1992 NBA Finals

The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1991–92 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA that season.

1992 NBA Finals

Team Coach Wins Chicago Bulls Phil Jackson 4 Portland Trail Blazers Rick Adelman 2
Dates	June 3–14
MVP	Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Hall of Famers	Trail Blazers: Clyde Drexler (2004) Bulls: Michael Jordan (2009) Scottie Pippen (2010) Coaches: Rick Adelman (2021) Phil Jackson (2007) Tex Winter (2011) Officials: Dick Bavetta (2015) Hugh Evans (2022) Darell Garretson (2016)
Eastern finals	Bulls defeated Cavaliers, 4–2
Western finals	Trail Blazers defeated Jazz, 4–2

The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan throughout the season. A month earlier Sports Illustrated had even listed Drexler as Jordan's "No. 1 rival" on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson–Larry Bird type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler, compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype.

The Bulls went on to win the series in six games, becoming the fourth NBA team to win back-to-back championships after the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Detroit Pistons. Michael Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring title.

Background

Chicago Bulls

Main article: 1991–92 Chicago Bulls season

The Bulls won their first NBA championship the previous season and finished the 1991–92 season with a 67–15 record, surpassing last season's record by six games. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with a 30.1 points/6.4 assists/6.1 rebounds season.

After sweeping the Miami Heat in the opening round, they played the New York Knicks, who were now coached by Pat Riley and won in seven games. Then they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they had beaten in two prior postseason meetings, in the conference finals. The Bulls won in six games.

Portland Trail Blazers

Main article: 1991–92 Portland Trail Blazers season

The previous season, Portland was coming off a Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons. The 1990–91 Trail Blazers won a franchise record 63 games and, as the top seed in the Western Conference, appeared destined to meet the Bulls for the championship. However, the Los Angeles Lakers upended the narrative, defeating Portland in six games of the conference final. However, the Lakers would lose to the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. Of note, the upset marked a final hurrah for the "Showtime"-era Lakers, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired two years prior, and Magic Johnson would retire unexpectedly in the first week of the 1991–92 season, after learning he had tested positive for HIV.

For the 1991–92 season, the Blazers retained the same core from the previous two seasons; the team won the Pacific Division title with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they avenged the previous year's loss, dispatching a weakened Lakers team, 3–1. Portland followed that up with a five-game defeat of the Phoenix Suns in the second round, before booking another trip to the Finals with a six-game elimination of the Utah Jazz in the conference Finals.

Road to the Finals

Main article: 1992 NBA Playoffs

Portland Trail Blazers (Western Conference champion)		Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference champion)
# Western Conference Team W L PCT GB 1 c-Portland Trail Blazers 57 25 .695 – 2 y-Utah Jazz 55 27 .671 2 3 x-Golden State Warriors 55 27 .671 2 4 x-Phoenix Suns 53 29 .646 4 5 x-San Antonio Spurs 47 35 .573 10 6 x-Seattle SuperSonics 47 35 .573 10 7 x-Los Angeles Clippers 45 37 .549 12 8 x-Los Angeles Lakers 43 39 .524 14 9 Houston Rockets 42 40 .512 15 10 Sacramento Kings 29 53 .354 28 11 Denver Nuggets 24 58 .293 33 12 Dallas Mavericks 22 60 .268 35 13 Minnesota Timberwolves 15 67 .183 42 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record	Regular season		# Eastern Conference Team W L PCT GB 1 z-Chicago Bulls 67 15 .817 – 2 y-Boston Celtics 51 31 .622 16 3 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 57 25 .695 10 4 x-New York Knicks 51 31 .622 16 5 x-Detroit Pistons 48 34 .585 19 6 x-New Jersey Nets 40 42 .488 27 7 x-Indiana Pacers 40 42 .488 27 8 x-Miami Heat 38 44 .463 29 9 Atlanta Hawks 38 44 .463 29 10 Philadelphia 76ers 35 47 .427 32 11 Milwaukee Bucks 31 51 .378 36 12 Charlotte Hornets 31 51 .378 36 13 Washington Bullets 25 57 .305 42 14 Orlando Magic 21 61 .256 46 1st seed in the East, best league record
Defeated the (8) Los Angeles Lakers, 3–1	First round		Defeated the (8) Miami Heat, 3–0
Defeated the (4) Phoenix Suns, 4–1	Conference Semifinals		Defeated the (4) New York Knicks, 4–3
Defeated the (2) Utah Jazz, 4–2	Conference Finals		Defeated the (3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–2

Regular season series

The Chicago Bulls won both games in the regular season series:

