“That was his last one in a Bulls uniform” – Pierce explains why the 1998 Finals Bulls-Jazz Game 6 is the greatest one in NBA history originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Paul Pierce has lived long enough to see some of the greatest games in NBA history. Born in 1977, Paul was already old enough to watch the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry during the 80s.
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The Truth also witnessed the Chicago Bulls‘ epic battles with the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons and Michael Jordan‘s rise from a one-man show to the greatest basketball player of all-time.
Looking back, Paul thinks that Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals between MJ’s Bulls and the Utah Jazz was the greatest game of all time, at least to him.
“The greatest game to me was Jordan versus Utah, when he hit the game-winner…Bryon Russell,” said Pierce. “That was to me the greatest game. That was his last one in a Bulls uniform. Then he chilled and went to Washington.”
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It was the Bulls’ last dance season
Before the 1998 season began, the Bulls already knew they were playing in their last year together. That’s why it was called “The Last Dance,” and that’s why the franchise allowed a crew from NBA Entertainment to document the entire season. The 500-hour film was summarized into the 10-part ESPN documentary entitled, well, “The Last Dance.”
However, the point is that the Bulls were under a lot of pressure that year, both internally because of the strife within the team and outside pressure because a sixth championship would make Mike surpass Magic’s five and give the team a second three-peat. Then there were the Jazz.
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Chicago beat Utah in the 1997 NBA Finals, but not only was Karl Malone at his peak during that time, but the Jazz also had homecourt advantage over the Bulls, which they didn’t have the previous year. Still somehow, Mike and company stole Game 2 in Salt Lake City, blew out the Jazz in Game 3 and took a 3-1 series lead.
However, Malone refused to go away as he scored 39 points as the Jazz staved off elimination in Game 5. With the format still 2-3-2 during that time, Utah had a legit chance of winning the next two games at home to dethrone the Bulls.
Jordan couldn’t have ended his Bulls career any better
The Jazz looked like they were on the way to extending the series to a Game 7. Up 86-85 with less than 20 seconds left in the game, they had possession and the ball in Malone’s hands. However, Jordan had other plans.
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MJ stole the ball from The Mailman in the post, dribbled down the court and put a move — a push, as some would argue, against Bryon Russell and drained a 20-footer that gave Chicago an 87-86 lead. The Jazz still had 5.2 seconds to steal the game, but Jordan had already written the ending, and he knew it before he took the shot.
“I had no intention of passing the ball under any circumstances,” he said. “I figured I stole the ball, and it was my opportunity to win or lose the game. I would have taken that shot with five people on me.”
Without having to explain his answer, it’s not hard to understand why Pierce picked that game. The image of Jordan holding up his follow-through longer than he mostly would and with the perfect swan position will forever live in the minds and hearts of NBA fans.
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However, it wasn’t just the shot. MJ stealing the ball before making the shot summarized his dominance on both ends of the floor. The shot not only gave him and the Bulls their sixth NBA title, but it also marked the end of not just a dynasty, but the greatest era of basketball.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 21, 2025, where it first appeared.