Damon Stoudamire reflects on the Toronto Raptors' upset of the '96 Chicago Bulls

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

On March 24th, 1996, the expansion Toronto Raptors had a March Madness moment of their own when they upset the Chicago Bulls at home by a final score of 109-108. The Raptors improved to 18-49 on the season while the Bulls fell to 60-8. The Bulls would go on to win the NBA championship that season over the Seattle SuperSonics with a regular season record of 72-10.  

Damon Stoudamire led the Raptors with 30 points, four rebounds, and 11 assists while Michael Jordan was the top performer for the Bulls with 36 points and nine rebounds. It was truly a March Madness level upset with the Raptors trailing 83-79 entering the 4th quarter before they outscored the Bulls 30-25 to win by one point. 

With under 1:30 to go, the Bulls led 106-103 as Jordan continued to catch fire, hitting a huge turnaround jumper. The Raptors had the ball, hoping to answer. Stoudamire would knife his way to the basket and draw a foul. Stoudamire would go 1-2 at the foul line, but thanks to an offensive rebound by Doug Christie, the Raptors kept possession as Christie was fouled, sending him to the foul line. Christie would miss both foul shots, but the Raptors scooped up another offensive rebound as Stoudamire hustled to get the ball. 

Stoudamire would get rejected inside by Jordan, but the Raptors were able to keep possession leading to a reset at the top of the key. This time the Raptors would score as Stoudamire penetrated and dished off to Oliver Miller for the slam, tying the game up at 106-106 with under 50 seconds to go. Jordan hit a huge jumper on the next possession to make it a 108-106 lead for the Bulls with 31.8 to go. The Raptors needed to answer once more. 

Out of a time out, the Raptors quickly scored as Miller found Tracy Murray for an easy basket inside, tying it up 108-108 with 30.1 to go. The Bulls would not score on the next possession as Murray was able to block Jordan, leading to a rebound by Miller. Miller appeared to call for time with 21.3 to go, but it turned out Jordan fouled Miller, sending Miller to the foul line. Miller would go 1-2 at the foul line, making the first and missing the second free throw. That made it a 109-108 lead for the Raptors as the Bulls got the ball back thanks to a quick rebound by Scottie Pippen. 

Coming out of a timeout, after Dancing in the Street by David Bowie and Mick Jagger finished playing, the Bulls were unable to score as Steve Kerr fired up a 3-pointer that did not fall. Jordan would get the rebound and bank in a shot from the corner, but time had expired. 109-108 the Raptors survived. 

As you can imagine, the SkyDome went nuts. It truly felt like everyone in Toronto was dancing in the streets after the Raptors knocked off Air Jordan and the Bulls. During one of the ACC men's basketball media availability days, I asked Stoudamire, who was the head coach of Georgia Tech at the time, what he most remembers about that day. 

"It's just, you know, it was a great memory," Stoudamire said. "You know, it was one of the standout things of my rookie season to beat the 72-win Bulls. I think that was one of the things that ignited my career and one of the highlights of playing in Toronto, but it was a great moment. More, you know, do I look back on it now?  You know, it was just more so for the fans. I mean, we were, you know, we only won 21 games that year, but you would have you thought we won the world championship on that afternoon. And for those fans, that was like the biggest moment for them at that time. So it felt really good." 

It's a universal truth across all sports that an underdog victory is often the sweetest of all victories and for the Raptors it certainly was just that. What makes it all the more sweet and memorable now is knowing what the Bulls would go on to accomplish. That 1996 Bulls team is widely regarded as the greatest team of all-time. To be one of the few teams that beat that team and to do it as an expansion team in front of your home fans? Man, not a lot of things outside of literally winning a championship can top that. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Bluesky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406   

 

 

 

 

Saturday Slam: The Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title

(Photo: Jack Smith, AP)

Upon finishing The Last Dance, one of the burning questions that remains is whether or not the Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title. Jerry Krause, who was the general manager of the Bulls during their dominant run created a lot of tension between the players and the front office, especially during their final year together. What created so much tension was the fact that the players all knew that the 1997-98 season would be the last year that they would be together. If you watched the 10 part ESPN documentary, you would know that the name "The Last Dance" comes from the nickname that head coach Phil Jackson gave to that season.

