1998 NBA Finals

Background

Entering the 1997–98, this was widely expected to be the last season of the Chicago Bulls core of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Phil Jackson. In training camp, Phil Jackson wrote on the chalk board and named the season "The Last Dance".

A point of contention for the Bulls was Scottie's contract status. Pippen had purposefully delayed off-season surgery so that his summer off-season would not be complicated by rehab, pushing his unavailability well into the regular season. In addition to this increasing the load on Jordan to drive the team towards a potential final championship together, it stirred an active effort by Bulls general manager Jerry Krause to trade Pippen, who responded in turn with his own trade demand and rancorous sit-out that extended well beyond his return to playing condition. In spite of this, Pippen ultimately rejoined the team, playing only 44 games on the season.

In the playoffs, the Jazz were pushed to the brink by the Houston Rockets before winning Game 5 in Utah, and then overcame Rookie of the Year Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs 4–1. They then swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets and then took out the Charlotte Hornets in five, but it took seven games to overcome the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The series marked the first time since 1989 that the same two teams met in the Finals in consecutive years. The Jazz earned the league's best record by virtue of sweeping the two-game regular season series with the Bulls despite both teams finishing at 62 wins.

By 1998, the Finals logo was now embroidered on the Finals participants' jerseys, instead of the Larry O'Brien trophy patch as seen from 1996 and 1997.

Regular season series

The Utah Jazz won both games in the regular season series:

The Jazz were the only Western Conference team to beat the Bulls in a season twice since Jordan came back from his second retirement.

1998 NBA Finals rosters

Series summary

Bulls win the series 4–2.

Game 4

Crowd: 24,000 at United Center (sellout)

Game 5

To date, this is the most recent NBA Finals game played in Chicago.

Game 6

To date, this is the most recent NBA Finals game played in Salt Lake City.

Game summaries

Games 1 and 2

Unlike the 1997 Finals, the Jazz and Bulls entered this series as equals. The Jazz had won both regular season meetings with the Bulls, and many analysts predicted a hard-fought seven-game series. The two teams entered the Finals on completely different notes; the Jazz uneventfully swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals and had a total of ten days' rest before the Finals began. The Bulls, meanwhile, endured a hard-fought series against a resurgent Indiana Pacers team helmed by Larry Bird (in his first year as head coach). They would need all seven games to get past the Pacers and would have only two days' rest before having to travel to Utah. Predictions of a Jazz championship were strengthened with their 88–85 Game 1 victory in overtime in Utah, with Scottie Pippen just missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer. True to form, the Bulls tied the series in Game 2 while putting together a huge fourth-quarter run to silence the Delta Center and holding on to win 93–88, finally securing their first victory against Utah all season. Karl Malone shot very poorly in the first two games of the series with some misses including one layup in Game 2 that hit the underside of the rim.

Games 3–5

The Finals moved to Chicago with control of the series at stake in Game 3. In a 96–54 loss, the Jazz set the record for the 42 point loss in Finals history and were hammered by the media for the score, as well as the lowest number of points scored in any NBA game (since eclipsed by a score of 49 from the Bulls on April 10, 1999) since the inception of the shot clock. Every player on the Bulls roster scored at least once, with the Bulls' last-remaining scoreless player, backup center Bill Wennington, nailing his bucket with only 5.2 seconds remaining in the game.

Chicago won Game 4 in a close game, 86–82, and Utah took Game 5 83–81 despite nearly blowing a seven-point lead in the last two minutes. Karl Malone had his best game of the series with 39 points, while Antoine Carr made all five of his field goal attempts. The series returned to Utah with the Bulls leading 3–2.

Game 6 - "The Last Shot"

As the Bulls arrived at Delta Center for Game 6, they had to face a significant challenge. Scottie Pippen, whose back was already injured going into the game, aggravated his injury when he dunked the opening basket of the game. He scored only 8 points the whole game. To keep pace with Utah, the Bulls were forced to rely almost entirely on Michael Jordan, who scored 23 points in the first half. Emotions ran high at the Delta Center when the Jazz suffered a critical shot clock violation in the second quarter. Referee Dick Bavetta ruled that Howard Eisley did not get a successful 3-point shot off in time, although TV replays showed that the ball was out of Eisley's hands just before the shot clock hit zero. Later in the fourth quarter, Jordan's two free throws tied the game with only a minute left. The Jazz received some relief as John Stockton hit a three-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to give Utah an 86–83 lead and sent the Delta Center into a frenzy.

