How Many Championships Does Michael Jordan Have?
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan won plenty of championships throughout his illustrious career. In fact, his team won the NBA Finals six times in his 15 NBA seasons, and he never was defeated in the Finals. All of his titles came with the Chicago Bulls. Below, each of his six championship runs are discussed.
1991 NBA Championship
After six seasons in the league, Jordan won his first NBA Championship in 1991. That year, the Bulls went 61-21 and were the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the Knicks in the first round 3-0, defeated the 76ers in the second round 4-1, and swept the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons 4-0. In the 1991 NBA Finals, Jordan defeated fellow all-time great Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Once Jordan got his first title, he was hungry for more.
1992 NBA Championship
In 1992, Jordan and the Bulls won their second of back-to-back titles. This season, the Bulls were even better in the regular season, winning 67 games and losing only 15. Once again, they were the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round 3-0 before the Knicks took them to seven games in the second round. Once they got by New York, they took out the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Lastly, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler in the 1992 NBA Finals, claiming the title in six games.
1993 NBA Championship
In 1993, Jordan and the Bulls finished off their first championship three-peat. This time, the Bulls had a record of 57-25 in the regular season, and they were the number-two seed in the East behind the Knicks going into the playoffs. Like the previous two years, they swept their first-round opponent 3-0, this time the Atlanta Hawks. They also swept the Cavaliers 4-0 in the second round before taking down the Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They clinched their third straight NBA title by knocking out Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the 1993 NBA Finals.
1996 NBA Championship
After a year and a half playing baseball, Jordan returned to the NBA at the end of the 1994-95 season, and he and the Bulls got back to their winning ways the following season. For the 1995-96 season, the Bulls set the regular season wins record with 72 wins against just 10 losses. This earned them the number-one seed in the East. As they did in 1992, they swept the Miami Heat 3-0 in the first round. They then proceeded to defeat the Knicks once again, this time in five games. They then swept the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals against the Seattle Supersonics. Seattle pushed them more than anyone else had this season, but the Bulls ultimately won the 1996 Championship in six games.
1997 NBA Championship
In 1997, Jordan led the Bulls to his fifth title. The Bulls came close to their 72-win record that season, ultimately finishing with a record of 69-13. For the fourth time in five title runs, they were the East’s number-one seed. This time, the Washington Bullets were the victims of a first-round Bulls sweep. They then won the next two series in five games over the Hawks and Heat, respectively. In the NBA Finals, they met John Stockton, Karl Malone, and the Utah Jazz. The Jazz took them to six games, but the Bulls prevailed for the franchise’s and Jordan’s fifth NBA title.
1998 NBA Championship
In 1998, Jordan captured his sixth title, helping the Bulls finish off their second three-peat in eight seasons and cementing himself as an all-time great. After a 62-20 regular season, the Bulls were the East’s number-one seed for the fifth time in eight years. Their run of first-round sweeps continued, this time over the New Jersey Nets. The Charlotte Hornets were their next opponent in the second round, and the Bulls eliminated them in five games. In an all-time great Eastern Conference Finals series against Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers, the Bulls came out on top in seven games. In the NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz got their rematch with the Bulls, but the results were the same, with the Bulls winning the 1998 NBA Championship in six games. Jordan hit the championship-clinching shot in game six with about five seconds to go in the game.