The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1990-91 NBA season. It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS. This article is about the professional basketball team. ... This article is about the basketball coach. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... Mike Dunleavy Sr. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award is presented to the National Basketball Association (NBA) player in the NBA Finals that is seen as contributing the most to the series. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... The NBA on NBC was a weekly presentation of National Basketball Association games on the National Broadcasting Company television network from 1990 to 2002. ... A sportscaster is an announcer on radio or television who specializes in reporting or commenting on sports events. ... Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig on June 12, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American television and radio sportscaster, honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and is commonly referred to as the voice of basketball. ... Mike Fratello (born February 24, 1947 in Hackensack, New Jersey, United States) is a professional basketball coach. ... A college basketball official from a 2008 game between Division II teams Lake Superior State University and Northern Michigan University In Basketball, an official is a person who the has responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. ... Basketball Hall of Fame Logo The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game. ... Earvin Johnson redirects here. ... James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is a retired American college and professional basketball player. ... The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... The Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... Logo of the NBA Finals. ... The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-1990 NBA season. ... The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991-92 NBA season. ... The 1990-91 NBA Season was the 45th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The NBA on NBC was a weekly presentation of National Basketball Association games on the National Broadcasting Company television network from 1990 to 2002. ... The NBA on CBS was a weekly presentation of National Basketball Association games on CBS Sports. ...

The season documentary "Learning to Fly" recaps Chicago's successful first championship season, narrated by Jeff Kaye (who is also the narrator in NFL Films). The theme song is "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (born October 20, 1953 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American musician. ...

The Chicago Bulls of the East Conference took on the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage. This Finals was Michael Jordan's first NBA Finals appearance and Magic Johnson's last. The Bulls would win 4-1 with Michael Jordan being awarded the NBA Finals MVP. This article is about the professional basketball team. ... The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... The Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... In team sports, a team representing a city or a region is to be that areas home team. ... The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award is presented to the National Basketball Association (NBA) player in the NBA Finals that is seen as contributing the most to the series. ...

Background

The Road to the Finals: The Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons had several hard-fought, bitter encounters during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1988, after finally ousting the Boston Celtics as the best in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons lost to the Los Angeles Lakers before sweeping them for the title in 1989, and defeating the Portland Trail Blazers to repeat in 1990. This article is about the professional basketball team. ... The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. ... The 1987-88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. ... The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988-1989 NBA season Categories: | ... The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. ... The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-1990 NBA season. ...

The 1988-89 season marked a second straight year of major off-season moves (after making noise by winning 50 games in the regular season before losing to the Pistons in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals) for the Chicago Bulls. Popular power forward Charles Oakley, who had led the league in total rebounds in both 1987 and 1988, was traded to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright and a draft pick which they used on center Will Perdue. The new starting lineup of John Paxson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Bill Cartwright took some time to mesh, winning fewer games than the previous season, but making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were subdued in six games by the eventual NBA champion Pistons. The 1988-89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association. ... Charles Oakley (born December 18, 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball player who played power forward in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets. ... The 1986-87 NBA Season was the 41st season of the National Basketball Association. ... The 1987-88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. ... Knicks redirects here. ... James William Bill Cartwright (born July 30, 1957 in Lodi, California) is a retired American NBA basketball player, a 71 (2. ... William Edward Perdue (born August 29, 1965 in Melbourne, Florida) is a former professional basketball player in the NBA. Following a stellar college career at Vanderbilt University, in which he was named Southeastern Conference player of the year and SEC male athlete of the year in 1988, he was selected... John MacBeth Paxson (born September 29, 1960 in Dayton, Ohio) is a retired American basketball player. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965 in Hamburg, Arkansas) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is most remembered for leading the Chicago Bulls together with Michael Jordan to six championships and being one of the best all-around players... Horace Junior Grant (born July 4, 1965 in Augusta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player. ... James William Bill Cartwright (born July 30, 1957 in Lodi, California) is a retired American NBA basketball player, a 71 (2. ... The National Basketball Association Conference Finals occur at the conclusion of the NBA Playoffs when the final four teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences face off. ...