November 29, 1991

Chicago Bulls 116, Portland Trail Blazers 114 (2OT)

Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon

March 1, 1992

Portland Trail Blazers 91, Chicago Bulls 111

Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois

Team rosters

Chicago Bulls

1991–92 Chicago Bulls roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From PG 10 Armstrong, B. J. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1967–09–09 Iowa C 24 Cartwright, Bill 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1957–07–30 San Francisco PF 54 Grant, Horace 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1965–07–04 Clemson SG 20 Hansen, Bobby 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1961–01–18 Iowa SG 14 Hodges, Craig 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1960–06–27 Long Beach State SG 23 Jordan, Michael 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1963–02–17 North Carolina PF 21 King, Stacey 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1967–01–29 Oklahoma PF 53 Levingston, Cliff 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1961–01–04 Wichita State C 25 Nevitt, Chuck 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1960–02–19 Kansas State PG 5 Paxson, John 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1959–06–13 Notre Dame C 32 Perdue, Will 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1965–08–29 Vanderbilt SF 33 Pippen, Scottie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1965–09–25 Central Arkansas PF 52 Randall, Mark 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1967–09–30 Kansas PF 42 Williams, Scott 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1968–03–21 North Carolina

Head coach Phil Jackson Assistant coach(es) Johnny Bach Jim Cleamons Tex Winter Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Portland Trail Blazers

1991–92 Portland Trail Blazers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From PF 31 Abdelnaby, Alaa 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1968–06–24 Duke SG 9 Ainge, Danny 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1959–03–17 BYU PF 2 Bryant, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1965–04–25 Seton Hall C 42 Cooper, Wayne 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–11–16 New Orleans SG 22 Drexler, Clyde 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1962–06–22 Houston C 00 Duckworth, Kevin 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 1964–04–01 Eastern Illinois SF 25 Kersey, Jerome 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1962–06–26 Longwood PG 14 Pack, Robert 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1969–02–03 USC PG 30 Porter, Terry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1963–04–08 UW–Stevens Point PF 3 Robinson, Clifford 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1966–12–16 Connecticut SG 12 Strothers, Lamont 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1968–05–10 Christopher Newport PG 8 Whatley, Ennis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 177 lb (80 kg) 1962–08–11 Alabama PF 52 Williams, Buck 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1960–03–08 Maryland

Head coach Rick Adelman Assistant coach(es) Jack Schalow John Wetzel Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Series summary

Game	Date	Road team	Result	Home team
Game 1	June 3	Portland Trail Blazers	89–122 (0–1)	Chicago Bulls
Game 2	June 5	Portland Trail Blazers	115–104 (OT) (1–1)	Chicago Bulls
Game 3	June 7	Chicago Bulls	94–84 (2–1)	Portland Trail Blazers
Game 4	June 10	Chicago Bulls	88–93 (2–2)	Portland Trail Blazers
Game 5	June 12	Chicago Bulls	119–106 (3–2)	Portland Trail Blazers
Game 6	June 14	Portland Trail Blazers	93–97 (2–4)	Chicago Bulls

Game 1

NBC

June 3 9:00et

Portland Trail Blazers 89, Chicago Bulls 122
Scoring by quarter: 30–33, 21–33, 17–38, 21–18
Pts: Drexler, Robinson 16 each Rebs: Jerome Kersey 7 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7		Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Pippen, Williams 9 each Asts: Michael Jordan 11
Chicago leads the series, 1–0

Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 42 Hue Hollins No. 27 Dick Bavetta

Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin Baylor (Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the sixth three-pointer that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise. Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. Portland held their final lead at 45–44 in the second quarter before Chicago went on a 22–6 run to grab a 66–51 halftime lead and take control. The Bulls finished with a 122–89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Game 2

NBC

June 5 9:00et

Portland Trail Blazers 115, Chicago Bulls 104 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 23–22, 16–32, 27–20, Overtime: 18–7
Pts: Clyde Drexler 26 Rebs: Buck Williams 14 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8		Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Horace Grant 12 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 10 each
Series tied, 1–1

Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 22 Paul Mihalik

With the Chicago Blackhawks playing for the Stanley Cup when the Bulls reached the Finals, Game 2 would have had conflict with Game 6 of the Blackhawks' series, as both teams would have played on the same day at Chicago Stadium. However, the Blackhawks series ended in 4 games, so no rescheduling was needed.

