The Jordan Era
Two three-peats, a global brand, and the shot that ended it -- Michael Jordan's Bulls redefined stardom.
Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 and, alongside Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, built the Chicago Bulls into the NBA's defining team of the 1990s. The Bulls won six championships across two three-peats (1991-1993 and 1996-1998), interrupted only by Jordan's brief retirement to play minor league baseball.
Jordan's individual highlights, from playing through flu-like symptoms in the 1997 Finals to hitting the title-clinching shot over Bryon Russell in his final game as a Bull in 1998, became some of the most replayed moments in American sports television.
Off the court, Jordan's partnership with Nike and the Air Jordan sneaker line turned him into the first athlete to become a truly global consumer brand, expanding the NBA's audience far beyond the United States in the process.
Landmark moments in this era
The Flu Game
Visibly ill and dehydrated, Michael Jordan scored 38 points in a pivotal 1997 Finals game.
The Last Shot
Jordan's title-clinching jump shot over Bryon Russell closed out his final championship as a Bull.