In 1989-90, Jordan led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season, and was joined on the All-Star squad for the first time by Scottie Pippen. There was also a major change on the sidelines, where Doug Collins was replaced by assistant Phil Jackson, a specialist in the triangle offense. The Bulls also picked up rookie center Stacey King and rookie point guard B.J. Armstrong in the 1989 draft. With these additional pieces and the previous year's starting five, the Bulls again made it to the Conference Finals, and pushed the Pistons to seven games before being edged out for the third straight year by Detroit. The 1989-90 NBA Season was the 44th season of the National Basketball Association. ... NBA redirects here. ... For the Canadian journalist see Doug Collins (journalist) Paul Douglas Collins (born July 28, 1951 in Christopher, Illinois), is a former four-time NBA basketball All-Star and NBA basketball coach. ... This article is about the basketball coach. ... The Triangle offense, also known as the Triple-Post offense, is an offensive strategy in basketball. ... Stacey King coaching a game Ronald Stacey Freeze it King (born January 29, 1967 in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA) is an American former NBA center who won three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993. ... Benjamin Roy Armstrong, Jr. ... 1989 NBA Draft - 27 June 1989 - New York City, New York See also: List of NBA Drafts, NBA Draft First Round Second Round Miami Heat - Sherman Douglas, G, Syracuse Categories: 1989 in sports | NBA Draft ...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, no team had an answer for Jordan defensively, that is until the "Bad Boy" Pistons came along, named for their physical, street-thug tactics. Pistons coach Chuck Daly developed a specific strategy that he called The Jordan Rules, detailing how to stop the league's most prolific scorer. Detroit's main protagonists of this style of play were Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer, known respectively as "The Worm" and "The Prince of Darkness" in some NBA arenas respectively. There were many cheapshots, punches thrown and media barbs thrown between the two during their rivalry. Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Chuck Daly (born July 20, 1930 in St. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball player best known for his fierce defensive and rebounding ability, leading the National Basketball Association in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and earning NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times, along with five... Bill Laimbeer at the White House after winning the WNBA Championship with the Detroit Shock. ...

By the 1990-91 season, the Chicago Bulls had run out of excuses, and charged through the year on a mission. In 1991, the rivalry climaxed when the Bulls swept the Pistons out of the Conference Finals, in which the Pistons, in their last show of defiance, walked off the court with :08 left on the clock in a blowout loss at home so as not to congratulate the new Eastern Conference Champions.

The Road to the Finals: The Los Angeles Lakers

Also in the 1989-90 season, Magic Johnson became the all-time assist leader, surpassing Oscar Robertson. The Los Angeles Lakers' first-year coach, Mike Dunleavy, Sr. (who succeeded Pat Riley) was able to take them to the Finals. The year before, the Lakers seemed to adapt well to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's absence. New center Vlade Divac helped the team to a 63-win season and their ninth consecutive division title, and Magic took another MVP award. However, the Phoenix Suns had their number that year in the playoffs. Earvin Johnson redirects here. ... Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee), nicknamed The Big O, is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... Mike Dunleavy Sr. ... For the American guitarist, see Patrick Riley. ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947 as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr) is an American athlete and retired professional basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. ... Vlade Divac (Serbian Cyrillic: Владе Дивац, pronounced ) (born February 3, 1968, in Prijepolje, Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the United States NBA. At 71 he played at center and was known for his deft passing skills. ... The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team, based in Phoenix, Arizona. ...

In the 1990-91 season, the Portland Trail Blazers (the defending Western Conference champions) posted a 63-19 record--the best in the league and the best in franchise history. They ended the Lakers' nine-year reign over the Pacific Division and won home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They easily dispatched their first two opponents in the playoffs; but the season ended in heartbreak when the Lakers defeated the Blazers 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers narrowly won Game 1 on the road, but the home teams took each succeeding game, culminating in a Game 6 victory at home for the Lakers. The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. ...

1991 NBA Finals roster

1991 Chicago Bulls

Head Coach

• Phil Jackson

This article is about the basketball coach. ...

Starting five

• Michael Jordan
• Scottie Pippen
• Bill Cartwright
• John Paxson
• Horace Grant

For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965 in Hamburg, Arkansas) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is most remembered for leading the Chicago Bulls together with Michael Jordan to six championships and being one of the best all-around players... James William Bill Cartwright (born July 30, 1957 in Lodi, California) is a retired American NBA basketball player, a 71 (2. ... John MacBeth Paxson (born September 29, 1960 in Dayton, Ohio) is a retired American basketball player. ... Horace Junior Grant (born July 4, 1965 in Augusta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player. ...

