The Last Dance – Episode 9
The Last Dance Episode 9
In this episode of the Last Dance, we continue on with the Bulls dynasty and their quest for a 5th title. In the 1998 Playoffs, they meet the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Episode 9
It is February 10th, 1993 and the Bulls are playing the Pacers. On a fastbreak, Reggie Miller scored on a putback. His momentum took him out of bounds where he shoved Michael Jordan. Jordan rushes back at Miller and grabs him. Michael grabs at Reggie’s face, and two have to be separated. “Don’t hold him back. Let him go,” said Michael while re-watching the incident.
“He and I had a unique relationship,” said Miller. “Most people feared Michael Jordan. But I didn’t fear him like the rest of the league did.” This incident with Miller was not the only one. In 1998, Jordan stole the ball from Miller. On the fastbreak, Jordan was fouled by Mark Jackson. Jordan was still in mid-air when he threw the ball at Jackson’s head out of frustration. Miller and Jordan shared some words with that altercation as well. “He was one of the best trash-talkers in our game,” said Miller.
Early in Miller’s career, they played the Bulls. Miller played well in the first half. Michael did not play great in the first half himself. Reggie went up to him and was like “You’re Michael Jordan, the guy that walks on water?” Michael looked back at Reggie and responded. In the 2nd half Reggie was quiet, only having 2 points. And Michael… yeah. Jordan went crazy in the 2nd half, scoring from everywhere. Walking off the court, Michael said to Reggie, “Don’t ever talk trash to Black Jesus.” And from that point on, Reggie always referred to him not as Michael Jordan, but as Jordan, Black Jesus, or That Black Cat. He never called him Michael Jordan ever again.
So, yeah, Mike and Reggie has a history. Now it was time for the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pacers met with the Bulls for the first time ever. Larry Bird was coaching the Pacers that year. And they were a good team. They had the big center down low in Rik Smits, the passing Mark Jackson, the Davis brothers, the scoring machine in Chris Mullin, and the Hall of Famer Reggie Miller. They were not a team to joke about. “That series with Indiana was the hardest series we had. They were big, strong, physical and versatile,” said Bill Wennington.
“If I had to pick a team that gave is the toughest time in the East, you know, Indiana was probably the toughest, outside of Detroit,” said Michael. Game 1 was tough on Michael and the Bulls, but they prevailed 85-79. Michael had 31. After going up 1-0 after Game 1, the Bulls looked to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. The Pacers desperately needed a Game 2 win on the road to stay in the series. Before the game, Michael was presented his 5th MVP of his career by Commissioner David Stern. Jordan scored the dagger as the Bulls won 104-98. Michael had another great game with 41 points. The Bulls were now up 2-0 heading back to Indiana.
Game 3 was back in Indiana. Pacers fans packed the streets, hoping for a Game 3 victory. Market Square Arena was loud as the fans hoped for the Pacers to turn the tide. It would be very tough for the Bulls to pull out a victory. The first 2 games in Chicago were Michael’s. Game 3 was Reggie’s. Miller scored 28 points, including 4 3’s. He hit the dagger 3 at the end, and the Pacers won 107-105. The Pacers were now down 2-1 in the series. “We’ll be fine, I think. Today’s just a bump in the road,” said Michael following the game.
Even with the Game 3 loss, the Bulls were confident to get a win in Game 4, which would effectively end the series. Game 4 was just like 3, Market Square Arena was packed and loud as usual. Perhaps the most memorable game of the series was Game 4. Reggie and Michael went back and forth all night long, trading blows as the score remained close throughout the night. With 6.4 seconds left, the Bulls 94-93. The Pacers would be inbounding the ball. Pippen guarded the inbounder. The ball was tipped and Scottie Pippen grabbed it and he was fouled. He would have two free throws to ice the game. The crowd of Indiana roared desperately for a miss. Pippen missed the first one short and to the left a bit. The Pacers were still in it. They still had plenty of time left to make something happen. Scottie missed the 2nd free throw and Larry Bird called timeout with 2.9 seconds left. Just like with Chicago, the Pacers had a go-to guy in the clutch. It was Reggie Miller. Miller decided that he wanted to make the referees decide the game.
