As the Lakers arrived in New Jersey for Game 4, Kobe paid a subtle tribute to his childhood hero. So on that note, we reached out to FOX Bet to get odds for hypothetical matchups between the 1998 “Last Dance Bulls” and the 1996 “72-win Bulls” against five elite teams they never faced from the last 35 years.The Bulls were favored in every series, but does that mean you should have bet them?Widely considered the two best teams of the modern era, I give a big advantage to the Warriors, regardless of if they played under 1990s rules or the current rules.As much as you’d want to take the Bulls playing in 1996 rules, remember, the 3-point line had been moved in to facilitate offense. MJ and Kobe are undoubtedly the greatest players to compete in the While we may have not witnessed how the bond between MJ and Kobe grew into a brotherhood, there are certain moments that perfectly displayed the respect they had for each other.
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This one would be much closer.The Kobe and Shaq team that went 15-1 in the playoffs — their only blemish a defeat against Allen Iverson in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — was not a defensive juggernaut. May 20, 2020 at 11:32a ET Inside access. Jason McIntyre
The Lakers were lethal in transition, and in 98 the Bulls were aging — Rodman was 36, Harper and Jordan were 34, and Pippen and Kerr were 32.
The Mamba didn’t wear the sparkling white jersey just for the arena entry.
The 4-0 outcome largely weighed on Kobe’s mind. The biggest difference between the current era and the 90s Bulls is right now the league is wing-heavy.
At 22-feet, that might as well have been a layup for the likes of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.The Warriors went 16-1 in the playoffs, the best playoff winning percentage in NBA history.
LeBron James has been chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan for years.
Fortunately, the 1998 Bulls didn’t have an imposing big man.
NBA FINALS : LAKERS vs. CHICAGO BULLS : Bulls’ Decree: Jordan Rules : Game 5: Chicago wins first championship by sweeping at Forum, 108-101, but depleted Lakers go down fighting.
Michael Jordan during Kobe’s eulogy mentioned that the Lakers legend was his “little brother.” While we may have not witnessed how the bond between MJ and Kobe grew into a brotherhood, there are certain moments that perfectly displayed the respect they had for each other. The Lakers were lethal in transition, and in 98 the Bulls were aging — Rodman was 36, Harper and Jordan were 34, and Pippen and Kerr were 32. Luc Longley and Bill Wennington would provide a few minutes (and fouls) but Dennis Rodman had no chance against Shawn Kemp in the 1996 Finals (23 ppg on 55 percent shooting).LeBron’s 4-year reign in Miami is interesting because it was bookended by finals losses, the 2012 season was lockout shortened, and in 2013 the Heat peeled off 27 straight wins and won 66 games.But they struggled deep in the playoffs vs. Indiana and San Antonio. They were just 21st in defensive rating.
In the first three games, he had worn iconic player jerseys from the NFL, MLB, and the NHL. They both had the crystal clear focus during their games.
The other ones I’m not sure about. There’s a famous photo of him enjoying a pre-game hamburger with a beaming smile on his face.
.I give an advantage to the Heat because of a superior supporting cast, including NBA Finals hero Ray Allen, and defensive-stalwart Shane Battier (how would he try to defend Jordan?). The 2001 Lakers would almost certainly beat the 1990–91 Bulls in a 7 game series. Thus, for Game 4, everyone knew And thus, it happened.
2002 was the year when Kobe Bryant achieved the historic three-peat. Remember, the Bulls didn’t top 90 points in the final 3 games of the 1996 Finals.One of the favorite teams of my youth was the 1987 Lakers, a fun squad with league and Finals MVP Magic Johnson in his prime (27 years old), the ageless skyhooks from 7-foot-2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and then sleek forward James Worthy.Matchup wise, we’d probably see Jordan on Magic, and Scottie Pippen on Worthy. But I’d like their chances against the 72-win Bulls.
The six-time champion still has the habit and here is Kobe enjoying a post-victory cigar in MJ’s jersey. So elite teams from this past decade would match up very favorably with Jordan’s Bulls.Two mouthwatering matchups here: Pippen vs LeBron (who was the NBA MVP), and Jordan vs 31-year old Dwyane Wade Bonus: There would be so many fireworks between Dennis Rodman and Udonis Haslem.The Celtics had some loaded teams in the 1980s, but perhaps none finer than the 1986 version, which had the MVP (Larry Bird, his 3rd straight), and rolled through the East 11-1.Boston was 40-1 at home during the regular season, and finished 3rd in offensive rating and 1st in defensive rating. All of it relies on the pre-game routine and how you get mentally prepared for a big game like the NBA Finals.