1993–94 Chicago Bulls season


The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bulls' 28th season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the three time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals in six games, winning their third NBA championship, their first of two threepeats in the 1990s.
In the offseason, the Bulls signed free agents Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington and Pete Myers. This was the first season without star guard Michael Jordan since the 1983–84 season, who retired during the offseason. Instead, the Bulls were led by Scottie Pippen. The team continued to play solid basketball winning ten straight games after an 8–8 start. Midway through the season, they traded Stacey King to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Luc Longley. The Bulls posted another 10-game winning streak between March and April finishing second overall in the Central Division, and third overall in the Eastern Conference with a 55–27 record. However, they would not be able to win a fourth consecutive NBA championship. After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in three straight games in the first round, they would lose in the second round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs to the New York Knicks in seven games.
This was also the Bulls' last season at Chicago Stadium before moving across the street to the new United Center. Following the season, Horace Grant signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic, Bill Cartwright signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, Scott Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and John Paxson retired.

Off-season

Jordan's retirement

On October 6, 1993, Michael Jordan announced his retirement at age 30, citing a loss in his desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father three months earlier shaped his decision. James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, found in a creek on August 3, murdered by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone, caught, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work.
Those close to Jordan claimed that he had been considering retirement as early as the summer of 1992, and that the added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's burned-out feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.
Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a major league baseball player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball. He had an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, batting.202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB, and 11 errors. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League.

NBA draft

Roster

Regular season

Most experts did not predict the Bulls to even make the playoffs after winning their third straight championship the season before because of Jordan's departure. But the team, led by Scottie Pippen and an increased role from both Horace Grant and B. J. Armstrong were able to lead the Bulls to a 55-win season, only 2 wins less than the 1992-93 team, which had Jordan. The Bulls finished two games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Central Division and earned the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Pippen and Armstrong were both voted to start in this season's All-Star game, and Grant was also picked as a reserve.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Player starters and stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
PlayerGPREBASTSTLBLKPTSAVG
C - Bill Cartwright4215257882355.6
PF - Horace Grant707692367484105715.1
SF - Scottie Pippen7262940321158158722.0
SG - Pete Myers8218124578206507.9
PG - BJ Armstrong82170323809121214.8

Playoffs

East First Round

Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bulls win series 3-0
Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals

East Conference Semifinals

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls: Knicks win series 4-3
Last Playoff Meeting: 1993 Eastern Conference Finals

Awards and records