1993 NBA Finals

1993 NBA Finals

Team Coach Wins Chicago Bulls Phil Jackson 4 Phoenix Suns Paul Westphal 2
Dates	June 9–20
MVP	Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Television	NBC (U.S.)
Announcers	Marv Albert Mike Fratello Magic Johnson
Referees
Game 1: Hugh Evans • Jess Kersey • Hue Hollins Game 2: Jake O'Donnell • Joe Crawford • Jack Madden Game 3: Darell Garretson • Mike Mathis • Dick Bavetta Game 4: Hugh Evans • Ed T. Rush • Bill Oakes Game 5: Jake O'Donnell • Joe Crawford • Jess Kersey Game 6: Darell Garretson • Ed T. Rush • Mike Mathis
Hall of Famers	Suns: Charles Barkley (2006) Bulls: Michael Jordan (2009) Scottie Pippen (2010) Coaches: Phil Jackson (2007) Tex Winter (2011) Officals: Dick Bavetta (2015)
Eastern Finals	Bulls defeat Knicks, 4–2
Western Finals	Suns defeat SuperSonics, 4–3

The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992–93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Bulls became the first team since the legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles, clinching the "three-peat" with John Paxson's game-winning 3-pointer that gave them a 99–98 victory in Game 6. This series was also notable in that the road team won each game, with the exception of Chicago in Game 4.

This series was aired on NBC with Marv Albert, Bob Costas (hosts), Mike Fratello, Magic Johnson, Quinn Buckner (analysts), Ahmad Rashad (Bulls sideline) and Hannah Storm (Suns sideline) (reporters) calling the action.

The 1993 NBA championship documentary, Three-Peat, marked the first time since 1982 that NBA Entertainment used film in on-court or off-court action, although most of it used videotape. It was narrated by Hal Douglas, who narrated the NBA Championship documentaries of 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Background

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were part of the 1984 NBA Draft class, with Jordan drafted 3rd by the Chicago Bulls, and Barkley picked 5th by the Philadelphia 76ers. While Jordan instantly catapulted to stardom by winning Rookie of the Year and eventually the MVP, Barkley played under the shadows of fellow all-stars Julius Erving and Moses Malone before coming into his own following the departures of the two. Barkley and Jordan would meet in the 1990 and 1991 NBA Playoffs, but Jordan's Bulls defeated Barkley's 76ers both times in five games, the latter of which where Jordan eventually won his first championship. They were ultimately selected to play for the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where they won the gold medal.

Frustrated by the constant losing and the desire to play for a contender, Barkley demanded a trade, which he got when he was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang. Moving to the then-brand new America West Arena from the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Suns would win 62 games in the 1992–93 season, a franchise record. Barkley's efforts won him the MVP award. The playoffs, however, were no cakewalk for the Suns, as they lost the first two games to the Los Angeles Lakers at home before winning three straight. In the second round the Suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs in six, and were again pushed to a decisive game by the Seattle SuperSonics before ultimately winning in the conference finals. For the Suns, it was their first NBA finals appearance since 1976 and second overall.

The Bulls won only 57 games that year, but started the playoffs hot by sweeping the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds. However in the conference finals, they trailed 0–2 to the New York Knicks, who held the top seed in the Eastern Conference. But behind Jordan's hot scoring, including a 54-point Game 4, the Bulls evened the series, and then snapped the Knicks' 27-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden on a last second flurry of blocks against Knicks forward Charles Smith. The Bulls prevailed in six games to earn their third straight NBA finals appearance.

Road to the Finals

Regular season series

Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the road team:

Series summary

Game 1

It is also worth noting that Phoenix displayed an introduction animation similar in fashion to Chicago's now famous introduction animation, both of which were set to the same song, before the game, which was remarked upon by the commentators. Also, before the game a moment of silence was observed in memory of New Jersey Nets guard Drazen Petrovic; who was killed in a car accident two days earlier.

Game 2

Game 3

The Phoenix Suns won Game 3 in 3OT, 129–121. Suns Head Coach Paul Westphal became the only person to appear in both triple-overtime finals games: the first was the classic 1976 contest against Boston, in Game 5 as a player. His Suns also appeared in that year's finals, thus becoming the only team to appear in two triple-overtime finals games, the first of which they lost 126–128.

Suns: Kevin Johnson 25, Dan Majerle 28, Charles Barkley 24, Mark West 11, Richard Dumas 17, Danny Ainge 10, Tom Chambers 12, Oliver Miller 2, Frank Johnson 0, Jerrod Mustaf 0

Bulls: B.J. Armstrong 21, Michael Jordan 44, Scottie Pippen 26, Horace Grant 13, Bill Cartwright 8, Scott Williams 4, Trent Tucker 3, Stacey King 0, John Paxson 2, Darrell Walker 0

Game 4

In Game 4, Michael Jordan was unstoppable, scoring 55 points at Chicago Stadium and making a tough driving layup late in the game while getting fouled. The Bulls won 111–105.

