SEA 75, CHI 87 - On June 16, 1996, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Seattle SuperSonics for Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the United Center, aiming to close out the series and secure their fourth championship. The Bulls, led by a determined Michael Jordan, were focused on reclaiming their dominance after losing two consecutive games in Seattle. Jordan, who scored 22 points, along with Scottie Pippen's 17 points, spearheaded Chicago's effort. The Bulls established an early lead and maintained their intensity throughout the game. Their defense was particularly effective, disrupting Seattle's offensive flow and forcing numerous turnovers. The Bulls' bench also played a crucial role, with key contributions from players like Toni Kukoc, who scored 10 points. Chicago's cohesive and relentless play resulted in an 87-75 victory, clinching the NBA title and capping off a historic 72-win season.

The Seattle SuperSonics, despite their valiant efforts, were unable to overcome the Bulls' home-court advantage and defensive pressure. Shawn Kemp, who scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, continued to be Seattle's standout performer, but he received limited support from his teammates. Gary Payton, held to 13 points, struggled against Chicago's defensive schemes. The Sonics' offense was stifled, and their shooting struggles from the field hampered any comeback attempts. Despite the loss, Seattle's performance in the Finals was commendable, having pushed one of the greatest teams in NBA history to six games. For the Bulls, the victory was particularly significant for Michael Jordan, who celebrated his first championship since returning from his first retirement, adding another chapter to his legendary career.

Sidenote: Although many argue that Gary Payton prevented Michael Jordan from scoring effectively, I tracked the instances where Jordan made a shot against Payton, and he actually shot 50% in those situations. Jordan's misses were primarily on contested shots with 2 or 3 defenders, with Hersey Hawkins being the primary defender and Payton, Schrempf, or Kemp providing support on Jordan's weak side.

While the MVP award was given to Michael Jordan being the best player in the winning team, Shawn Kemp was actually the best player of the Finals series. Clearly, we don’t award the Finals MVP to the losing team, as the goal of competition is to win. This was only the 2nd time that Michael Jordan was outplayed by either a teammate or an opposing player in his entire career. Only Michael Jordan holds this record.

Series top performers:
Shawn Kemp: 23.3 PTS, 55 FG%, 86 FT%, 10.0 REB, 2.2 AST, 1.3 STL, 2.0 BLK, GMSC 18.9
Michael Jordan: 27.3 PTS, 42 FG%, 32 3P%, 84 FT%, 5.3 REB, 4.2 AST, 1.7 STL, 0.2 BLK, GMSC 18.5
Gary Payton: 18.0 PTS, 44 FG%, 33 3P%, 73 FT%, 6.3 REB, 7.0 AST, 1.5 STL, GMSC 14.4
Scottie Pippen: 15.7 PTS, 34 FG%, 23 3P%, 71 FT%, 8.2 REB, 5.3 AST, 2.3 STL, 1.3 BLK, GMSC 13.4
Dennis Rodman: 7.5 PTS, 49 FG%, 58 FT%, 14.7 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.2 BLK, GMSC 10.2

Both Kemp and Jordan have a significant gap from their teammates and are clearly the standout players. Although this is not one of Jordan's strongest playoff performances—given that he typically averages between 24 to 30 Game Score per series—it’s worth acknowledging the Sonics for their exceptional team defense.

Jordan's average Game Score of 18.5 for this series is the lowest of his entire career. In all his playoff appearances, he dipped below a Game Score of 20 only once, setting another record that he holds alone. To put this in perspective: a Game Score of 25+ signifies an all-time great performance, 20+ is MVP level, 15+ is All-Star level, and 14 or below is considered role player level.

Michael Jordan led all players in 35 out of 37 playoff series, achieving this 94.6% of the time. He was outperformed by a marginal 0.4 points in Game Score average in the two series where he wasn't the top player. His record boasts a 23% gap over the second-best 71.6% record.

Although Michael Jordan and the Bulls faced early playoff losses in their first seven seasons, Jordan was never outperformed by an opposing player or teammate, not even by Larry Bird. To be the greatest of all time, one must first be the greatest of their time. Jordan's record showcases a remarkable 23% lead over the second-best record in all of NBA history.

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