Q: Michael, you have won this award before, but is this one more special
than all of them?
A: Well, let me say hello to my wife and my kids at home. They desperately
wanted to come -- I didn't want them to come because I wanted to focus on
the game, but I wish they were here to help me celebrate. I know they're there
cheering and I can't wait to get home. To the Utah fans, you guys are a tough
bunch to play in front of. You guys came out with a lot of loyalty and respect
for your team and made it really tough for us. After losing Game 5 in
Chicago, a couple of us dreaded coming back to Utah because we had to
deal with the fans, because of the energy that they bring to the game. But we
had no choice, we had to come in and play our best and you guys made it a
very competitive Finals and they were very worthy to win this. I think of all the
championships that we've won, this is the toughest.
Q: At the beginning of the season, this was the goal that you set out for.
How wonderful was it to make it a reality?
A: I tell you, when you start the season, I'm pretty sure every team makes sure
it's going to start with the focus of finishing and winning their last game. We
started with that focus. It was a long road, a lot of different tasks and little
bumps in the road, but somehow we made it and I think everybody who looks
at this year is going to have a lot of gratification and a lot of dedication.
Q: There were many times during the course of this season that people
doubted the Chicago Bulls, doubted that you'd be able to come back and
pull this off. How did you guys stay so confident?
A: Our leadership is strong, our leadership is very positive, very determined
and it filters down to the rest of the players and we never let anybody give up.
We believed in it, and we kept coming for it.
Q: One more time?
A: I'd love for that to happen. I think that's something that's going to have to
be determined over the summer.
Q: Michael, comparing this feeling you have now with the other five, is this
feeling at all a little more bittersweet in knowing it might be the end of a
very special era?
A: Well, I think it's bittersweet in the sense that it was the toughest route,
toughest challenge in the six championships that we've won. In some people's
eyes no one expected us to fulfill this, and that was part of the challenge. And
in the five before, everybody predicted us in some respects, and it was a
hands-down situation. Here it wasn't. And we had to do it against a team that
played well all season long, played at home, had a crowd that was energetic
and kept them motivated. And we lost our opportunity to win it at home and
came here. At first, as soon as the game ended in Chicago, there were some
dim feelings, and some negative thoughts, and as time passed, I think
everybody realized that if we want that sixth title we have to go through Utah
to get it and we have to go out there and win it out there. And I think those
negative thoughts erased very quickly, and it's a great day for everybody, I
think.
Q: Michael, few people in the world face retirement with so many others
caring about the decision that they make. You mean so much to so many
people, to the league, to the other players, to the networks, even to the
economy -- how do you make the right decision for Michael Jordan, the
human being, independent of all the other people and forces that are
tugging on you?
A: You know, that's a gut feeling, it's just a feeling that I have. When I walked
away the first time, it was a feeling, it wasn't something someone told me.
When I came back it was a feeling. If and when that time comes where I've
got to walk away, I hope that because I walked away no one will look at me
any less. And sure, the economy may take a different turn, but I would advise
you to invest wisely, and my life has to continue. Hopefully I've put enough
memories out there for everybody to at least have some thoughts about what
Michael Jordan did in his 13 years or 14 years or whatever it takes, and put
some comparisons up there for kids to follow and compare themselves and
reach. And that's part of the challenge. And I have another life. And I know I
have to get to it at some point in time. And hopefully the fans and the people
understand that.
Q: When you said last week this was the toughest year for Coach Jackson
as a coach, what about you as a player?
A: It was tough. It was tough in the sense that I was more competitive than I
ever was because I wanted to win more than I ever did, because of some of the
bumps in the road -- Scottie being out, Dennis had to step up and we had to
deal with Dennis and deal with the different types of expectations. Some of the
criticism about our team, and the lifestyle that we live. And it just takes its toll
on an individual. And sure, we just have to keep looking at the bigger picture,
which is tonight; It's the biggest picture we could think of. And sure,
sometimes the pictures don't look so clear. But if you keep moving in the right
direction it's going to clear itself up and tonight it is very, very clear.
Q: Mike, you just won your sixth championship with Scottie and Coach
Jackson, how much of a challenge is it for you to win one without him?
A: Pretty big challenge, but the question is do I want to do that or not. And
that's the thing that has to be debated.
Q: How frustrating or annoying is it to talk that much about the future or
the future of the team tonight?
A: It's not annoying. Most people have been waiting for that. And my answer
is there's still a lot of unanswered questions. And tonight it's a lot of
sympathetic feelings about this team and where we want it to go, but as time
goes on, some of the feelings may change, you never know. But I think that's
the purpose of waiting until the end of the summer and making final
decisions.
Q: Michael, the other night you seemed so intrigued by the thought of
dropping the last three, and possibly walking away, the fact that you
played such a great last minute, and had such a great title winning shot,
do you like the idea of going out that way?
A: Yes, if that's the case, yes. When I get that rebound, my thoughts are very
positive. And the crowd gets quiet. The moment starts to become the moment
for me. And that's what we've been -- that's part of that Zen Buddhism stuff.
Once you get in the moment you know you're there. Things start to move
slowly, you start to see the court very well. You start reading what the defense
is trying to do. And I saw that, I saw that moment. When I saw the moment of
opportunity to take advantage of it, when Russell reached . . . and I took
advantage of that moment. And I never doubted myself. I never doubted the
whole game. We were hanging too close, it was a three-point game,
four-point game, five-point game. Scottie Pippen is hurt, Dennis and
everybody is in foul trouble, and they never burst out and left us standing. We
kept hanging in there, I knew we were going to have an opportunity to win
this game, and I wanted to be able to do that from an offensive standpoint.
You look at my rebounds, I probably only had two or three rebounds. And I
told Phil I have to play a lot of minutes, I have to conserve energy somewhere,
and unfortunately it had to be on the offensive area.
Q: After John hit that three pointer, you scored the last four points on
baskets. Talk about those last two baskets, your layup and the jumper. did
that jumper remind you of last year in Game 1?
A: It was a very similar situation. The play before that was with Karl Malone,
and we've been trying to double-team him. And Hornacek was trying to, I
guess, pick Karl Malone, and he never really cleared, which gave me an
opportunity to go back. And Karl never saw me coming, and I was able to
knock the ball away. The play before that was when Phil called an isolation
play for me, to take it to the hole, and make them foul me or get an easy
basket, which is what I did. But when I got the ball I looked up and I saw
18.5 seconds left. And I felt like we couldn't call a timeout; it gives the defense
an opportunity to set up. It was a do-or-die situation. I let the time tick to
where I had the court right where I wanted to. Stockton was on the right side
with Steve Kerr, and he couldn't gamble. As soon as Russell reached, he gave
me a clear lane, which I made my initial drive, and he bit on it, and I
stopped, pulled up and I had an easy jump shot. Great look, and it went in.
Once it went in I knew from that point on, we've been hanging around long
enough, it was the game-winning basket, and it was a matter of playing solid
defense. Our defense has held us strong all series, we wouldn't be in this
scenario without the defense. All we had to do was play defense for 5.8
seconds, and I knew we could do that.
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