Portland built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and held a nine-point lead at the half. However, as in Game 1, their lead started to disappear as the Bulls made their run – Jordan scored 14 points while Paxson scored 9, taking a seven-point lead by the end of the third quarter. Chicago was looking to take a commanding 2–0 lead in the series when Clyde Drexler fouled out with 4:36 remaining. With the Bulls up by 10, Jordan started to lose his poise, committing a foul and then a technical foul. This helped Portland build a 15–5 run, pushing the game into overtime after Jordan narrowly missed at the buzzer. In overtime, Portland dominated, especially Ainge, who scored six points with one minute remaining as the Blazers won 115–104 – the Bulls' worst home defeat in an NBA Finals game.

Game 3

NBC

June 7 7:00et

Chicago Bulls 94, Portland Trail Blazers 84
Scoring by quarter: 34–26, 20–19, 16–15, 24–24
Pts: Michael Jordan 26 Rebs: Grant, Pippen 8 each Asts: Scottie Pippen 7		Pts: Clyde Drexler 32 Rebs: Jerome Kersey 12 Asts: Terry Porter 4
Chicago leads the series, 2–1

Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees: No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 13 Mike Mathis No. 21 Bill Oakes

Chicago had lost home court advantage, but dominated Portland, holding them to numerous franchise playoff lows: 84 points in a game, 39 second-half points and 28 field goals. Chicago would go on a 30–13 run in the first half to gain a 44–30 lead which Portland would cut to three with 7:09 left in the third before the Bulls went to another 12–3 run. Portland would then go on a field goal drought, not scoring from the 4:33 mark in the third quarter until the 9:36 mark of the fourth, a 6:57 stretch.

Game 4

NBC

June 10 9:00et

Chicago Bulls 88, Portland Trail Blazers 93
Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 22–27, 21–21, 19–27
Pts: Michael Jordan 32 Rebs: Horace Grant 10 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 6 each		Pts: Drexler, Kersey 21 each Rebs: Kevin Duckworth 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 9
Series tied, 2–2

Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees: No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 17 Joey Crawford No. 27 Dick Bavetta

Portland was still playing as they were during Game 3, not scoring for four minutes and finding themselves down 10–0. The Bulls were up 22–9 before the Blazers rallied and cut the deficit to three at the half, but found themselves down again in the third quarter. While Jordan scored 13 points in the third quarter, he would not score in the game's final 10:26. Portland went on a 15–6 run to even the series at two games apiece.

Game 5

NBC

June 12 9:00et

Chicago Bulls 119, Portland Trail Blazers 106
Scoring by quarter: 39–26, 27–28, 28–24, 25–28
Pts: Michael Jordan 46 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 11 Asts: Scottie Pippen 9		Pts: Clyde Drexler 30 Rebs: Jerome Kersey 12 Asts: Terry Porter 8
Chicago leads the series, 3–2

Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees: No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 42 Hue Hollins

The Bulls jumped out to a 10–2 lead and never looked back, answering every Blazers comeback attempt with a run of their own. Chicago opened the second half on a 16–8 run to give the Bulls a 20-point lead. Portland didn't pull back within single digits until less than four minutes were left in the game, and ended up losing 119–106.

Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.

Game 5 remains the most recent NBA Finals game played in Portland to date.

Game 6

NBC

June 14 7:30et

Portland Trail Blazers 93, Chicago Bulls 97
Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 25–25, 29–20, 14–33
Pts: Drexler, Kersey 24 each Rebs: Jerome Kersey 9 Asts: Terry Porter 8		Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Scott Williams 8 Asts: Horace Grant 5
Chicago wins the NBA Finals, 4–2

Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 13 Mike Mathis

Portland started strongly as they held Michael Jordan scoreless for the game's first 11 minutes, and took a 43–28 lead midway through the second quarter before Chicago went on a 16–7 run and cut the deficit to only six points. Portland also dominated the third quarter, building a 79–64 lead. Phil Jackson went with four reserves and Scottie Pippen to start the fourth quarter, cutting Portland's lead to three after only three minutes. Jordan returned and had two steals and converted them to hoops to give Chicago a permanent lead. With 11.8 seconds left and the Bulls up by 2, Jordan virtually clinched the title by hitting 2 free throws bringing him to 12 points in the fourth quarter. Kersey then missed a 3 which was rebounded by Paxson who dribbled out the clock. The Bulls' defense held Portland to only six points in the final four minutes, leading the Bulls to their second straight championship. Jordan finished with 33 points and was named Finals MVP for the second consecutive year.

