Jordan was hardly bothered, confident the Bulls would still win it all in 1998 despite adversity.
The Chicago Bulls were in a great position to end their dynasty on a high note. It was a dramatic season for the Windy City squad, and the Utah Jazz stood in the way.
The Jazz were expected to be smarter in a rematch of the 1997 NBA Finals. Utah had beaten Chicago twice in the regular season (101-94 and 101-93). The Jazz were also well-rested, swiftly ending their series with the Los Angeles Lakers via a sweep.
Putting all those together, odds did appear to favor the Jazz heading into the finals rematch. With that in mind, Bulls coach Phil Jackson oddly touched on the topic of losing. For a team that had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, pundits felt that the Zen Master was playing some kind of mind games to throw Utah off guard.
MJ's unusual jab
Having gone through the eye of the needle to dispose of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls were expected to have a tough time against the Jazz. Jordan and company branded themselves as underdogs, especially after getting only two days of rest after the EC Finals. The Jazz, on the other hand, had nine days off.
"Human nature says you can't win every time you make it to the finals, and we've done that," Jordan said. "But I like our chances."
It would have been foolish to count out the Bulls. This was a team that had already won five NBA titles, and going for a sixth was within reach. Add to the fact that Jordan, Pippen, and Jackson wanted to exit with a bang, aware that this team would be broken up after the 1997-98 season. In all, Chi-Town would not be going down without a fight.
"I consider us the underdogs, but yet I still consider us to be champions," Jordan said via the New York Times. "They still have to take it away from us, no matter what people are predicting."
Bulls kept charging
Although the Bulls and the Jazz finished with similar 62-20 win-loss regular season records, Utah won the right to hold home-court advantage because it blanked Chicago twice in their regular season meetings.
With a 2-3-2 format, Chicago needed to win at least one game at the Delta Center. The Bulls did just that, winning Game 2, 93-88.
However, that went for naught after the Bulls dropped Game 5 at home, 86-82. MJ and his squad needed to win another one if they wanted to get to the promised land. That did happen in Game 6, with the Red & Black winning by the skin of their teeth, 87-86.
MJ admitted that the 1998 title conquest was the toughest compared to the other titles that he won. Considering the circumstances the Bulls faced, "His Airness" had to push himself to win it all.
"I was more competitive than I ever was because I wanted to win more than I ever did," Jordan, who finished his Bulls career with a game-high 45 points, stated.
It was a dramatic ending for Jordan and the Bulls, pushing them to the limit. After all the celebrating, Chicago would dismantle that team and go on a rebuild. Although they tried, Wind City team has yet to find the right mix to win another NBA title for the franchise.
