1993
Chicago Bulls
Series Flow
3
Wins
3
Losses
Regular Season
57-25
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
15-4
Win–Loss
Finals
3–3
vs Phoenix Suns
Finals MVP
Jordan
Michael
Chicago Bulls
57-25Phoenix Suns
62-20Finals MVP
Michael Jordan
#23 · SG
41
PPG
8.5
RPG
6.3
APG
Jordan's 41.0 PPG average is the highest in NBA Finals history. He carried the Bulls through a Suns team that was legitimately great, scoring from every area of the floor.
How the Series Unfolded
G1 · W
1–0
G2 · W
2–0
G3 · L
2–1
G4 · L
2–2
G5 · L
2–3
G6 · W
3–3
100
CHI
92
PHX
Jordan set the tone immediately, scoring 31 as Chicago took home-court advantage. Barkley was good but the Bulls' defensive schemes limited his opportunities in the paint.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
31 pts, 8 reb, 5 astScottie Pippen
27 pts, 8 reb, 7 astPHX
Charles Barkley
24 pts, 13 reb111
CHI
108
PHX
A tight game that Chicago won on Jordan's late heroics. Phoenix showed they would not be overwhelmed and pushed the Bulls to the wire. Jordan's 42-point performance kept the Bulls ahead.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
42 pts, 12 reb, 9 astKevin Johnson
25 pts, 11 astPHX
Charles Barkley
27 pts, 14 reb129
CHI
121
PHX
One of the great Finals games ever played. Three overtimes, incredible performances from both sides. Barkley and Kevin Johnson carried Phoenix through multiple extra periods. Chicago led multiple times and couldn't close it. The Suns' arena was electric.
Chicago Bulls
Charles Barkley
24 pts, 19 reb, 6 astKevin Johnson
25 pts, 7 astPHX
Michael Jordan
44 pts, 8 rebScottie Pippen
26 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast98
CHI
111
PHX
Chicago reasserted control in Phoenix. Jordan's relentless attack found openings the Suns couldn't handle, and the Bulls' defense returned to form after the triple-OT marathon. Chicago took a 3-1 series lead.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
55 pts, 8 rebScottie Pippen
15 pts, 10 rebPHX
Charles Barkley
22 pts, 14 reb108
CHI
98
PHX
Chicago closed in on the three-peat with a dominant road win. Jordan was relentless and Pippen controlled the game as a facilitator. The Bulls were one win from history.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
41 pts, 7 astScottie Pippen
23 pts, 8 reb, 9 astPHX
Kevin Johnson
25 pts, 8 ast99
CHI
98
PHX
The most dramatic finish of the first three-peat. Phoenix led by two with seconds remaining when John Paxson received a skip pass and buried a three-pointer — 99-98 Bulls. Horace Grant then blocked Kevin Johnson's desperation layup attempt. The three-peat was complete. Jordan would retire that fall.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
33 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast — Finals MVPJohn Paxson
8 pts — including the championship-winning 3PHX
Horace Grant
14 pts, 12 reb — game-sealing block of KJCharles Barkley
23 pts, 14 rebThe Champions
Scottie Pippen
#33 · SF
21.7
PPG
8.2
RPG
6.7
APG
Elite two-way star who matched Barkley physically and ran the offense when Jordan needed rest.
John Paxson
#5 · PG
8.7
PPG
1.5
RPG
2.5
APG
Author of the championship-winning three-pointer in Game 6 — one of the great clutch shots in Finals history.
Horace Grant
#54 · PF
10.2
PPG
9.7
RPG
2
APG
Blocked Kevin Johnson's last-second shot after Paxson's three to seal the championship.
B.J. Armstrong
#10 · PG
9.3
PPG
1.5
RPG
3.2
APG
Backup guard who provided consistent minutes and kept the offense flowing.
They Pushed Us to the Limit
History Written in 1993
First three-peat in the NBA since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s
Jordan's 41.0 PPG Finals average remains the highest in NBA Finals history
John Paxson's Game 6 three-pointer remains one of the most famous shots in championship history
Phil Jackson's third championship cemented his status as an elite coach
Jordan retired that October, making this title his farewell — he would return 17 months later
Charles Barkley's MVP season ended without a ring — his only Finals appearance
Beyond the Box Score
Jordan's gambling news cycle had surrounded the team all year. His intensity and focus in the Finals was widely interpreted as a message to critics.
Charles Barkley's MVP season (60-22 Suns) was as good as any non-Jordan campaign of the era — this Suns team was genuinely great, not a weak finals opponent.
Paxson's shot is often overlooked because Jordan overshadowed everything — but without it, this series goes to Game 7 in Phoenix. It is one of the most important shots in Bulls history.
Jordan's retirement announcement in October 1993, citing loss of desire for the game, stunned the basketball world and raised questions that followed his return 17 months later.
The Full Story
By 1993, the Bulls were chasing history. A third consecutive championship — a "three-peat" — had not been accomplished since the Celtics in the 1960s. Standing in their way were the Phoenix Suns, who had won 62 games behind Charles Barkley's MVP season.
Jordan was transcendent. His 41.0 points per game average in the 1993 Finals remains the highest ever recorded in a championship series. He was not just scoring — he was willing his team through a genuinely difficult opponent who had no intention of going quietly.
Game 3 was an all-time classic: a triple-overtime thriller won by Phoenix 129-121, Barkley and Kevin Johnson refusing to let the Suns fold. But Chicago responded, winning Games 4 and 5. In Game 6, with the Bulls trailing by two in the final seconds, John Paxson caught a skip pass beyond the arc and drained a three-pointer. Horace Grant blocked Kevin Johnson's shot on the other end. The three-peat was complete.
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