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30 years ago today the Chicago Bulls won their 1st playoff game against the New York Knicks.
It started a run of 6 NBA Championships & the Bulls would become the most popular dynasty in sports history.
Final Score:
Knicks 85
Bulls 126
It started a run of 6 NBA Championships & the Bulls would become the most popular dynasty in sports history.
Final Score:
Knicks 85
Bulls 126
We were heading into the playoffs with a shit ton of momentum & confidence. We’d had won our last 4 games & were playing well.
We had a league best 43 wins by 10 or more points & the leagues 2nd best record with 61 wins. (Portland 63)
So New York ran face first into a buzz saw
We had a league best 43 wins by 10 or more points & the leagues 2nd best record with 61 wins. (Portland 63)
So New York ran face first into a buzz saw
Now this Knicks team was completed different from the Pat Riley Knicks. They were less talented or physical without guys like Smith, McDaniel & Mason.
And Starks hadn’t yet reached his full potential.
They were coached by John McCloud who had been on the hot seat & although
And Starks hadn’t yet reached his full potential.
They were coached by John McCloud who had been on the hot seat & although
He was saying “all the right things” but he had his bags packed & was heading to Notre Dame.
We started slow but a run to end the 1st had us up 10. We carried that momentum in the 2Q & the rout was on. 20 pts by halftime & whooping (soul crushing) 45 point lead in the 3rd qtr.
We started slow but a run to end the 1st had us up 10. We carried that momentum in the 2Q & the rout was on. 20 pts by halftime & whooping (soul crushing) 45 point lead in the 3rd qtr.
MJ lead the way 28 pts (sat out the 4Q) & PJ emptied the Bench. Cartwright & Perdue did a number on Ewing but it was our overall team defense that stole the show.
Johnny Bach. Johnny Bach was a tuff SOB. He was a defensive master mind.
An old sailor in the US Navy.
Johnny Bach. Johnny Bach was a tuff SOB. He was a defensive master mind.
An old sailor in the US Navy.
He studied naval/military strategies for fun. Anyway, he had turned Michael & Scottie into the best one/two combination on the defensive side of the ball that the league had ever seen. Long, athletic & fearless. They had that dog in em. Bach called em dobermans. MJ lead the
the league in steals & Pippen was in the top five all season.
Bach turned em loose on the Knicks. I wanna say we forced 15 1st half turnovers & would go on to set a playoff record 37 steals in a 3 game playoff series.
Bach turned em loose on the Knicks. I wanna say we forced 15 1st half turnovers & would go on to set a playoff record 37 steals in a 3 game playoff series.
Note: We watched a lot of film on the Knicks before the start of the series. Hell we watched a lot of film all season. That was back in the days of VCR tapes. Anyway, Bach had a knack of knowing about when he was losing our attention (& by our I mean Horace & Scottie 
)
)
so he’d find clips of old military battles. You know from movies & documentaries & meld them into our film sessions. All the guys liked that.
Over the course of several film sessions we had watched the entire movie, The Power of One. (A Morgan Freeman classic & a must see)
Over the course of several film sessions we had watched the entire movie, The Power of One. (A Morgan Freeman classic & a must see)
Coach Bach passed a few years back but here’s a pick of JB from our 20th reunion @UnitedCenter
G & Pip used to tease Johnny & say he was a cook in the navy & never actually fired a shot which always made me giggle like a school girl.
I found out after he passed that he’d said
G & Pip used to tease Johnny & say he was a cook in the navy & never actually fired a shot which always made me giggle like a school girl.
I found out after he passed that he’d said
some things to an author about me that were hurtful & I was pissed about it for awhile but I’ve since let it go. Hell nobody’s perfect & why be mad at a dude that’s no longer with us.
Lmao! 
The texts from “friends” are cracking me up!
Y’all can suck it, I WILL do what I please.
#WhadyaGunnaDoAboutit
The texts from “friends” are cracking me up!
Y’all can suck it, I WILL do what I please.
#WhadyaGunnaDoAboutit
The Mayfair in Coconut Grove, FL was always one of teams favorite places to stay on the road. Every room had it’s own hot tub on the balcony, which was great for a late night soak.
Everything you needed was just steps away from the front door of the hotel.
@TheMayFairHotel
Everything you needed was just steps away from the front door of the hotel.
@TheMayFairHotel
They also had a rooftop lounge. (I once caught Jackson up there, after hours, burning sage. (Ok, might not have been sage. 
) I got outta there before he spotted me.
Pip & G were great friends. If you only saw one of em out you could be sure the other was nearby or on the way.
) I got outta there before he spotted me.Pip & G were great friends. If you only saw one of em out you could be sure the other was nearby or on the way.