Bench

• B.J. Armstrong
• Stacey King
• Craig Hodges
• Cliff Levingston
• Will Perdue
• Dennis Hopson
• Scott Williams

Benjamin Roy Armstrong, Jr. ... Stacey King coaching a game Ronald Stacey Freeze it King (born January 29, 1967 in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA) is an American former NBA center who won three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993. ... Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960 in Park Forest, Illinois) is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA. Hodges attended California State University, Long Beach before beginning a professional career that included playing for the San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and Chicago Bulls. ... Clifford Eugene Levingston (born January 4, 1961 in San Diego, California) is a former NBA basketball player. ... William Edward Perdue (born August 29, 1965 in Melbourne, Florida) is a former professional basketball player in the NBA. Following a stellar college career at Vanderbilt University, in which he was named Southeastern Conference player of the year and SEC male athlete of the year in 1988, he was selected... Dennis Hopson (born April 22, 1965 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American former professional basketball player. ... Scott Williams is an American comic book artist and inker. ...

1991 Los Angeles Lakers

Head Coach

• Mike Dunleavy, Sr.

Mike Dunleavy Sr. ...

Starting five

• Magic Johnson
• James Worthy*
• Byron Scott*
• Sam Perkins
• Vlade Divac

Earvin Johnson redirects here. ... James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is a retired American college and professional basketball player. ... Byron Anton Scott (born March 28, 1961 in Ogden, Utah) is a former National Basketball Association All-Star and current head coach of the NBAs New Orleans Hornets. ... Samuel Bruce Perkins (born June 14, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nickname The Big Smooth. ... Vlade Divac (Serbian Cyrillic: Владе Дивац, pronounced ) (born February 3, 1968, in Prijepolje, Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the United States NBA. At 71 he played at center and was known for his deft passing skills. ...

Bench

• A.C. Green*
• Terry Teagle**
• Mychal Thompson
• Tony Smith
• Elden Campbell
• Larry Drew

*Could not start in Game 5 due to injuries A.C. Green, Jr. ... Terry Michael Teagle (born April 10, 1960 in Broaddus, Texas) is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA. He played from 1982 until 1993. ... Mychal Thompson (born January 30, 1955 in Nassau, Bahamas), is a Bahamian American former National Basketball Association player who was the #1 pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. ... Tony Smith may refer to: Tony Smith (Australian politician) Tony Smith (basketball) Tony Smith (sculptor) Tony Smith (EastEnders), fictional character Tony Smith (football), the football player from the University of Southern Mississippi that was traded by the Green Bay Packers to the Falcons for quarterback Brett Favre. ... Elden Jerome Campbell (born July 23, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is a former professional basketball player who played center in the NBA. Campbell played college basketball at Clemson University. ... Larry Drew (born April 2, 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri), is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1980 NBA Draft. ...

**Started Game 5

Schedule

• Game 1 - June 2, Sunday @ Chicago, Los Angeles 93, Chicago 91: Los Angeles leads series 1-0
• Game 2 - June 5, Wednesday @ Chicago, Chicago 107, Los Angeles 86: Series tied at 1-1
• Game 3 - June 7, Friday @ Los Angeles, Chicago 104, Los Angeles 96 (OT): Chicago leads series 2-1
• Game 4 - June 9, Sunday @ Los Angeles, Chicago 97, Los Angeles 82: Chicago leads series 3-1
• Game 5 - June 12, Wednesday @ Los Angeles , Chicago 108, Los Angeles 101: Chicago wins series 4-1

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage's (Chicago's) home court (Chicago Stadium). is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chicago Stadium was a famed and historic indoor sports arena in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Series Scoring Summary

Bulls win series 4-1

Game 1

Sunday, June 2, at the Chicago Stadium The Chicago Stadium was a famed and historic indoor sports arena in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Michael Jordan had no problem in his first NBA Finals appearance, as he started dominating with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the first quarter alone. In the second quarter, the Lakers continued to stay competitive despite Magic Johnson not attempted one field goal in the second quarter. Despite this, Magic Johnson would hit back-to-back 3 pointers in the third period to give the Lakers their largest lead, and also Magic Johnson's 29th career playoff triple-double. Jordan made a comeback in the fourth quarter with 13 points, but it was Scottie Pippen's two free throws that would give the Bulls a 91-89 lead. Each team ran the shot clock down but neither could hit a shot until Sam Perkins hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to give the Lakers a 92-91 lead. Michael Jordan would then miss his 17-foot field goal and Byron Scott would connect only one of his free throws. The Bulls, unfortunately, were out of time outs so all they could manage was a 50-foot heave by Pippen that was well off.

