In the 1996-1997 season, the Chicago Bulls faced a task that seemed unreachable. They were coming off a year of winning 72 games, making their bid as being one of the greatest teams ever, and then going on to hoist the 1996 NBA Finals trophy. How could such an unprecedented year be equaled? This season, the Chicago Bulls showed us just that.

The Bulls came into training camp for the 96-97 year basically the same team as of a year before. They no longer had John Salley or James "Buddha" Edwards. The nucleus remained as prevalent as ever: Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman looked again be the sport's most intriguing trio. Among those three alone there were 11 championship rings. It was my general feeling at the outset of the regular season that the Bulls would dominate for most of their games, but would hit a few skids along the way due to injury and fatigue. I blindly guessed a result of 67 wins, the same amount Chicago accumlated the year they defeated Portland in the Finals. The general feeling among all educated(and unbiased) basketball fans and analysts was that Chicago would coast throught the regular season. It all hinged on injuries, and Rodman's behavior.

The Bulls did unfortunately experience several injuries over the course of the regular season. It seemed like there was always one constant:Michael Jordan. Jordan, who is renowned for taking excellent care of his body, again avoided major injury this year. Every now and then, a mention of his back or ankles was made, but that's simply expected of those old men.

And so the Bulls set off on their title defense season. They began with a surge, winning their first twelve games until they ran into a roadblock, otherwise known as the Utah Jazz. Perhaps Chicago's first sign of mortality came when hit their first two-game losing streak of the season, falling to Miami and then Toronto. The loss to the Heat was Chicago's first of two losses at the United Center during the regular season. The Bulls never failed to exhibit their professional attitude and resilience though. This is what allows them to be so very consistent. It's a mark of a champion.

Chicago went to the All-Star break with a record of 42-6. As usual, Jordan and Pippen were two of the East's big guns. Although Charlotte's Glen Rice received the MVP, Michael Jordan was astounding, recording the first triple-double in All-Star history. Everyone had fun though. At the right you see a picture of Michael Jordan with one of his trademark plays, the unsuspected jam off the missed free throw. It was fun to hear Marv Albert's call on that one. I never fail to remember at times like this that MJ is an active legend. No one can dispute his greatness.

The second half of the regular season involved more turbulence than the first. Dennis Rodman was frequently ejected from contests, and eventaully suffered a substantial injury to his knee. Rodman's antics were very well-documented this year. To go along with the infamous head-butting fiasco, Rodman kicked a cameraman during a game in Minnesota. Rodman settled out of court, and served a suspension. It was at times like this Chicago faced an intensified spotlight with added contraversy about if Chicago would survive all these problems. Well, the Bulls dropped a game or two here and there, and the whispers subsided for the most part.

The final game of Chicago's regular season was at the United Center against their old pals--the New York Knicks. If Chicago would have been victorious, they would have tied the Celtics' regular season home record won total of 40-1. Chicago dropped the heated contest, though, and fell to 39-2 at the United Center for the regular season for the second consecutive year. It was a pretty big win for New York, as it gave them the confidence they wanted for the playoffs. Chicago just wanted to get a few days relaxment, and I think they put it behind them. Chicago had failed to win 70, finishing 69-13. The summit of the plateau had not been reached, but the ultimate goal was still well in the Bulls' sights.

The Chicago Bulls went through an amzing 1996-1997 regular season, filled with spectacular moves, tough wins, and constant camera flashes. The meaning of this season went much deeper than all these things, however. The Bulls grew as a team, learning to function better as a unit. It was another storybook season for the Bulls, who will go down in history as a supreme squad that exemplified one word: CHAMPIONS

-Scott Anderson, May 1997