Luv this photo cause I have very few pics with Michael & even less with Jackson. So to get them in the same picture was extra.
Note: I’m unsure which year this one was taken but I’m pretty sure it was the 1990-91 season. (You sneakerheads prolly know by J’s Mike’s wearing)
Note: I’m unsure which year this one was taken but I’m pretty sure it was the 1990-91 season. (You sneakerheads prolly know by J’s Mike’s wearing)
Anyway, shortly after I signed with the Bulls. I guess my agent figured I’d only be sticking around for a cup of coffee or two so I could never get him on the phone & he’d take weeks to return my calls. Now this was back in the day when your agent help you get shoes & I was down
to my last pair & those weren’t going to last much longer. So I went to MJ and explained he situation. The next day in my locker were 6 pairs of shoes from Nike & some fresh gear too.
I was extremely grateful but asked Mike why weren’t any pairs Air Jordan’s. I’ll never forget
I was extremely grateful but asked Mike why weren’t any pairs Air Jordan’s. I’ll never forget
his answer.
Me:
MJ, why didn’t you have them send your shoe? I’ll help you promote them.
MJ: <with a smile>
I have to protect my brands image.
You’d only be hurting me.
Cold Mike, Extra Cold.
Me:
MJ, why didn’t you have them send your shoe? I’ll help you promote them.
MJ: <with a smile>
I have to protect my brands image.
You’d only be hurting me.
Cold Mike, Extra Cold.
MJ was a good teammate.
He looked out for me in Chicago.
Like I said I was the lone rookie on the squad & rookies had certain duties to perform. (& took a good bit of hazing from the vets)
Most of the vets like Paxson & Cartwright never took it too far. They mostly just liked
He looked out for me in Chicago.
Like I said I was the lone rookie on the squad & rookies had certain duties to perform. (& took a good bit of hazing from the vets)
Most of the vets like Paxson & Cartwright never took it too far. They mostly just liked
to call me “rookie” or “you little rookie” & cut in front of me in the training room when they were in a hurry to get their ankles taped or needed treatment. (All we really had back then for treatment was ice bags & electric stem, the stone ages of hoops)
Now Scottie & Horace were different. They were all about it.
Unwritten Rookie Rules:
One of the rules was that all rookies (me) must keep the locker room & film room clean & orderly.
Our film room at the Multiplex Health Club was as tight as 99 is to 100 but there was a
Unwritten Rookie Rules:
One of the rules was that all rookies (me) must keep the locker room & film room clean & orderly.
Our film room at the Multiplex Health Club was as tight as 99 is to 100 but there was a
smallish rack in the back where the team provide snacks. Bags of chips, pretzels, trail mix you get idea. There were two columns of seats with aisle down the middle & about 3 seats to each row. They made me sit in 1st row closest to the screen & vets according to years in the
fanned out towards the rear.
Well, Pip & G always got a laugh out of taking there empty bags & wrappers & placing them under my chair so I’d have to collect it all at the end of the session & throw it in the trash can. That part didn’t bother me as much as the times were they
Well, Pip & G always got a laugh out of taking there empty bags & wrappers & placing them under my chair so I’d have to collect it all at the end of the session & throw it in the trash can. That part didn’t bother me as much as the times were they
would intentionally smash up potato chips & sprinkle them on the carpet so I’d have to get out the vacuum cleaner. 
Another one of the rookie duties was to rack the balls after Phil blew the whistle. He’d blow the whistle & the vets would all meet at center court. I’d have to get all the balls on to the ball rack before I could join them. Most of the guys would bounce pass or roll em over in
my direction. I feel like Pip lived for this moment daily.
He’d hold his ball a bit longer than everyone else & wait til I was battling 5 or 6 balls at once to fire a chest pass. After I got good at catching those he decided it’d be fun to “accidentally” bounce it off his foot &
He’d hold his ball a bit longer than everyone else & wait til I was battling 5 or 6 balls at once to fire a chest pass. After I got good at catching those he decided it’d be fun to “accidentally” bounce it off his foot &
so it would roll in the opposite direction. He’s favorite was on the road in the arena where he’d throw right towards me only 10 feet over my head & watch it sail 7 or 8 rows up in to the stands. (He was the original ball buster)
I’d sigh from time to time but mostly took it all
I’d sigh from time to time but mostly took it all
In stride which helped me become part of the family.
The worst rookie duty by far was having to help the equipment manager load & unload the plane. Now you’re prolly thinking what’s so hard about lifting a few bags. Well ya see that’s where your right ain’t shit hard about that.
The worst rookie duty by far was having to help the equipment manager load & unload the plane. Now you’re prolly thinking what’s so hard about lifting a few bags. Well ya see that’s where your right ain’t shit hard about that.
