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| Dates | June 5–16 | |||||||||
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| MVP | Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Bulls: Michael Jordan (2009) Toni Kukoc (2021) Scottie Pippen (2010) Dennis Rodman (2011) SuperSonics: Gary Payton (2013) Coaches: Phil Jackson (2007) George Karl (2022) Tex Winter (2011) Officials: Dick Bavetta (2015) Danny Crawford (2025) Hugh Evans (2022) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Bulls defeatedMagic, 4–0 | |||||||||
| Western finals | SuperSonics defeatedJazz, 4–3 | |||||||||
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The1996 NBA Finals was thechampionship series of theNational Basketball Association's (NBA)1995–96 season, and the culmination of theseason's playoffs. TheWestern Conference championSeattle SuperSonics (64–18) played theEastern Conference championChicago Bulls (72–10), with the Bulls holdinghome court advantage. The teams' 136 combined regular season wins shattered the previous record of 125, set in1985 between theLos Angeles Lakers who won 62 games and theBoston Celtics who won 63 games in the past regular season. The series, the 50th NBA finals in league history, was played under abest-of-seven format. This was the first championship in the Chicago Bulls' secondthree-peat.[1]
Chicago won the series 4 games to 2.Michael Jordan was namedNBA Finals MVP, his fourth time winning the award.
The Bulls were coming off a season where they lost in the second round of the playoffs to theOrlando Magic. Heading into the upcoming season, Chicago was no longer the same team as they were in their most recent championship season of1993, having lost key members of their first three-peat core inJohn Paxson and Bill Cartwright, both of whom retired, whileHorace Grant,B. J. Armstrong,Stacey King,Will Perdue, andScott Williams all left via free agency.
In their place was a new core of players such asLuc Longley,Toni Kukoč,Steve Kerr,Ron Harper,Jud Buechler,Bill Wennington andRandy Brown. But perhaps their biggest addition to the team wasDennis Rodman, a nine-year veteran who had been a rebounding champion for four straight years, and whose controversial lifestyle has been well-documented.
The result of this ensemble was perhaps the greatest regular season of any team in NBA history at the time, as the Bulls won a record-high 72 games, which would be broken by theGolden State Warriors in the 2015–16 season. They continued to gain momentum in the playoffs, beginning with a sweep of theMiami Heat in the first round, followed by a five-game defeat of theNew York Knicks in the second round. The conference finals was a rematch of the previous season's series with theOrlando Magic, but it was a no-contest, as the Bulls swept the Magic to gain entry into the Finals.
The SuperSonics were led byGary Payton andShawn Kemp, withGeorge Karl as head coach. The team was considered a perennial title contender throughout the mid-1990s, but the closest they came to reaching the finals was in1993, when they lost to thePhoenix Suns in seven games in the Western Conference finals.
Two straight first-round exits followed, including the stunning1994 loss to the eighth-seededDenver Nuggets (the Sonics were the first seed in that playoffs). Motivated by a successive string of early playoff losses, Seattle finished the 1996 regular season with a franchise-record 64 wins.
Seattle began its playoff run with a four-game win over theSacramento Kings, followed by a dominant sweep of the defending championHouston Rockets, headed by a 33-point win in Game 1 where they heldHakeem Olajuwon to 5 points. They then beat theUtah Jazz in seven games in the western finals to advance to its first NBA championship round since1979.
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| Defeated the (8)Sacramento Kings, 3–1 | First round | Defeated the (8)Miami Heat, 3–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (5)Houston Rockets, 4–0 | Conference semifinals | Defeated the (5)New York Knicks, 4–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defeated the (3)Utah Jazz, 4–3 | Conference finals | Defeated the (2)Orlando Magic, 4–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The teams split their two meetings, each game won by the home team:
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| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
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| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
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| Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 5 | Seattle SuperSonics | 90–107 (0–1) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 2 | June 7 | Seattle SuperSonics | 88–92 (0–2) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 3 | June 9 | Chicago Bulls | 108–86 (3–0) | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Game 4 | June 12 | Chicago Bulls | 86–107 (3–1) | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Game 5 | June 14 | Chicago Bulls | 78–89 (3–2) | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Game 6 | June 16 | Seattle SuperSonics | 75–87 (2–4) | Chicago Bulls |
June 5 9:00 et |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Seattle SuperSonics 90,Chicago Bulls 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24,30–29,29–26, 13–28 | ||
| Pts:Shawn Kemp 32 Rebs:Gary Payton 10 Asts:Gary Payton 6 | Pts:Michael Jordan 28 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 13 Asts:Ron Harper 7 | |
| Chicago leads the series, 1–0 | ||
United Center,Chicago,Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees:
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Although Chicago was not playing well offensively, they were able to compensate with superb defense. Frustration set in for Seattle when Frank Brickowski was ejected after committing a flagrant foul against Dennis Rodman, then promptly getting charged with two consecutive technical fouls. Chicago was leading by only 2 at the end of the third quarter, but in the final quarter, shots byToni Kukoč and 2 key steals byRon Harper clinched the Bulls' Game 1 win. Shawn Kemp was a bright spot for Seattle, scoring 32 points, but ended up fouling out midway through the fourth quarter. Michael Jordan led the way for the Bulls with 28 points, while Scottie Pippen chipped in with 21 points. Seattle captain Nate McMillan ended up leaving the game due to a debilitating back injury in the 2nd quarter. Dennis Rodman pulled down 13 rebounds for the Bulls, while Toni Kukoč chipped in off the bench with 18 points.
