1995-96 CHICAGO BULLS

Backstory
After a self-imposed 17-month retirement, Michael Jordan returned to the Bulls for the latter stages of the 1994-95 season.

Wearing No. 45 instead of his famous 23, Jordan looked like an out-of-shape ex-baseball player as his Bulls got knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by Indiana.

The regular season
Jordan, being the competitive cuss he is, came back strong for his first full season in the NBA since the Bulls’ 1993 title, their third straight. And he made everyone strong with him. Jordan won his eighth scoring title (30.4) as the Bulls finished 72-10, becoming the first NBA team to win 70 games. New acquisition Dennis Rodman behaved himself long enough to win his fifth straight rebounding title (14.9). Scottie Pippen fit back into the Robin role and was an All-Star.

Toni Kukoc was Sixth Man of the Year, Phil Jackson was Coach of the Year, and Jerry Krause was Executive of the Year.

The Bulls led the league by scoring 105.2 points, and ranked third by giving up only 92.9 — a 12.3 points-per-game differential. They had one two-game losing streak. They won a record 33 road games. They won no less than five games in a row all season, topped by an 18-game streak, until the season’s final day. That’s because they had lost their final home game the day before, to Indiana, the only team to beat the Bulls twice.

The postseason
No fumbling, out-of-shape ex-baseball players this time around. The Bulls lost only one game en route to the finals, and beat Seattle 4-2 to regain their title.

Postscript
The 1995-96 season was the one that turned Jordan and the Bulls into true international sensations, with star-like worship unseen on the road since Led Zeppelin’s 1975 tour. The Bulls would win two more titles before ego battles putting Jackson and Jordan versus Krause and owner Jerry Reinsdorf blew the team apart in the most sudden end to an international sensation since Led Zeppelin’s 1980 tour.

The greatest regular seasons ever Introduction 1934 Chicago Bears 1971-'72 Los Angeles Lakers 1972 Miami Dolphins 1976-'77 Montreal Canadiens 1979-'80 Philadelphia Flyers 1990-'91 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers 1995-'96 Chicago Bulls 1997-'98 Tennessee Lady Vols 2001 Seattle Mariners 2003-04 Arsenal FC VOTE: Which was most impressive?

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