The NBA has seen a number of exceptional teams over the course of its 75-year existence. From the Bill Russell-led Celtics of the ‘50s and ‘60s to Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers of the ‘80s, there’s been no shortage of talent to delight devoted fans of the sport. The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls of the ‘90s have also been revered, with many singling out the ‘95-’96 team in particular as one of the greatest teams ever assembled. Their dominance during that season was well documented in the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance. Despite this, Stephen Curry has shared some bold thoughts regarding whether one of his Golden State Warrior teams could’ve been those Bulls in the Finals.
During the 1995-1996 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls, in Michael Jordan’s first full season since returning from retirement, the team notched a stellar 72-10 record. They’d eventually go on to beat the Seattle Supersonics in six games in the Finals for the team’s fourth title, and Jordan was named the series’ MVP. Years later, though, the Warriors surpassed the win benchmark by going 73-9 during the 2015-2016 season. While they’d advance to the Finals, they’d ultimately lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games - after leading the series 3-1.
The team would turn things around the next season, though, as Kevin Durant would join the team and help take them to consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018. At that point, Golden State was definitely a force to be reckoned with, to say the least. With that, Stephen Curry believes that team could’ve beaten the ‘95-96 Chicago Bulls:
Absolutely. Obviously, we’ll never know, but you put us on paper with them… I like our chances. I’d say Dubs in six, too.
The three-time NBA champion certainly didn’t beat around the bush while answering Internet users’ questions with GQ. If anything, you really have to appreciate his confidence, which one can definitely build up when you’ve accomplished what he has. I’d also bet that there are a number of sports fans who agree with his assessment, and it’s fair, considering how great the Warriors were. Though chances are there are plenty who would disagree and declare the ‘90s-era Bulls team the victors
Though The Last Dance chronicled all six of the Chicago organization’s championship runs, that fourth one arguably remains the most impressive. The docuseries shared keen insight into the inner workings of the storied team and how they forged team chemistry. It also showed off Michael Jordan’s intense practices, which some would argue highlighted the “bad side” of the iconic player. As viewers watched their trials and tribulations, they were also treated to interviews with some of their competitors. Supersonics great Gary Payton was one of those who was featured and even claimed that he caused problems for Jordan on the court during the Finals. However, His Airness subsequently laughed off Payton’s claims.
But few people would scoff at the notion of both the Bulls and Warrior teams being great, and you can bet fans would’ve paid serious money to see that face-off. However, as Stephen Curry pointed out, we’ll never actually know how things would've played out. I honestly can’t predict who would’ve pulled out the win, but I know for sure that both teams would've duked it out until the very end.
The Last Dance is currently available to stream on Netflix and ESPN+.
