5 things to remember about the 1995-96 team

Few teams exemplified success more than the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

The team that won 72 regular-season games and captured its fourth NBA championship in franchise history will be inducted into the Chicago Bulls’ inaugural Ring of Honor this week, including Thursday night’s celebration and Friday’s game against the Golden Bulls Celebrations at halftime of the game. State Warriors.

( (DON’T MISS) Who should be inducted into the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor next? 5 potential options for the future. )

Players celebrating the 1995-96 team this week include Michael Jordan, Toni Kukoc, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Randy Brown, Judd Buechler, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Luke Longley, John Sully, Dickie Simpkins and Bill Winning Dayton; coaches Phil Jackson, Tex Winter, Jim Clemons, Eric Hyland, John Paxson and Jimmy Rodgers; and front office members Jerry Krause, Ivica Dukan, Clarence Gaines Jr., John Ligmanowski, Chip Schaefer, Jim Stack and Al Vermeil.

Take a look back at five of the team’s most memorable moments from the 1995-96 season:

The team broke the previous best regular season record of 69 wins and 13 losses set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. The season saw 18 consecutive wins. On April 21, 1996, the Bulls defeated the Washington Bullets 103-93, winning their 72nd game and ending the regular season. They lost just three games in four playoff series before winning their fourth NBA championship in franchise history.

Since then, this regular season record was broken by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set a new regular season standard with 73 wins. But the mystique of the 1995-95 Chicago Bulls remained, as the Warriors fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, unable to capture a championship in their historic season.

With the former set of games, the 1995-96 Bulls will forever stand out as the most successful season in league history.

After making the shocking decision to return to the NBA at the end of the 1994-95 season, Jordan immediately restored his position at the top of basketball in his first full season back on the court.

Jordan led the league with 30.4 points per game and won the league MVP title for the fourth time, but the honors didn’t stop there. After finishing second in All-Star voting behind Grant Hill, Jordan won the NBA All-Star MVP Award for the second time and first since 1988 with a 20-point performance.

Jordan ended his triumphant season by averaging 30.7 points, 4.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals throughout the playoff series, eventually winning the Finals MVP. He became the second player to win all three MVP awards, following Willis Reed in 1970.

The Bulls’ new lineup was bolstered by the addition of Dennis Rodman, who immediately gave the team a new edge on the glass. In his first season with the Bulls, Rodman led the Bulls and the league with 14.9 rebounds per game, winning the rebounding title for the fifth consecutive time.

Rodman, who was instrumental in the team’s success in 1995-96, found a new gear in Chicago. In January 1996, he scored his first career triple-double and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team at the end of the season. Rodman dominated the boards against the Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals and had 19 rebounds in Game 6 to help seal the series.

“When you evaluate this series, Dennis Rodman won two basketball games,” Seattle coach George Karl said after the series. “We controlled Dennis Rodman for four games, but game two and tonight, he was the reason they were successful.”

The Bulls waited three years before finally cashing in on their 1990 second-round pick. But when Toni Kukoc finally arrived in Chicago, he quickly made an impact. The Croatian star didn’t join the Bulls until 1993 and was disappointed when Jordan retired, but was encouraged by the star’s return in 1995.

Despite having to leave his newfound starting spot to make room for Jordan and Rodman, Kukoc found his stride as the first man off the bench. He averaged 13.1 points, 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. Kukoc is one of only three players (Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Bobby Jones) to win the award in the same year as an NBA championship.

In Chicago, it’s clear something special is happening this season. Since the Bulls first began their long war with the “bad boy” Pistons in 1987, the team has extended its home sellout streak to 437 games. This record was not broken until 2000.

Fans were immediately rewarded, as the Bulls lost just two games at home all season en route to their fourth NBA championship.