Game 2

Wednesday, June 5, at the Chicago Stadium The Chicago Stadium was a famed and historic indoor sports arena in Chicago, Illinois. ...

The biggest decision of the game was putting Scottie Pippen on Magic Johnson, while Michael Jordan guarded Vlade Divac. This proved to be effective as Scottie Pippen stopped Magic from "going off" keeping him to only 14 points and 10 assists. For the Bulls, the hero was Horace Grant who led the Bulls with 14 first half points, while Jordan only had 2 points for the first 20 minutes. However for Jordan, this shooting drought would only prove to be temporary and Jordan would hit his next 13 shots in compensation. The Lakers were in the game even when Chicago was leading 58-51 until Byron Scott fouled Pippen, and the Bulls would make 17 of their next 20 field goals in the third quarter despite Jordan on the bench with foul trouble. By the time Jordan returned, their lead was 16 and then Jordan led the Bulls to a 11-0 run to a Bulls victory. The Bulls shot a Finals record 61.7% from the floor, with a Jordan layup over Sam Perkins a highlight.

Game 3

Friday, June 7, at the Great Western Forum The Great Western Forum, known in Los Angeles simply as The Forum, is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California. ...

The Bulls were having trouble in the frontcourt (in Game 1, the Lakers frontcourt outscored Chicago's 60-31). In Game 3, the Lakers would be the ones having trouble, setting a rebounding low in the Finals. Despite this problem, the Lakers went for an 18-2 run that brought them from 3 down (49-52) to 13 up (67-54). The Bulls would answer with a 20-7 run that would tie the game in the 4th quarter at 74. Horace Grant's layup gave the Bulls a 3 point lead with 1:07 to play, while Perkins then scored to cut the lead to 1 with 0:39 left. Vlade would then go for a layup, only to be fouled and give the Lakers a 2 point lead. Michael then went up and shot a 2 point field goal to tie the game. In overtime, Jordan would score half of the Bulls 12 points to win the game.

Game 4

Sunday, June 9, at the Great Western Forum The Great Western Forum, known in Los Angeles simply as The Forum, is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California. ...

The Lakers had a 28-27 lead in the first quarter; only the second time in the 1991 playoffs that a team led the Bulls at the end of the first quarter. This did not matter as Chicago went on a 19-9 run to start the second period and gain a 46-37 lead. While Michael Jordan scored 11 points in the second quarter, the Lakers only made 12 of their 41 shots in the second and third quarters. The Lakers faced a huge blow as Worthy and Scott left the game (and eventually the series) with an injury to the ankle and shoulder, respectively. With the lack of Worthy and Scott, and bad shooting, the Bulls were able to take a 16 point lead in the third quarter. Lakers refused to go down and brought the deficit to 7 points in the fourth quarter, but that is the closest they would go, as Pippen and Jordan led the Bulls to a 19-8 run to put them one game to the NBA Championship.

Game 5

Wednesday, June 12, at the Great Western Forum The Great Western Forum, known in Los Angeles simply as The Forum, is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California. ...

The Lakers were facing elimination, and the lack of Worthy and Scott was not any help to the Lakers. This would not stop Magic Johnson as Johnson had 20 assists in the game, but it was not enough. Elden Campbell outscored Michael Jordan with 13 points in the first half, but it was not enough. The Lakers still fought and even led 93-90 in the fourth quarter, but a Bulls 9-0 run, and Paxson's 10 points in the final half of the fourth quarter helped secure the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan's, first NBA title.

Quotes of the Finals

• "Oh, a spectacular move...by Michael Jordan!" - NBC Sports play-by-play man Marv Albert commentating on Michael Jordan's unbelievable lay-up in Game 2, where he switched hands in mid-air.

• "Oh boy! That'll make every highlight here for the next ten years!"-Jim Durham, Bulls announcer, on Jordan's fantastic move.

• "We're not in a hole...we're in a ditch!"-Mike Dunleavy, Lakers head coach, during a press conference

For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... The NBC Sports logo used since 1989. ... Play-by-play, in broadcasting, is a North American term and means the reporting of a sporting event with a voiceover describing the details of the action of the game in progress. ... Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig on June 12, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American television and radio sportscaster, honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and is commonly referred to as the voice of basketball. ... Jim Durham is an American basketball sportscaster. ... There are several people named Mike Dunleavy: Mike Dunleavy, Sr. ...

See also

• 1991 NBA Playoffs

NBA Playoffs Categories: | ...

External links

• NBA History
• NBA 1991 Finals Game 2 on Youtube.com