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The Golden State Warriors’ phenomenal playoff run now sees them mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan’s Bulls. But just how good would they be against the all conquering 1995-96 Chicago team?
A lot has been made recently of the hypothetical match-up of this season’s all conquering Golden State Warriors and Michael Jordan’s 72-10 Chicago Bulls, with odds makers all over the world even coming up with what prices they would offer if a best-of-seven series eventuated.
It is a legitimate question, the sheer dominance of the Warriors over the past three seasons is quite remarkable.
There is even some parallels to be made in both teams off seasons leading into the years in question.
With both teams already stacked with talent, the Bulls brought in volatile All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, just as the Warriors brought in Kevin Durant.
Both of these men made huge contributions to their new teams, helping to take them to new heights.
To give the Warriors credit, they are making a team built around this generation’s greatest player, LeBron James, look like fools during these NBA Finals.
But the ’96 Bulls are a different kettle of fish.
To even get to the NBA Finals, Jordan’s Bulls needed to go through Alonso Mourning’s Miami Heat, fierce rivals the New York Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing and John Starks – and the Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway-led Orlando Magic, the previous year’s Eastern Conference champs.
Despite these All-Star led opponents, the Bulls lost only once on their march to the NBA Finals, a three point overtime defeat in a raucous Madison Square Garden, despite a 46-point offensive performance by Jordan.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
On the flip side of the coin, the Warriors faced a Portland team highlighted by C. J. McCollum and Damian Lillard, Gordon Hayward’s Utah Jazz coming off the back of a seven game series against the LA Clippers and a San Antonio Spurs team that lost Khawai Leonard for the entire series in game one.
I think Lillard, Hayward and Leonard are great players, but they are not in the same league as Mourning, Ewing or Shaq – not yet at least.
But the players on court are only as good as their coach. Steve Kerr, as well as stand-in coaches Larry Brown and Luke Walton have been phenomenal for the Warriors. But they’d be going up against Phil Jackson at one of the heights of his career, that’s a lot different than going up against Tyronn Lue or David Blatt.
The Bulls weren’t just great, they were great at a time of unbelievable talent in the NBA.
They had the man who would become the mould for two-way players for decades to come in Scottie Pippen.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
They had one of the best rebounders and post defenders of all time in Dennis Rodman
And the trump card, they had arguably the greatest player in the history of basketball, who did not miss a game all season on their side in his royal airness, Michael Jordan.
I would love if it was possible to get both of these teams to play each other in their primes, it would be phenomenal basketball.
But I’m sorry, to say the Warriors and the Jordan led super-team Bulls, give me the Bulls every day of the week.
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