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
B. J. Armstrong	6	0	17.8	.429	.250	.571	0.8	2.3	0.3	0.0	5.8
Bill Cartwright	6	6	25.2	.500	.000	.500	4.0	1.5	0.5	0.2	6.3
Horace Grant	6	6	37.8	.561	.000	.529	7.8	4.0	0.8	2.3	9.2
Bob Hansen	5	0	8.0	.600	.750	.500	0.4	0.6	0.2	0.0	3.2
Craig Hodges	2	0	3.0	1.000	.000	.000	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	1.0
Michael Jordan	6	6	42.3	.526	.429	.891	4.8	6.5	1.7	0.3	35.8
Stacey King	4	0	12.0	.333	.000	.667	2.5	0.0	0.3	0.3	4.5
Cliff Levingston	6	0	10.8	.450	.000	.500	2.2	0.7	0.2	0.2	3.8
John Paxson	6	6	30.8	.520	.389	.750	0.8	2.7	1.3	0.0	10.3
Will Perdue	3	0	3.3	.333	.000	.000	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7
Scottie Pippen	6	6	40.7	.484	.222	.786	8.3	7.7	1.5	0.7	20.8
Scott Williams	6	0	21.3	.542	.000	.778	6.2	1.0	0.2	1.3	5.5

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Alaa Abdelnaby	1	0	6.0	.000	.000	.500	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0
Danny Ainge	6	0	23.0	.434	.235	.714	2.0	2.5	0.8	0.2	10.0
Mark Bryant	1	0	21.0	.625	.000	.000	5.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	10.0
Wayne Cooper	1	0	8.0	.000	.000	.000	2.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	0.0
Clyde Drexler	6	6	39.7	.407	.150	.893	7.8	5.3	1.3	1.0	24.8
Kevin Duckworth	6	6	27.3	.431	.000	.706	6.8	1.5	0.5	0.7	9.3
Jerome Kersey	6	6	38.0	.481	.000	.733	8.7	3.3	1.8	0.2	14.8
Robert Pack	2	0	8.0	.167	.000	.750	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.0	2.5
Terry Porter	6	6	43.8	.471	.231	.824	4.3	4.7	1.0	0.3	16.2
Clifford Robinson	6	0	24.3	.442	.000	.593	3.0	2.2	0.8	0.7	10.3
Ennis Whatley	5	0	5.2	.286	.000	.000	0.2	0.2	0.6	0.0	0.8
Buck Williams	6	6	35.2	.500	.000	.938	7.3	1.0	0.8	0.5	7.8

Media coverage

NBC Sports used commentator Marv Albert, analysts Mike Fratello and Magic Johnson, and sideline reporter Ahmad Rashad (both teams' sidelines). Bob Costas and Quinn Buckner hosted the pre-game, halftime and postgame reports.

Just months later, the 1991–92 NBA season documentary Untouchabulls was released. Narrated by Hal Douglas, it recaps the Bulls' championship season. "Jam" by Michael Jackson was used as the theme song for the documentary. That same year, Jordan was featured in Jackson's music video for "Jam".

Aftermath

The Bulls won their third straight championship in the 1992–93 season, winning 57 games and defeating the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. In the offseason that preceded Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen played for the Dream Team that won the gold medal in the Barcelona Olympics, making them the first players to win NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year (Pippen would achieve this feat again in 1996, and LeBron James would accomplish this in 2012). That team also included Blazers guard Clyde Drexler. This made Jordan, Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks and Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors the only players to have won Olympic gold medals as both amateurs and professionals, having played for Team USA in Los Angeles.

The 1992 Finals would prove the Blazers' last Finals appearance as of the 2023–24 season. In the next three seasons, the Blazers rebuilt the team, hiring general manager Bob Whitsitt in 1994 and lost the core of their 1992 Finals team to free agency and trades, beginning with Kevin Duckworth's departure to the Bullets in the 1993 offseason. The last remaining piece of the team, Clyde Drexler, was traded and went on to win the NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995.

The 1991–92 Bulls, along with the 1995–96 Bulls, were named one of the 10 greatest teams in NBA history during the league's golden anniversary.

The 1992 championship marked the only time the Bulls celebrated their title at the Chicago Stadium. Following the awarding ceremony by commissioner David Stern, they returned to the court to show their newly won title in front of Bulls fans. This act eventually led to Stern's decision to present the NBA championship to the winning team at center court in front of the fans, starting in 1994; the only exception was when the Lakers won in 2001 at Philadelphia's First Union Center, but decided to hold the ceremony in their locker room. Two other home championship celebrations followed in the 1996 and 1997 Finals, this time at the similarly constructed but bigger United Center.

External links

• NBA History
• 1992 NBA Finals at Basketball Reference