They knew this would be their last time together because of Krause and his desire to begin the rebuilding process. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson all would have preferred to give it another go after they won their 6th title. If it was up to them, they would have all come back and chased a 7th title.

While every dynasty must come to an end and front offices need to think about the future, it's odd that Krause was so quick to shut the door on a run for a 7th title. Hell, Krause told Jackson before the season started that he could go 82-0 and he still wouldn't be back. Regardless of how successful the 1997-98 season was to be, it was to be the last that Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen would all be together.

What makes it odd is the fact that the Bulls were still kicking butt. They were just two seasons removed from their historic 72-10 season. While there were some signs of them slowing down a bit, they were still the best team in the NBA. We've often seen players choose on their own to walk away when they're at their peak, but it's another thing for an organization to do so. Especially when that organization historically hasn't been very good.

Before Michael Jordan came onto the scene, the Bulls were not a very good team. They were mediocre to bad. They were the least popular team in Chicago and there was very little buzz around them. The arrival of Jordan changed that, turning them into a franchise that gets mentioned in the same sentence as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. For them to think that it was totally cool to prematurely end Jordan's run was ludicrous and to this day has proven to be a mistake.

Since Jordan's retirement, the Bulls haven't come close to sniffing another NBA championship. The Derrick Rose era was a little exciting, but fleeting. The Bulls are back to being a bad franchise and there is no sign of them changing course anytime soon.

Going back to the 1997-98 season, considering the success that they were having, the Bulls should have at least remained open to the possibility of one more go with Phil and the gang. When you have such a good thing going, why not ride it out and see how far that wave can take you? 

What makes it all the more difficult to justify the early disbandment is the fact that the 1998-99 season was a lockout year in which only 50 regular season games were played. Jordan and Pippen would have gotten some extra time to rest up and that may have made the difference in their quest for a 7th title. On top of that, the 8th seeded New York Knicks won the Eastern Conference crown. It's hard to think that Jordan and Pippen wouldn't have disposed of them rather easily. As for who they would have met in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs proved to be a great dynasty in their own right, but at the time, they were sort of the new kids on the block with Tim Duncan leading the way. In hindsight, one would have to pick the veteran Bulls to snatch one from the Spurs, giving Jordan seven rings and Duncan four.

Now, I don't think the Bulls would have won an eighth title had they come back in the 1999-2000 season given the emergence of the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. The Bulls would have had no answer for Shaq inside and with even more mileage on them, it's fair to wonder if that series would have even been much of a fight. Still, it is fun to think about Jordan's Bulls going up against Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. I mean, had the Bulls actually won, that would have put the Jordan/Kobe debates to rest, right?

To wrap this all up, I think it's clear that the Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title. They had the greatest player of all-time, perhaps the greatest coach of all-time, and would have had a shortened season to give them an edge. Perhaps all things do happen for a reason and that it's fitting things ended the way that they did, but all the same, it does feel like this team had one more dance in them.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here.

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.

To connect with Ben Parker, click here.

Tomahawk Tuesday: Luka Doncic isn't Michael Jordan, but he's damn good

                                         (Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) 

On Sunday, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in his team's 110-106 loss to the Sacramento Kings. While his team lost the game, he did surpass Michael Jordan for most consecutive games with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists since the NBA/ABA merger. Jordan's record was 18 games and Doncic now has 19 games achieving the feat. For your reference, Oscar Robertson had 29 games of 20/5/5, but it was before the merger.

Scottie Pippen, who has turned into an apologist of sorts for his 90s Bulls teams, made a statement to TMZ about how Doncic can't be compared to Jordan because he doesn't have six rings: "He got six titles yet?!" The question Pippen was asked was whether or not he sees any of MJ's game in Doncic. It's actually a pretty fair question. Instead of giving a good response, Pippen gave one of his pompous "I'm not the GOAT, but I played with the GOAT, so that makes me more important than you and your silly question" answers. It's annoying. I understand MJ is the greatest basketball player of all-time, but that doesn't mean he can't ever be compared to anybody.

