and the Bulls up by 2, Jordan virtually clinched the title by hitting 2 free throws bringing him to 12 points in the fourth quarter. Kersey then missed a 3 which was rebounded by Paxson who dribbled out the clock. The Bulls' defense held Portland to only six points in the final four minutes, leading the Bulls to their second straight championship. Jordan finished with 33 points and was named Finals MVP for the second consecutive year. Player statistics Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls |- | align="left" | B. J. Armstrong || 6 || 0 || 17.8 || .429 || .250 || .571 || 0.8 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 5.8 |- | align="left" | Bill Cartwright || 6 || 6 || 25.2 || .500 || .000 || .500 || 4.0 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 6.3 |- | align="left" | Horace Grant || 6 || 6 || 37.8 || .561 || .000 || .529 || 7.8 || 4.0 || 0.8 || 2.3 || 9.2 |- | align="left" | Bob Hansen || 5 || 0 || 8.0 || .600 || .750 || .500 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 3.2 |- | align="left" | Craig Hodges || 2 || 0 || 3.0 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 1.0 |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" | Michael Jordan || 6 || 6 || 42.3 || .526 || .429 || .891 || 4.8 || 6.5 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 35.8 |- | align="left" | Stacey King || 4 || 0 || 12.0 || .333 || .000 || .667 || 2.5 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 4.5 |- | align="left" | Cliff Levingston || 6 || 0 || 10.8 || .450 || .000 || .500 || 2.2 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 3.8 |- | align="left" | John Paxson || 6 || 6 || 30.8 || .520 || .389 || .750 || 0.8 || 2.7 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | Will Perdue || 3 || 0 || 3.3 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.7 |- | align="left" | Scottie Pippen || 6 || 6 || 40.7 || .484 || .222 || .786 || 8.3 || 7.7 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 20.8 |- | align="left" | Scott Williams basketball || 6 || 0 || 21.3 || .542 || .000 || .778 || 6.2 || 1.0 || 0.2 || 1.3 || 5.5 Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers |- | align="left" | Alaa Abdelnaby || 1 || 0 || 6.0 || .000 || .000 || .500 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 |- | align="left" | Danny Ainge || 6 || 0 || 23.0 || .434 || .235 || .714 || 2.0 || 2.5 || 0.8 || 0.2 || 10.0 |- | align="left" | Mark Bryant basketball || 1 || 0 || 21.0 || .625 || .000 || .000 || 5.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 10.0 |- | align="left" | Wayne Cooper basketball || 1 || 0 || 8.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 0.0 |- | align="left" | Clyde Drexler || 6 || 6 || 39.7 || .407 || .150 || .893 || 7.8 || 5.3 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 24.8 |- | align="left" | Kevin Duckworth || 6 || 6 || 27.3 || .431 || .000 || .706 || 6.8 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 9.3 |- | align="left" | Jerome Kersey || 6 || 6 || 38.0 || .481 || .000 || .733 || 8.7 || 3.3 || 1.8 || 0.2 || 14.8 |- | align="left" | Robert Pack basketball || 2 || 0 || 8.0 || .167 || .000 || .750 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 2.5 |- | align="left" | Terry Porter || 6 || 6 || 43.8 || .471 || .231 || .824 || 4.3 || 4.7 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 16.2 |- | align="left" | Clifford Robinson basketball, born 1966 || 6 || 0 || 24.3 || .442 || .000 || .593 || 3.0 || 2.2 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | Ennis Whatley || 5 || 0 || 5.2 || .286 || .000 || .000 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 0.8 |- | align="left" | Buck Williams || 6 || 6 || 35.2 || .500 || .000 || .938 || 7.3 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 7.8 Media coverage NBC Sports used commentator Marv Albert, analysts Mike Fratello and Magic Johnson, and sideline reporter Ahmad Rashad (both teams' sidelines). Bob Costas and Quinn Buckner hosted the pre-game, halftime and postgame reports. Just months later, the 1991–92 NBA season documentary Untouchabulls was released. Narrated by Hal Douglas, 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".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV5Q5-qMH9E Untouchabulls: The Chicago Bulls' 2nd Championship Season 2025-01-26 Channel 23: The Complete Michael Jordan Archive 2026-06-22 YouTube Aftermath 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team thumb|Jordan playing for the 1992 US Men's basketall team (also known as the Dream Team) during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The Bulls won their third straight championship the next year over the Phoenix Suns in six games. In the offseason that preceded Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen played for the Dream Team that won the gold medal in the Barcelona Olympics, making them the first players to win NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year. That team also included Blazers guard Clyde Drexler and Pippen would also achieve this feat again in 1996. The 1992 gold medal made Jordan, Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks and Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors the only players to have won Olympic gold medals as both amateurs and professionals, having played for Team USA in Los Angeles.http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1992.html Games of the XXV Olympiad – 1992 USA Basketball Inc. February 16, 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100718073041/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1992.html July 18, 2010 http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1984.html Games of the XXIII Olympiad – 1984 USA Basketball, Inc. February 16, 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100716093231/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1984.html July 16, 2010 As of , this is Portland's last appearance in the NBA Finals. 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 1995. 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.Press Associated 1997-01-09 NBA'S 10 GREATEST TEAMS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: LOTS OF WINS https://www.deseret.com/1997/1/9/19288415/nba-s-10-greatest-teams-have-one-thing-in-common-lots-of-wins/ 2026-06-22 Deseret News The 1992 NBA Finals marked the only time the Bulls won the championship at Chicago Stadium. Following the awarding ceremony by commissioner David Stern, they returned to the court to show their newly won title in front of Bulls fans. This act eventually led to Stern's decision to present the NBA championship to the winning team at center court in front of the fans, starting in 1994; the only exception was when the Lakers won in 2001 at Philadelphia's First Union Center, but decided to hold the ceremony in their locker room. Two other home championship celebrations followed in the 1996 and 1997 Finals, this time at the similarly constructed but bigger (in capacity) United Center. Rick Adelman and Phil Jackson coached teams would do battle 10 and 17 years later in the playoffs. In the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Jackson's Lakers defeated Adelman's Kings in what is considered one of the best NBA series of all time.Merron Jeff ESPN.com: Page 2 : Greatest Conference Finals https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/nba_conffinals www.espn.com 6 June 2025 In 2009, Jackson's Lakers won another series in seven games over Adelman's Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Notes and references External links NBA History 1992 NBA Finals at Basketball Reference Category:NBA Finals Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Portland, Oregon Category:1992 in sports in Illinois Category:1992 in sports in Oregon Category:1992 in Chicago Category:1992 in Portland, Oregon NBA Finals Category:Basketball competitions in Chicago Category:GMA Network television specials Category:Events at Chicago Stadium