Miller was placed at the baseline. Miller ran up past the free throw line and got a screen. Michael switched on too him. Reggie threw Micheal out of the way and curled his way to the right wing. He got the ball and drilled a 3 to give the Pacers 96-94 lead. But, there was 0.7 seconds left. The Bulls had one last chance, and the best guy to do it. The Bulls inbounded it at half court. Kukoc floated a pass to Michael on the left wing. Michael doubled clutched a 3 that hung in the air forever. Miller was underneath the basket, and it looked good. Jordan’s shot went off the glass and went halfway down and out. Millimetres away from the greatest playoff shot of all time. Millimetres away from taking a 3-1 series lead going back to Chicago. Millimetres. But, it was 2-2 going back to Chicago.
Flash back from May of 1998 to June of 1997. After completing the dream season in 1996, the Bulls looked for the repeat. The Bulls went 69-13 that season. The Bulls cruised through the East, with their longest series being 5 games. They would meet the Utah Jazz, with Hall of Famers in Karl Malone and John Stockton in the NBA Finals.
This would be the first time that the Jazz would be in the NBA Finals. The Jazz had been very close to making it to the Finals on numerous occasions, but fell short each time. In the 1997 Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, the Jazz led 3-2 in the series. They had the ball at the end of Game 6 with a chance to go to the Finals. John Stockton hit a 3 at the buzzer that punched their ticket to the Finals.
Michael’s motivation going into the 1997 NBA Finals against the Jazz was that Karl Malone had won MVP that year. Jordan felt like he should have won it, now he was going to take it out on Malone.
Game 1 would be in Chicago. The two teams went back and forth throughout the night, nobody seemed to get a clear advantage. Karl Malone went to the foul line with 9.2 seconds left after being fouled. The game was tied at 82, and the Jazz could take a late lead. When Malone was walking towards the line, Scottie Pippen whispered in his ear, “The mail don’t deliver on Sundays.” Malone’s nickname was the Mailman, for how he always delivered. Game 1 was on a Sunday evening. Malone missed both free throws. The mail don’t deliver on Sundays.
The Bulls got the ball with 7.5 seconds left, and the game was still tied at 82. One possession for Jordan to work his magic. Guarding Michael would be Bryon Russell. Russell and Michael had a history.
When Michael was playing baseball, the Jazz were in town. So, Michael went over to say hello to John and Karl. Byron Russell comes up to Michael and says, “Man, why you quit? Why you quit? Man, you knew I could guard your ass. You had to quit.” Russell was a rookie at the time. And Michael never forgot that. He knew he would get revenge some time. That time was now.
Michael knew that Russell played on the front of his toes. He knew what he needed to do to get open. Michael got the ball on the left wing, completely isolated. Jordan crossed over and took one big dribble across the 3-point line and stopped. He pulled up with a mid-range jumper. He drilled it at the buzzer. The Bulls won Game 1, 84-82. Take that Bryon Russell.
The Bulls led 1-0 in the series going into Game 2. Game 2 was not that close. The Bulls cruised throughout the night, taking a 97-85 win behind 38 from Jordan. The Bulls now took a 2-0 series lead against the Jazz going back to Utah.
Game 3 was a different story in Utah however. Karl Malone had 37 points as the Jazz won 104-93. The Jazz now were trailing in the series 2-1. Game 4 was much closer. The Bulls led 73-72 with under a minute remaining. Stockton collected a miss rebound and threw a perfect pass full court to Malone who scored. The Jazz took a 74-73 lead and never looked back as they won 78-73. The series was now tied 2-2. Game 5 would be in Utah.
As the Bulls prepared for Game 5, Michael and his entourage relaxed at the Marriott. It was about 10:30 ish when Michael was hungry. Not too many places are open that late, but they found one pizza place. They ordered pizza, and 4-5 delivery guys showed up, hoping to get a glimpse of Michael. Tim Grover, who was Michael’s personal trainer says, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Michael ate the whole pizza by himself. Michael woke up at about 2:30 in the morning, throwing up. Michael called Tim and told him to find a team doctor. So, this wasn’t going to be the Flu Game, it was the Food Poisoning Game. Not the same ring.
Jordan missed shoot-around because he was in bed. Everybody already knew what was happening with Michael as he walked into the arena. Jordan told Jackson that he would play at whatever level that he could to try and help.
