Goodbye, My First Basketball Love
The years 1995 and 1996 hold some of my fondest memories as a 90s kid for two main reasons: One was the discovery of Cinemax’s two week free trial. Armed with the cable provider’s channel guide, my brother and I looked up any movie on Cinemax that had any content descriptor with ’N’, ‘AC’, ‘SSC’ and a rating of ‘R’, and the holy grail rating, ‘NC-17’. Hell, even ‘BN’ (Brief Nudity) got recorded in the hopes of seeing some naked boob. So many late nights were spent sneaking in the basement (where the one cable box we had was located), setting the VCR record mode to EP to record to a T-120 VHS tape (3 movies on 1 tape son!), rushing home from school because we were home alone for an hour and a half, popping in the tape and fast forwarding to all the good parts. (Except for Raw Justice — I don’t care what anyone says, that movie is an all-time classic great bad movie).
The other major highlight was Michael Jordan returning after a brief sabbatical from basketball. A combination of the rigors of playing into June every year during the first three-peat championship run (including the Olympics with the fabled ’92 Dream Team), the tragic murder of his father, and the gambling accusations/scandal led MJ to walk away from the game after the ’93 season. He sought refuge in playing baseball (the game his father originally wanted him to play at a pro level) for the Birmingham Barons for a year and a half. Thankfully, his love for the game prevailed and in March of ’95 he was back in the NBA where he belonged. The combination of rust and an up-and-coming team in the Shaq and Penny-led Orlando Magic ended the ’95 season early as the Magic bounced the Bulls from the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Then in early October of 1995, with Mike and Scottie’s blessings, the Bulls traded for long-time nemesis Dennis Rodman. Thus began the greatest basketball team I ever witnessed.
It’s pretty well documented what that team accomplished:
- Only team to win 70 games
- Best regular season record of all-time (72 wins)
- Most wins in a season (87 wins)
- Tied for greatest margin of victory (12.3 ppg)
- 37 straight home wins to start the season
- First team to feature a player with his own hair color changing McDonald’s cup
They thoroughly dominated the playoffs, with the only hiccup being it took 6 games to reach the inevitable in their NBA Finals match up with the Seattle Supersonics. Two more ensuing championships would occur to complete the second three peat and after the Bulls dynasty was unwillingly dismantled following the 1998 championship, I was CERTAIN that I’d never see anything like I did during that 1995–96 season.
The Shaq & Kobe-led Lakers of the early 2000s never quite got there and egos got in the way before they had a chance. Although experiencing a longer longevity of a winning culture, the San Antonio Spurs never have been able to string a back-to-back championship run so they were ruled out in my eyes. The Miami Heat got the back-to-back championships to get people talking but they are sandwiched between two Finals losses.
It will be the reason Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews never have to pay for a drink in this town again. Chicagoans just aren’t used to sustained excellence so we hold on for dear life to those cherished teams.
There was also the fact that as a Chicago sports fan, I lived in nostalgia. Before the current Chicago Blackhawks run as a modern NHL dynasty, no Chicago professional team has sustained a level of winning in my lifetime (1983 and on) besides the Bulls. We just aren’t used to winners — so when we got them we hold onto them for dear lives. It’s the reason why 30 years later the ’85 Chicago Bears are still beloved. Dan Hampton could assault your brother and if you grew up in Chicago and are over the age of 35 you’d probably think long and hard if you actually wanted to pursue charges. It will be the reason Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews never have to pay for a drink in this town again. Chicagoans just aren’t used to sustained excellence so we hold on for dear life to those cherished teams. They are the greatest teams in the history of their sports and anyone that argues otherwise doesn’t know shit about boxing, err, sports.
For years I was one of those people. Every team since the 90s era Bulls that has won a championship since them I’ve dismissed. Could never touch the Bulls — “MJ is too much of a killer, MJ, Pip and Ron Harper would lock up the backcourt and Rodman would take away any post threat….” I had a counter to any argument for the current NBA championship team.
I’ve had a love affair with that team since I was a junior high kid and no one would ever take their place. Sure, I’d watch other championship teams but it was just flirting — they’d always have my heart. We hit our 20 year anniversary and the love never subsided. They’d always be my only love.
With the current version of the Bulls being the most frustrating team to watch in my lifetime (even more than the Post Jordan Bulls), I started gravitating towards the Golden State Warriors.
Sure, I’ve flirted before with my League Pass (Los Angeles resident for 10 years) and thought about watching a Warriors game live instead of a Bulls game but never had the guts to. “I’ll just watch the replays later and if they’re good watch the game then,” I’d say to myself. “I can’t cheat on the Bulls with another team.”
I had my guard up but my heart slowly began to thaw as I watched them play basketball. All the traits that I look for in a basketball team were there:
- Unselfishness (the ball movement, my God!)
- Confidence
- Star power
- Loyalty
- Aura
I could have went the cranky old school route and dismissed them (see here, here, here, and here for examples) but I decided to try something new and shake up my basketball love life. I decided to take a chance and fully embrace the feeling I got when I watched this team play basketball. They’ve reinvigorated my basketball love life, a basketball Levitra (Shout out to the Da Coach!). I’m so all in on this Warriors team that this is the first time I’ve ever started a season in NBA 2K with a team other than the Bulls!
Now, if they are on League Pass, they get priority — Bulls game be damned.
Granted, they have to finish the job and win it all but IF they were to beat 72 wins and raise the trophy again in June, I’d have to nitpick to argue against them being a better TEAM top to bottom then the ‘95–96 Bulls.
In between the time it’s taken me to write this piece, the best game in the NBA this year occurred this past Saturday night and once again the Warriors found a way to win a game they had no business winning. They could have easily mailed it in once Steph rolled his ankle in the 3rd quarter.
Instead, they kept pace with the Thunder with Steph sidelined, miraculously sent it to overtime with MADE free throws from Andre Iguodala and then in overtime, this F U to all the old timers discrediting their historic run:
I’ve watched that replay on repeat since Saturday night in disbelief and awe. He pulled up casually from thirty. eight. fucking. feet. The look on the Thunder’s bench when the ball left his fingertips said it all; they already knew.
These are games that teams that aren’t historic don’t win. The fourth road game in six nights in February is a throwaway game for most teams. Most teams would be content splitting the road trip and heading home. Most teams would take precaution with their star player and rest him after an ankle injury.
But this team isn’t like most teams — it’s got one team squarely in their crosshairs and at their current pace they’ll soon be able to say they aren’t like any other in NBA history.
I’ll always love the ‘95–96 Bulls but maybe the time has come to embrace a new love and I’ve found that in Steph, Klay, Day-Day and company. MJ, Scottie, Rodman and company will ALWAYS be my first true basketball love and hold a special place in my heart because you always remember your first.
It’s just time to move on.
*Cue random Adele song*
