(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
One of the most iconic shots in NBA history is Michael Jordan’s game-winner near the end of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.
It was his last game with the Chicago Bulls, and he ended his tenure with them in storybook fashion, as that shot won them their sixth world championship in eight seasons.
However, plenty have pointed out how Jordan pushed off on Jazz forward Bryon Russell just before launching that jumper.
Antoine Carr, who was a member of that Jazz team, told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson the Bulls got lucky because Jordan wasn’t called for an offensive foul on his final shot, and he also mentioned a couple of other decisions by the referees that he feels were errors.
Michael Jordan’s Bulls got “lucky” beating Utah Jazz in ‘98 NBA Finals after MJ’s Game 6 “pushoff” on Bryon Russell says ex-Jazz PF Antoine Carr:
“If it hadn’t been for the referees, we would’ve won this.”
“I would say that there was a little bit of a push off there.” https://t.co/CdvAJoBMe0 pic.twitter.com/brdrrCpl58
— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 5, 2023
That season, the Bulls, after years of pulverizing the rest of the NBA, were finally looking old and vulnerable.
They got off to a poor start in the regular season as Scottie Pippen was out with an injury, and with him at odds with management, he even asked to be traded.
But he remained put, and Chicago got hot later in the season, allowing them to finish with 62 wins, which was tied with Utah for the most in the league.
Jordan’s crew had to survive a very difficult seven-game Eastern Conference Finals with the Indiana Pacers just to reach the championship series, which was a rematch of the 1997 Finals versus the Jazz.
It looked like perhaps the Jazz could finally break through against a creaky Bulls team, but they instead fell behind three games to one after winning Game 1 before Jordan finished them off in Game 6.
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