Utah jumped out to an early lead, leading 18-8 with 3:34 left in the 1st quarter. Michael would be playing the game, and as soon as the whistle blew for a timeout, Michael just lost all of his life. He just slumped his head and body and near collapsed as he sat on the bench. He was gassed after every single timeout.
After a time-out ended, Jordan seemed to get back to normal. He had found some energy deep down inside him. All of a sudden, Michael Jordan was back. With 11:45 left in the 2nd quarter, the Bulls trailed by 11, 29-18. The Bulls climbed back into the game, and with 3:02 left, they trailed by 1, 44-43. In the 4th quarter, Michael was carrying the team. Making shots from all over the court. He found a way to put the Bulls in a position to win. With 46.5 seconds left, the game was tied at 85. Michael missed the seconds of two free throws, but Chicago got the ball.
Scottie got the ball at the left elbow, isolated with Jeff Hornacek. They doubled Scottie and he kicked it out to an open Michael. Michael drilled the 3 with 25 seconds left and the Bulls led by 3, 88-85. That gave Michael his 38th points of the game. After that shot, the iconic moment when he is almost being carried by Scottie to the bench. Michael was exhausted, but the job was not done yet. The Bulls held on to win 90-88, and they now took a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 would be in Chicago, where the Bulls hoped to win a 5th title.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said that he didn’t know Michael was sick. Probably couldn’t tell the difference. The Flu Game is perhaps Jordan’s greatest game, and one of the best games played in NBA History.
Everybody knew that Michael was a great performer, and that he was great in the Finals. But, sometimes he needed his teammates help to win games. In 1991, John Paxson scored key baskets at the end of Game 5 to win the game for the Bulls. In 1993, Paxson won Game 6 with his 3 against Phoenix to win their 3rd straight title. Michael might have been great, but his teammates were also a great help to him.
Steve Kerr was an overachiever. He was never an All-Star level player, but he was great during the Bulls 2nd 3-peat. Kerr was never a highly touted coming out of Arizona, and was drafted 50th overall in 1988 by the Phoenix Suns. The following season Kerr ended up in Cleveland, which gave him his first real opportunity to break out. The Cavs played the Bulls a lot during the season, and Kerr used to guard John Paxson a lot. Kerr always wanted to be in his position.
Kerr came to the Bulls in 1993, when Paxson was in his last season in the NBA. Paxson took Kerr under his wing, teaching him the ways of the Bulls, namely how to compliment Michael Jordan.
One thing that Kerr and Jordan shared was their relationship with their fathers. Jordan was very close with his father, and so was Kerr. Jordan’s father died in 1993, and Kerr’s dad faced a similar fate.
As a child, Kerr loved to play sports. His father loved to watch basketball. They played all the time in the driveway. Kerr’s dad, Malcolm, was a professor of Middle East History and Politics at UCLA. Steve’s mom also was a professor later in her life. So, growing up, Kerr and his family were deeply involved in academics. Monday through Thursday there was no TV, unless there was a big game on. As a young child, Kerr and his dad would go to Pauley Pavilion, the famed house of the UCLA Bruins.
Kerr was not highly recruited out of high school. He got an offer from Arizona at the last second, which he accepted. After Steve went to college, his mom and younger brother joined Steve’s father in Beirut. Before Steve had finished graduating high school, his dad left UCLA and became the president of the American University in Beirut.
The President before Steve’s dad was kidnapped and had not been seen for 3 months. So, the job and environment was tough.
On January 18th, 1984, something terrible happened. While going to a campus meeting, Kerr was shot in the head by 2 gunman posing to be students. Steve took the death hard, and focused more and more on basketball.
Going into Game 6 in Chicago, the Bulls led 3-2 and were on the verge of winning a 5th title. Michael was feeling much better, and he looked to close out the Jazz. Kerr was struggling throughout the game and throughout the Finals. With 2 minutes left, the Bulls led 86-83. Bryon Russell tied the game with a 3, making it 86-86 with 28 seconds left. Phil Jackson called a timeout for the Bulls, and Michael knew what was coming. Earlier in the series, the Bulls had been in a similar situation. Late in the game, Stockton had come to double Michael and he stole the ball. But this time, Michael was ready.
