1996
Chicago Bulls
Series Flow
4
Wins
2
Losses
Regular Season
72-10
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
15-3
Win–Loss
Finals
4–2
vs Seattle SuperSonics
Finals MVP
Jordan
Michael
Chicago Bulls
72-10Seattle SuperSonics
64-18Finals MVP
Michael Jordan
#23 · SG
27.3
PPG
5.3
RPG
4.2
APG
Jordan averaged 27.3 points, efficient and commanding throughout, sealing his fourth championship in a series that felt like a victory lap for the 72-win season.
How the Series Unfolded
G1 · W
1–0
G2 · W
2–0
G3 · L
2–1
G4 · L
2–2
G5 · W
3–2
G6 · W
4–2
107
CHI
90
SEA
Chicago controlled from start to finish. Jordan was efficient rather than explosive as the Bulls' system overwhelmed Seattle's defense. Rodman was dominant on the glass.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
28 pts, 9 reb, 5 astDennis Rodman
13 pts, 19 rebSEA
Scottie Pippen
21 pts, 8 ast92
CHI
88
SEA
A tighter game than expected. Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp kept Seattle in it, but Chicago had enough in the fourth quarter. The Bulls' 2-0 lead felt commanding given their overall quality.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
29 pts, 8 reb, 3 astShawn Kemp
23 pts, 12 rebSEA
Gary Payton
21 pts, 9 ast108
CHI
86
SEA
Seattle's crowd and home court made a difference. Payton defended Jordan aggressively throughout the game and the Sonics' depth proved a factor. The Sonics snapped Chicago's 13-game winning streak in the playoffs.
Chicago Bulls
Gary Payton
19 pts, 6 astShawn Kemp
26 pts, 11 rebSEA
Michael Jordan
23 pts, 6 reb107
CHI
86
SEA
Seattle stayed alive with another dominant home performance. The Key Arena crowd was rocking and the Sonics' defensive effort was superb. Jordan was held below his norm, and the series returned to Chicago with momentum shifting.
Chicago Bulls
Shawn Kemp
25 pts, 11 rebGary Payton
21 pts, 7 astSEA
Scottie Pippen
20 pts, 8 reb78
CHI
68
SEA
Back home, Chicago's defensive intensity was suffocating. The Bulls held Seattle to 68 points in a gritty victory. One win from the title, the United Center was electric.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
26 pts, 6 reb, 4 astDennis Rodman
11 pts, 18 rebSEA
Scottie Pippen
17 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast87
CHI
75
SEA
Father's Day. Jordan won his fourth championship and fell to the locker room floor weeping — exactly three years after his father James was murdered. The 72-win Bulls had validated every expectation. Toni Kukoc was brilliant off the bench as Chicago closed it out.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
22 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast — Finals MVPToni Kukoc
21 pts, 7 rebSEA
Scottie Pippen
17 pts, 9 rebThe Champions
Scottie Pippen
#33 · SF
19.7
PPG
7.2
RPG
6.8
APG
Orchestrated the offense, locked down opponents' best perimeter scorers, and provided the playmaking gravity that made the triangle devastating.
Dennis Rodman
#91 · PF
4.5
PPG
14.9
RPG
0.7
APG
Led the league in rebounds for the fifth consecutive year. His work on the glass gave Chicago second-chance control and defensive superiority.
Toni Kukoc
#7 · SF
10.7
PPG
4.3
RPG
3.5
APG
Best sixth man in the league — a skilled scorer and playmaker who elevated off the bench.
Ron Harper
#9 · PG
7.4
PPG
3.4
RPG
2.3
APG
Starting point guard who defended the opponent's primary ball-handler and provided calm leadership.
Steve Kerr
#25 · PG
5.8
PPG
1
RPG
1.7
APG
Elite spot-up shooter whose spacing opened driving lanes for Jordan and Pippen all series.
They Pushed Us to the Limit
History Written in 1996
72-10 regular season record — best in NBA history at the time (since surpassed by 2016 Warriors)
Jordan's fourth championship — his first with Dennis Rodman as a teammate
Jordan's emotional Father's Day celebration in honor of James Jordan, murdered in 1993
Dennis Rodman's rebounding dominance (14.9 RPG in the Finals) was one of the great individual statistical performances
Toni Kukoc won Sixth Man of the Year for the season and contributed critically in the Finals
Phil Jackson tied Red Auerbach's coaching record for most NBA championships at the time
Beyond the Box Score
Jordan returned from his baseball retirement in March 1995 wearing #45, then switched back to #23 and was building toward this 1996 run all along.
The 72-10 record was widely considered unbreakable — it stood for 20 years before the 2015-16 Warriors went 73-9.
Dennis Rodman's addition created short-term headlines (his celebrity, his eccentricity) but produced long-term results: five straight rebounding titles and a physical presence no opponent could match.
Gary Payton's defensive work on Jordan in this series is often cited as the best individual defensive assignment of the era — it was so effective the Sonics won two games, but Jordan's overall performance was still dominant.
The Full Story
Michael Jordan returned from his baseball sabbatical in March 1995, and the Bulls spent the 1995-96 season on a mission. They brought in Dennis Rodman for rebounding and toughness, and Phil Jackson pushed the team to its absolute ceiling. The result: 72-10, the best regular season record in NBA history at the time.
Seattle, led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp with Detlef Schrempf, was a 64-win team — formidable by any measure. They were athletic, deep, and defensively committed. Yet Chicago was simply operating at a different level. Jordan was hungry again after nearly two years away from championship basketball.
The Sonics did make it competitive, winning Games 3 and 4 after Chicago had taken a 3-0 series lead. But Jordan wrapped up Game 6 at the United Center on Father's Day — exactly three years after his father James Jordan was murdered — falling to the court in tears, clutching the ball to his chest. The dynasty's second chapter had begun.
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