The year 1991 was an important time for Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls. En route to winning their first NBA Championship, they defeated the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys — a team they could not beat for three campaigns.
Dominating them 4-0 in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals meant the Bulls had figured out exactly how to beat Isiah Thomas and company. It also signified the formal end of the rivalry — a battle that thrilled NBA fans for years.
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In a 1992 regular-season duel, Michael Jordan and his crew dominated the Pistons, 117-93. The Chicago Stadium, usually filled to the brim with raging fans even after the final buzzer, had become a sea of empty seats with five minutes left. Jackson could not believe how success turned the epic rivalry into a sleepfest.
” It was an unusual game,” said Jackson, per the Chicago Tribune. “I can’t remember seeing fans leave our arena with five minutes to go in a Chicago-Detroit game. Seeing the empty stadium was sorrowful in a way.”
Meanwhile, Pistons head coach Chuck Daly described the early walk-out as “Bizarre.” Not too long ago, fans — whether the game was held in Detroit or Chicago — cheered and jeered the entire game, and even after the final buzzer had sounded. Pistons fans wanted to see their team pummel Jordan’s crew. On the flip side, Bulls fans wanted their team to finally get over the hump.
Pip’s big game
Whereas Jackson and Daly were sentimental, it was business as usual for star forward Scottie Pippen. He led all scorers with 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting. Pip looked forward to facing the Pistons. It didn’t seem to matter to him if the stadium was packed or not; the two-way forward wanted to prove they were the rulers in the East.
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“I feel like every time we play against the Pistons, we’re looking for some type of revenge,” Pippen said. “Ever since they eliminated us in Game 7 of the playoffs (two seasons ago), this has been an especially big game for me.”
As for Joe Dumars, one of those who shook the Bulls’ hands while the rest of his teammates walked out, Chicago had become one heck of a team. He predicted the success of the Bulls and had nothing but praise for the NBA’s new sheriffs.
“The Bulls are absolutely capable of 70 wins,” the Hall of Fame shooting guard said. “Tonight you saw why.”
Grown men
Dumars has always remained classy when talking about the Bulls. While Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and others hated Chicago’s guts, Joe never took it personally. That 1991 defeat hurt, but the guard gave credit where it was due. He acknowledged that their time was up and the Bulls, whom they pushed and thrashed around for three years, had learned to stand up for themselves.
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“When we got to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990, we won, but we knew they were coming back,” Dumars said.
“We knew they’d be back the next year. By the time 1991 came around, most guys had grown up and (the Bulls) had gotten stronger and tougher and mentally, they didn’t fold when things didn’t go their way. You’re looking at it and going, ‘They’re growing up. These aren’t kids anymore.'”
In the end, Joe-D recognized what few could admit in real time — the torch had officially been passed.