Suns: Charles Barkley 32, Dan Majerle 14, Kevin Johnson 19, Richard Dumas 17, Mark West 8, Tom Chambers 7, Danny Ainge 2, Oliver Miller 2, Frank Johnson 4

Bulls: Michael Jordan 55, Scottie Pippen 14, Horace Grant 17, B.J. Armstrong 11, Bill Cartwright 3, John Paxson 6, Scott Williams 2, Stacey King 3, Rodney McCray 0, Darrell Walker 0, Trent Tucker 0

Game 5

Before Game 5, Charles Barkley famously announced to his teammates that they needed to win to "Save the City", a reference to the riots anticipated in Chicago if the Bulls won the championship at home.

The Suns won 108–98 and headed home for Game 6 down 3–2.

Suns: Dan Majerle 11, Charles Barkley 24, Kevin Johnson 25, Mark West 5, Richard Dumas 25, Danny Ainge 8, Oliver Miller 8, Frank Johnson 2, Tom Chambers 0, Jerrod Mustaf 0

Bulls: Michael Jordan 41, Scottie Pippen 22, Horace Grant 1, B.J. Armstrong 7, Bill Cartwright 2, John Paxson 12, Scott Williams 4, Stacey King 4, Will Perdue 0, Trent Tucker 5, Darrell Walker 0

Game 6

The Bulls got off to a good start in Game 6 but struggled in the fourth quarter, wasting a double-digit lead to trail 98–94. Michael Jordan made a layup to cut the margin to 2 points, and Dan Majerle's 30-foot three-point attempt fell short on the Suns' next possession. Trailing 98–96 and facing a Game 7 on the road if they lost that day, John Paxson took a pass from Horace Grant and buried a three pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99–98 lead. Paxson's three-point field goal was the only score by any Bulls player other than Michael Jordan in the entire fourth quarter. The victory was secured by a last-second block from Horace Grant on Kevin Johnson.

Bulls: Michael Jordan 33, Scottie Pippen 23, B.J. Armstrong 18, Horace Grant 1, Bill Cartwright 2, John Paxson 8, Scott Williams 5, Trent Tucker 9, Stacey King 0

Suns: Dan Majerle 21, Kevin Johnson 19, Charles Barkley 21, Richard Dumas 8, Mark West 4, Tom Chambers 12, Danny Ainge 9, Oliver Miller 4, Frank Johnson 0

Michael Jordan, who averaged a Finals-record 41.0 PPG during the six-game series, became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards. He joined Magic Johnson as the only other player to win the award three times. The NBA started awarding the Finals MVP in 1969.

Team Rosters

Quotes from the Finals

God want [sic] us to win the World Championship..... I've talked to him the other night.

—Phoenix Suns power forward Charles Barkley commenting on his belief in his team in a post-game interview with NBC's Ahmad Rashad following Game 5.

Here's Paxson for three! YES! The Bulls take a one-point lead and Phoenix calls for time with three and nine tenths of a second remaining in the fourth quarter!

—NBC commentator Marv Albert calling on John Paxson's series-winning three-pointer

Here's Johnson. Johnson gets...No! He cannot get it off! Knocked away by Grant! It's all over! The Chicago Bulls have made it three straight NBA Championships!

—Marv Albert calling on the final seconds and celebration

Aftermath

A month after the Bulls' third straight championship, Michael Jordan's father, James R. Jordan, Sr., was murdered. Distraught by the murder of his father, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball a few weeks before the 1993–94 NBA season began, citing a loss of desire to play basketball. Even without Jordan, the Bulls still managed to win 55 games behind the All-Star efforts of Scottie Pippen; however the loss of Jordan was steep to overcome, and, following a controversial call that gave New York the Game 5 win, the Bulls would go on to lose to the New York Knicks in the Conference Semi-finals of the 1994 NBA Playoffs in Game 7. Jordan would return from retirement in March 1995, following a brief baseball career and made the 1995 NBA Playoffs, losing to the Orlando Magic in 6 games. Game 5 of the Finals between the Bulls and Suns was the last NBA Finals game played at Chicago Stadium.

The Phoenix Suns would finish with 56 wins in the 1993–94 season, but were eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Rockets after leading 2–0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The following year, Phoenix took a commanding 3–1 lead against a 6th-Seeded Houston team only to lose again, losing Games 5 and 7 on their home court, the last of which was decided on a 3-pointer by Mario Elie and an ensuing free throw session. The Rockets went on to win both the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals. As of 2014 this is the Suns' last Finals appearance. In a last-ditch attempt to win a championship, Barkley was soon traded, ironically, to the Rockets in 1996 for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry and Chucky Brown. Despite forming a "Big Three" with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets failed to make the NBA Finals in Barkley's four seasons. The 1993 Finals would be the only appearance of Charles Barkley's Hall of Fame career.

See also

• 1993 NBA Playoffs

External links

• NBA History

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