Look, it's highly unlikely that anyone will come along who matches MJ's overall impact on the sport. A major reason for that is timing. MJ came along in an era in which the NBA had most of its fan base in the United States. Thanks to him, the NBA became much more popular worldwide. No matter how good someone else is, they'll never be able to replicate that same impact. On top of that, it's highly unlikely, though not impossible, that someone else will lead a team to six NBA championships in the same decade without losing in the finals. Maybe someone will come along and win seven, but the odds of that are really low.

That isn't to say Doncic can't put his own stamp on basketball. We need to stop looking for the next Michael Jordan because there's only one Michael Jordan. We need to instead appreciate what other great players bring to the table and cherish what they're accomplishing.

While he isn't Michael Jordan, Luka Doncic is damn good. He's one of the most versatile players we've seen and he's only in his second season. So long as he keeps playing like he is, he'll make the Basketball Hall of Fame and go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest player of his generation. As tempting as it is to compare him to those that came before him, we need to do our best to live in the present and admire what he's doing for its own sake.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Daily Dunks: 10/5/-10/11/15

                                                  (Credit Andy Melton: Click here for source) 

Here is my Daily Dunks page for October 5, 2015 through October 11, 2015. Throughout the week this page will be updated with news from across the NBA until a new  Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The 76ers have a lot of injuries (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks' co-owner made more money by exposing Danny Ferry's comments about Luol Deng (Click here for details).

#3. Thabo Sefolosha's trial regarding his confrontation with the NYPD is underway (Click here for details).

#4. Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will undergo shoulder surgery and be out 6 months (Click here for details).

#5. The Rockets plan to bring Alessandro Gentile over in 2016 (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Andrea Bargnani's MRI on his hamstring came back negative (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA preseason scores: 

Warriors 95 Raptors 87. Kings 109 Trail Blazers 105 (OT). Fenerbahçe Ülker 101 Nets 96.

Tuesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Lakers have some injuries (Click here for details).

#2. Click here for an update on Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao

#3. DeMarcus Cousins hopes to enter the MVP race (Click here for details).

#4. Doc Rivers admits the Clippers may blow up their roster after this season (Click here for details).

#5. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer urged Danny Ferry to resign (Click here for details).

#6. The Pistons are interested in trading for Markieff Morris (Click here for details).

#7. Nets swingman Markel Brown is done for the preseason (Click here for details).

#8. Click here for an injury update on Knicks guard Aaron Afflalo

Tuesday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 77 Fever 71: Final.  Sylvia Fowles led the Lynx with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Best-of-five series is tied 1-1.

Tuesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 124 Olimpia Milano 91. Wizards 129 76ers 95. Pacers 115 Pistons 112. Bulls 105 Bucks 95.
Grizzlies 92 Rockets 89. Nuggets 96 Mavericks 86.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Raptors don't have high expectations for Anthony Bennett (Click here for details).

#2. Kevin Love will practice with the Cavaliers on Saturday (Click here for details).

#3. Mark Cuban suggests the NBA has a supplemental draft for undrafted free agents (Click here for details).

#4. Craig Sager has been cleared from cancer according to his son (Click here for details).

#5. Former Rutgers star Kadeem Jack has joined the Pacers for training camp (Click here for details).

#6. Matt Barnes reportedly attacked Derek Fisher for dating his ex-wife (Click here for details).

#7. Jazz forward Trevor Booker punched Lakers center Roy Hibbert and got ejected (Click here for details).

#8. The Suns waived guard Deonte Burton (Click here for details).

#9. Jimmy Butler doesn't like Derrick Rose's work ethic according to a rumor (Click here for details).

#10. Zach LaVine is the Timberwolves' starting shooting guard (Click here for details).

#11. The Grizzlies signed center Alex Stepehson and waived center Michael Holyfield (Click here for details).

#12. The Bucks waived forward Jon Horford and guard Charlie Westbrook (Click here for details).

#13. The Pistons waived forward Eric Griffin (Click here for details).

#14. Pelicans center Omer Asik is out 3 weeks with a right calf stain (Click here for details).

Wednesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Knicks 100 Paschoalotto Beru 81. Thunder 122 Timberwolves 99. Hawks 98 Cavaliers 96. Magic 100 Heat 97. Rockets 109 Mavericks 82. Suns 102 Kings 98.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. LeBron James is investing in a new franchise called "Blaze" (Click here for details).

#2. If you want to here Matt Barnes' version of what happened between him and Derek Fisher, click here.