After Jordan made a layup to make it 86–85, the Bulls needed to stop the Jazz from scoring again. When John Stockton passed the ball to Karl Malone, Jordan stole the ball away and dribbled down the court. Guarding him was Bryon Russell, one of the Jazz's best defenders. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off on Russell as he did so. Now wide open, Jordan buried a 20-foot jumper to give the Bulls an 87-86 lead with 5.2 seconds remaining. After a time-out, Stockton missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer, giving the Bulls their sixth NBA title in eight years. Jordan, who scored 45 points, and whose game-winning shot has been immortalized around the world, was named Finals MVP for the sixth time.

Media coverage

The Finals were televised in the United States by NBC (including for the second straight year WMAQ-TV in Chicago and KSL-TV in Salt Lake City), with Bob Costas on play-by-play and Doug Collins and Isiah Thomas serving as color analysts. Hannah Storm hosted the pre-game show, assisted by Bill Walton, John Salley and Peter Vescey, and Ahmad Rashad and Jim Gray reported from the sidelines. This was the first time since NBC took over the broadcasting rights to the NBA Finals in 1991 that Marv Albert was not the play by play commentator. He was fired from NBC on September 25, 1997, for sexually assaulting a woman.

Legacy and aftermath

World Championship Wrestling would capitalize on the animosity following the Finals between Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, as on July 12, 1998, Rodman and Hollywood Hogan would defeat Malone and Diamond Dallas Page in a tag team match at Bash at the Beach.

As of the 2024–25 season, this series remains the last Finals appearances for both the Bulls and Jazz. After the season, the Bulls dynasty broke up. Without its key personnel, the Bulls missed the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 1999 season, winning just 13 of 50 games; the Bulls would later go on to win the draft lottery and select Elton Brand as the first overall pick in that season's draft, making them the only team to win the draft lottery after winning an NBA championship in the previous season. The Bulls would not make the postseason again until 2005. Both teams have made just one Conference Finals appearance since this Finals, with the Jazz qualifying in 2007, losing to the San Antonio Spurs, and the Bulls qualifying in 2011 under MVP Derrick Rose, losing to the Miami Heat.

Phil Jackson declined an offer from the team president to coach another season. He would come back as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999, winning five NBA titles in two separate stints with the team before retiring in 2011. This would give Jackson 11 NBA Titles, the most for a coach in the history of the four major American sports leagues. Ron Harper followed Jackson to the Lakers and won championships during his final two seasons in 2000 and 2001 (other Bulls dynasty alum were on those teams, such as John Salley and Horace Grant).

On January 13, 1999, Michael Jordan announced his retirement for the second time; he would come out of retirement for the second and final time in 2001 with the Washington Wizards and played two seasons with the team. However, neither season ended with a playoff appearance. Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets during the offseason and played his last season (2003–04) with the Bulls and also played for the

Portland Trail Blazers. Dennis Rodman, released by the Bulls in the offseason, signed with the Lakers mid-season, playing only 23 games before being released. In January 1999, the Bulls re-signed Steve Kerr and traded him to the San Antonio Spurs, where he would win two more championships in 1999 and 2003, his last year in the NBA. After turning down Phil Jackson's offer to coach the New York Knicks (Jackson was the president of basketball operations of the team), Kerr would go on to win four championships as head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Both Pippen and Kerr played opposite of former coach Phil Jackson's Lakers in multiple playoff series in the early 2000s.

In popular culture

In 2020, The Last Dance was documentary miniseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix; a series that revolved around Michael Jordan's career, with particular focus on the 1997–98 season, his final season with the Chicago Bulls. The series was met with critical acclaim, with praise for its directing and editing, and also for the timing of the release - during the initial weeks of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic when viewers were struggling to find entertainment. The Last Dance won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Additionally, a cinematic presentation of Game 6 was released by ESPN after the final episode.