On the bench, Michael mumbled something like, “Steve, Steve be ready.” He knew that the camera was always on him, and he didn’t want to say anything loudly. But, Kerr was oblivious to this and almost starts shouting back at Michael that he will be ready. Michael got the ball on the left wing and was doubled. He split through the double team and found Steve Kerr wide open at the foul line. Kerr drilled the shot as the shot clock expired, giving the Bulls a 88-86 lead. There was 5 seconds left on the clock. Just like John Paxson in 1993, Kerr had sealed the game for the Bulls.
As the Jazz inbounded the ball for one last chance, Scottie Pippen knocked it away and Toni Kukoc dunked it, giving the Bulls a 90-86 win, and their 5th title in 7 years. But, Michael Jordan was not the hero, it was Steve Kerr.
On June 16th, it was the championship rally for the Bulls. And Steve Kerr had a memorable speech. “A lot of people have been asking me about the shot the other night, and there have been some misconceptions about what actually happened. I wanted to clear it up. When we called timeout with 28 seconds left, we went to the huddle, and Phil told Michael that he wanted him to take the last shot. Michael responded by saying that he didn’t feel real comfortable in these situations, so maybe they should go in a different direction. Maybe we should go to Steve. Then I said that I would have to bail Michael out again. And that’s the history of the shot.”
From 1997, we go back to 1998, where the Bulls are facing the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers had tied the series 2-2 after Reggie Miller hit the game winner in Game 4. The two teams split the next two games, and Game 7 was in Chicago. The Bulls could once again advance to the Finals, or their dynasty would end on a sour note. Jordan was confident that the Bulls would win Game 7, but everybody knew that this game was not just any other game.
Over the years, Michael had grown a great relationship with all of his security guards. They became his entourage. But Jordan was especially close with Gus Lett. Gus used to be in the Chicago Police Department, and was very well respected. Gus and Michael first became friends during Michael’s 2nd year. Michael had broken his foot and was out for almost all of the regular season. Gus would make sure Michael got to his car or got to the locker room, and made sure that he was ok. They got to know each other better as time went on. Gus was a great protector for Michael and he never let anybody who wasn’t supposed to come near him. After Michael’s father died, the two became much closer. Michael viewed Gus as his father figure now that James was gone.
When Gus wasn’t feeling all to well, or he wasn’t acting like his usual self, Michael told him and his wife Tish that he should see a doctor. Gus went to the doctor and it was found that he had lung cancer. And Michael stayed with him while he was in the hospital. With the diagnosis and his treatments, Gus had to take a leave of absence for a bit, but he returned before Game 7 against Indiana. Michael wanted to win the game for Gus.
The Pacers jumped on the Bulls to start Game 7, leading 19-7 midway through the first quarter. But, Chicago climbed back into the game, tying it 28-28 with 7:55 left in the 2nd quarter. The Bulls continued to roll and took a sizable advantage. But, the Pacers came back themselves, tying the game at 69 with 9:41 left in the 4th.
With 7 minutes left, the Pacers led 76-74. The possibility of the Bulls losing was starting to get larger. The lead was 77-74 with 6:39 left. A jump ball was about to happen. Although there was lots of time left, this could ultimately change the game completely. If Indiana gets it and scored, they go up by two possessions. If the Bulls get it, they have a chance to lower the deficit. The Bulls won the jump ball, and the ball finds it way to Steve Kerr. Kerr spotted up for 3 with a chance to tie the game. He drilled it, and Chicago tied the game at 77.
Kerr’s 3 sparked the crowd and the Bulls, and they started to dominate with their momentum. Scottie hit a jumper from the left baseline, giving the Bulls the lead. With 3:30 left, the Bulls led 83-79. Scottie scored an and one that sealed the deal for the Bulls. The Bulls won 88-83, winning the series in seven games against Indiana. Michael had 28 in the win.
After the game, Michael have the game ball to Gus. As the Bulls celebrated the hard fought victory, they had one last test ahead of them. Just one last series to finish the dynasty. But, the Bulls were exhausted, physically and mentally. Especially Michael, whose body had just a few miles left in the tank. Could the Bulls finish what they started, or would they come up just short?
What was your favorite part about this episode? What were you surprised to learn about? Leave all of your Last Dance comments down below.
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