June 7 9:00 et |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Seattle SuperSonics 88,Chicago Bulls 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:27–23, 18–23, 20–30,23–16 | ||
| Pts:Shawn Kemp 29 Rebs:Shawn Kemp 13 Asts:Payton,Schrempf 3 each | Pts:Michael Jordan 29 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 20 Asts:Michael Jordan 8 | |
| Chicago leads the series, 2–0 | ||
United Center,Chicago,Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees:
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Game 2 started well for Seattle with a 27–23 first quarter lead. However, Seattle would once again lose the lead before halftime. Despite Shawn Kemp's 29 points and 13 rebounds, Chicago triumphed with a final score of 92 to 88. In the victory, Dennis Rodman tied an NBA Finals record with 11 offensive rebounds and made a clutch free throw near the end of the game to seal the Bulls victory. Michael Jordan once again led the Bulls with 29 points, while Shawn Kemp continued his strong play by scoring 29 points for Seattle.
June 9 7:30 et |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Chicago Bulls 108,Seattle SuperSonics 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:34–16,28–22, 13–23,33–25 | ||
| Pts:Michael Jordan 36 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 10 Asts:Scottie Pippen 9 | Pts:Detlef Schrempf 20 Rebs:Brickowski,Payton 7 each Asts:Gary Payton 9 | |
| Chicago leads the series, 3–0 | ||
KeyArena,Seattle,Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees:
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The Sonics, owners of a 44–5 home record (including playoffs),[2] suffered a 22-point blow-out in their return to Seattle, giving the Bulls a seemingly insurmountable 3–0 series lead. Frustration would once again set in for the Sonics, as Frank Brickowski was ejected for committing a flagrant foul on Dennis Rodman. Michael Jordan led the way for the Bulls with 36 points.
June 12 9:00 et |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Chicago Bulls 86,Seattle SuperSonics 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 11–28, 31–31, 23–23 | ||
| Pts:Michael Jordan 23 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 14 Asts:Scottie Pippen 8 | Pts:Shawn Kemp 25 Rebs:Shawn Kemp 11 Asts:Gary Payton 11 | |
| Chicago leads the series, 3–1 | ||
KeyArena,Seattle,Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees:
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Seattle did not want to suffer the ignominy of a sweep. In an attempt to spark his team, Coach George Karl gave Jordan's defensive assignment to Gary Payton, a move which showed immediate results.[3] Seattle succeeded with a 107–86 win over the Bulls, and Sonics fans taunted the Bulls players with homemade signs reading"Sweepless in Seattle".[4] The Sonics were helped by the return of team captainNate McMillan whose presence entering the game brought the KeyArena crowd to its feet.
Seattle's victory prevented the NBA Finals from being swept in two consecutive years (something which, as of 2025, has never occurred).[5]
June 14 9:00 et |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Chicago Bulls 78,Seattle SuperSonics 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 24–25, 18–19, 18–27 | ||
| Pts:Michael Jordan 26 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 12 Asts:Scottie Pippen 5 | Pts:Gary Payton 23 Rebs:Shawn Kemp 10 Asts:Gary Payton 6 | |
| Chicago leads the series, 3–2 | ||
KeyArena,Seattle,Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees:
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Seattle would once again deny the Bulls the championship, stretching the series to six games. Payton had this to say: "We feel great. We knew we could play with this team. It just took too long. We should have come with this a little earlier."[6] Shawn Kemp's performance in this game was considered by many to be his best in a Seattle uniform.
This game marks the last NBA Finals game played inSeattle.
