I was only 11 years old at the time, but even then it wasn't lost on me the imprtance and magnitude of the sweep. They swept them?!? On their way to their first of 6 championships, the Bulls defeated, embarrassed, dismantled, and swept away the classless Pistons. It was a culmination of 3 years worth of staggering towards the top of the mountain. 3 Years worth of being bullied, battered, and bruised. The ultimate, and unprecedented cherry on top was when Isaiah, Laimbeer, and Co. walked out with seconds remaining, refusing to aknowledge the Bulls. Classic. (As a side note, I remember one of the biggest arguments I was ever in was back in college when I was listening to my friends, and native Michiganders, defend the Bad Boys. How is that possible?!?) Another reason that was such an incredible moment was because we may never see anything like it again. Watching the Bulls fight and scratch only to come up short year after year after year, then finally topple the defending champions is a scenario which in today's NBA seems far-fetched. With superstars bolting to greener pastures when things get tough or if they don't win immediately, it may be a long time before we see a core stay together several years even after suffering heartbreaking playoff defeats. If not the best Chicago sports moment in recent memory, it certainly has to be the top non-championship Chicago sports moment, right?
20th anniversary of the Bulls first championship and sweep of the Bad Boys:
Bri. I remember it fondly. It also produced the greatest line in one of the greatest movies of all time, Learning to Fly, the story of the 1990-91 Chicago Bulls.
ReplyDeleteNarrator: "The Pistons were left with only one option."
Scottie Pippen: "They were going to have to accept the beating that we was giving them"
(Go to about 2:17)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BllfSIm5ZyQ