#3. No criminal charges will be filed against Matt Barnes (Click here for details).

#4. Jimmy Butler says all is well between him and Derrick Rose (Click here for details).

#5. Derrick Rose will rejoin the Bulls on Monday (Click here for details).

#6. 76ers guard Scottie Wilbiken hit the game winning three against the Cavaliers (Click here to watch)

#7. The Cavaliers signed guard Dionte Christmas to their preseason roster (Click here for details).

#8. Rockets center Dwight Howard says he played through a torn MCL and torn meniscus in the playoffs (Click here for details).

#9. Jazz forward Trevor Booker has been suspended 1 game in the regular season for his altercation with Roy Hibbert (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 111 Real Madrid 96. Trail Blazers 118 Warriors 101. 76ers 115 Cavaliers 114. Pacers 97 Magic 92. Nets 93 Pistons 83. Nuggets 112 Bulls 94. Raptors 105 Lakers 97. Kings 95 Spurs 92.

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is day-to-day after re-aggravating a left ankle sprain (Click here for details).

#2. Former NBA and UCLA player Dave Meyers has passed away (Click here for details).

#3. The Pelicans have signed center Jerome Jordan (Click here for details).

#4. Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is unsure about an opening night return (Click here for details).

#5. Power forward Greg Smith failed his physical with the Pelicans. He will not join the team (Click here for details).

#6. Dwayne Wade is teaching Heat rookie Justise Winslow post moves (Click here for details).

#7. Former NBA All-Star and champion Bill Bridges has passed away (Click here for details).

#8. Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha has been found not guilty of resisting arrest (Click here for details).

#9. Tony Parker wants to play six more seasons with the Spurs (Click here for details).

#10. 76ers owner Josh Harris says he gives head coach Brett Brown an 'A' for the job he has done (Click here for details).

#11. The NBA and the NBAPA are setting up a cardiac screening for retired players (Click here for details).

#12. The Trail Blazers named C.J. McCollum their backup point guard (Click here for details).

#13. Click here to read Thabo Sefolosha's statement on his vindication.

Friday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 80 Fever 77: Final. Lynx lead series 2-1. Click here to watch Maya Moore's game winner.

Friday's NBA preseason scores: 

Thunder 111 Fenerbahçe Ülker 81. Suns 101 Jazz 85. Hawks 103 Pelicans 93. Knicks 115 Wizards 104.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Doc Rivers corrects himself and says the Warriors weren't "lucky" to win the NBA Finals (Click here for details).

#2. LeBron James says he doesn't ride motorcycles (Click here for details).

#3. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas wants to be in a Space Jam 2 (Click here for details).

#4. Thabo Sefolosha could make his preseason debut with the Hawks on Wednesday (Click here for details).

#5. The Raptors have unveiled a new court design (Click here for details).

#6. Wizards point guard John Wall says he wants to be the number one point guard in the NBA (Click here for details).

#7. The Cavaliers won't waive guard Joe Harris (Click here for details).

#8. The Cavaliers expect Kevin Love to play on October 15 (Click here for details).

Saturday's NBA Preseason Scores: 

76ers 97 Nets 95. Bulls 114 Timberwolves 105. Pistons 117 Bucks 88. Kings 94 Trail Blazers 90.

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Rockets guard James Harden is day-to-day with a right knee contusion (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks waived power forward Arsalan Kazemi and point guard Edgar Sosa (Click here for details).

#3. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is out indefinitely following a rare spinal fluid leak occurrence during his firs back operation (Click here for details).

#4. An assault lawsuit  against Scottie Pippen has been dropped (Click here for details).

#5. Clippers point guard suffered a fractured left index finger. He shouldn't be out long (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is out  for the remainder of the preseason due to a sprained right ankle (Click here for details).

#7. The Nuggets exercised their 2016-17 options for Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris (Click here for details).

#8. Hip-hop artist Rich Homie Quan will perform on opening night in Atlanta (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA preseason final scores: 

Hornets 106 Clippers 94. Magic 123 Rockets 119. Lakers 126 Maccabi Haifa 83. Wizards 134 Bauru Pashoalotto 100.

WNBA Finals update: 

The Fever forced a Game 5, defeating the Lynx 75-69.


---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news