June 16 7:30 pm |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived October 27, 1996) |
| Seattle SuperSonics 75,Chicago Bulls 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 20–21, 20–22, 17–20 | ||
| Pts:Detlef Schrempf 23 Rebs:Shawn Kemp 14 Asts:Gary Payton 7 | Pts:Michael Jordan 22 Rebs:Dennis Rodman 19 Asts:Michael Jordan 7 | |
| Chicago wins the NBA Finals, 4–2 | ||
United Center,Chicago,Illinois Attendance: 24,544 Referees:
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Chicago won the series four games to two onFather's Day, in what would be the last time the Sonics played a Finals game before relocating to Oklahoma City and being renamed theThunder. The Bulls' victory was partly due to the stellar performance ofpower forwardDennis Rodman,[7] who delivered a repeat of his Game 2 performance with 19 rebounds, tying his own NBA Finals record. Bulls starMichael Jordan finished the game with 22 points and collected his fourth Finals MVP.
As of 2025, no NBA team has everovercome a 3-0 playoff series deficit, and only four teams have forced a Game 7 after dropping the first three contests: the New York Knicks (1951), Denver Nuggets (1994), Portland Trail Blazers (2003), and Boston Celtics (2023).[8][9]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Brown | 6 | 0 | 8.2 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Jud Buechler | 6 | 0 | 5.6 | .222 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Ron Harper | 6 | 4 | 19.3 | .375 | .308 | .917 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 6.5 |
| Michael Jordan | 6 | 6 | 42.0 | .415 | .316 | .836 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 27.3 |
| Steve Kerr | 6 | 0 | 18.8 | .303 | .182 | .857 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| Toni Kukoč | 6 | 2 | 29.5 | .423 | .313 | .800 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 13.0 |
| Luc Longley | 6 | 6 | 28.3 | .574 | .000 | .727 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 11.7 |
| Scottie Pippen | 6 | 6 | 41.3 | .343 | .231 | .708 | 8.2 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 15.7 |
| Dennis Rodman | 6 | 6 | 37.5 | .486 | .000 | .579 | 14.7 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| John Salley | 5 | 0 | 3.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Wennington | 6 | 0 | 7.0 | .667 | .000 | .500 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Askew | 4 | 0 | 15.5 | .222 | .200 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Frank Brickowski | 6 | 3 | 11.3 | .222 | .200 | .000 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Hersey Hawkins | 6 | 6 | 38.3 | .455 | .273 | .923 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 13.3 |
| Ervin Johnson | 3 | 3 | 6.7 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| Shawn Kemp | 6 | 6 | 40.3 | .551 | .000 | .857 | 10.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 23.3 |
| Nate McMillan | 4 | 0 | 12.8 | .429 | .600 | 1.000 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Gary Payton | 6 | 6 | 45.7 | .444 | .333 | .731 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| Sam Perkins | 6 | 0 | 31.7 | .377 | .235 | .810 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 11.2 |
| Steve Scheffler | 4 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Detlef Schrempf | 6 | 6 | 39.7 | .443 | .389 | .875 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 16.3 |
| Eric Snow | 6 | 0 | 1.5 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| David Wingate | 6 | 0 | 8.0 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
The Finals was aired in the United States onNBC.Bob Costas hosted the pre-game, halftime and post-game show with analystsJulius Erving andPeter Vecsey. Games were called byMarv Albert,Matt Guokas andBill Walton, whileAhmad Rashad andHannah Storm served as sideline reporters.
The local NBC stations of the participants wereWMAQ-TV (Chicago) andKING-TV (Seattle).
This was the SuperSonics’ last Finals appearance during their time in Seattle, as the teammoved toOklahoma City in 2008 and became theOklahoma City Thunder. They would make the finalsfour years later after the move, losing to the Bug Three-ledMiami Heat in five games. In2025, the Thunder won their second championship over theIndiana Pacers in seven games. This wasGeorge Karl's only Finals appearance in his entire coaching career.
The Bulls came close to winning 70 games for the second straight year, instead settling for a 69-win campaign in 1997. Nonetheless, the Bullsrepeated as champions, defeating theKarl Malone andJohn Stockton-ledUtah Jazz in six games in the first oftwo finals matches between Chicago and Utah. In the off-season that precededScottie Pippen became the first person to win the NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year twice, playing forTeam USA at theAtlanta Olympics.[10]
The Bulls' combined 87 wins in the regular season and postseason would stand as an NBA record until the2015-16 Golden State Warriors, coached by former BullSteve Kerr, broke it with 88 total wins (thanks to the first round using a best-of-7 format instead of the best-of-5 in 1996), including a 73–9 regular season mark. However, the Warriors lost to theCleveland Cavaliers in the2016 NBA Finals, failing to repeat as champions after beating the same Cavaliers inthe previous Finals.
This was the first NBA Finals to feature aLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy patch on each team's uniforms. This would continue until the2009 NBA Finals, though from1998 to2001, the uniform patch was of the NBA Finals logo itself. Starting with the2010 NBA Finals, the patch would switch to a gold basketball containing the NBA logo and the Finals logo inside; this replaced the regular NBA logo on the team's uniforms.
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