Sport is strewn with glorious stories, with fleeting moments of grace which, through the emotion they give us, are transformed into memories that we do not want to forget. In the blink of an eye, some of its actors change the course of history, at the same time reaching a certain form of posterity. The weather may want to continue its course, a few pictures have slowed it down until it was suspended, thus animating images that still resonate in our memories today. By trying to give it meaning, We Sport and The Star Players take advantage of the summer to offer you a series of articles in order to take you behind ten pictures that have become legendary. Today, focus on Michael Jordan’s latest feat of arms with his Chicago Bulls during the 1998 NBA Finals: The Last Shot.
(Crédit : Scott Cunningham/ NBAE via Getty Images)
The conclusion of an exceptional career
Michael Jordan is one of if not the best player in basketball history. An athlete beyond the standards of the time, gifted with impressive technical qualities. Prototype of the perfect basketball player, he reigned supreme over the NBA for many years, winning six championship rings with Chicago. MJ’s ultimate wonder is above all the epilogue to his comeback. Withdrawn from the public prosecutor’s office in 1993 just after having three peat with the Bulls (winning three consecutive titles), His Airness finally returned to the NBA the following year for a very specific purpose: to further furnish his trophy cabinet. If the 1994/1995 season saw Chicago come out in the first round of the playoffs against the Orlando Magic, the rest is history. After two memorable seasons punctuated by two titles in 1996 and 1997, Jordan and his teammates were embarked on the complex endeavor of achieving a new hat-trick.
1997/1998 therefore had everything to become a legendary season. The only downside, some rumors reported a potential (new) retirement of the one who would be MVP that year. 1997/1998 was also the story of a fierce duel between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, the two finalists of the previous edition. After successful seasons where Chicago and Utah dominated the League, it was written that these two franchises would meet in the Finals for the second consecutive time. At home, Utah won the first round, but Chicago responded by pocketing the next three. At the United Center *, Michael Jordan then had the opportunity to offer the title to his family, but unfortunately missed his chance at the buzzer. The two teams were therefore forced to play a decisive Game 6.
Back at the Delta Center ** in Salt Lake City, the Bulls had to win to avoid playing a Game 7 away that seemed tricky. Painfully supported by exhausted teammates and a Scottie Pippen embarrassed for a few games by a back injury, Michael Jordan had to take responsibility again, scoring 41 pts at 13/33 on shooting. With one minute to go, Her Majesty was throwing her last strength into battle. Despite his best efforts, the Bulls failed to take control of the game (83-86) until he decided to change the course of history. After registering a layup to pick up -1 at forty seconds from the end of the match, the Bulls full-back perfectly read a pass from John Stockton to Karl Malone (the two Jazz stars at the time) and stole the ball to the Mailman. There were only twenty seconds left to play and Jordan once again had the opportunity to offer his Bulls a title.
* United Center : salle des Chicago Bulls
** Delta Center: Utah Jazz Hall
A shot for eternity
(Credit: Fernande Medina / Getty Images)
23 years ago to the day, June 14, 1998, His Airness gifted us with one of the most iconic actions in orange ball history. This legendary player with a gargantuan record was once again preparing to dazzle the world of basketball with a gesture of great class. After stealing the ball into Karl Malone’s hands, MJ goes up the field to kill the match. In front of him stands Byron Russell, the last shy bulwark of the opposing defense. The seconds start to tickle as Jordan stares at his prey. Chicago is then led by one point, 86 to 85, he must score and everyone knows it. Used to these moments under high tension, he gets comfortable and gauges the poor man who is standing in front of him. Like a feline, he advances slowly, taking the time to lead his opponent towards the center of the field, then suddenly he stops his dribble, backs up to get rid of his defender who slips to the ground and cocks his shot. It was at this precise moment that, suspended in the air, gravity seemed to have no hold on him. Michael Jordan was going to do it, again. He was going to go beyond his simple condition of athlete to put an end to one of the most beautiful stories in sport.
Up there, perched above the other players who are watching him enviously, number 23 seems to be floating. The clock shows 6.6 seconds at the end of this thrilling match and this shoot would decide the fate of many. If he takes that shot, Jordan wins the NBA Finals and completes a second three-peat started two years earlier. This is the unique opportunity for him to end his career with the Chicago Bulls in the most beautiful way by marking the hearts of fans forever. MJ suspended in the air sees the ball shaking the nets of the opposing basket, in fact throwing an icy cold throughout the room. Fans, players and anyone hoping for a happier ending for the Salt Lake City franchise can only give up. He did it, again, after considerable effort and at the twilight of a phenomenal career; Air Jordan is still the strongest. Hero of an entire city, he can celebrate this moment which will remain the high point of his career, the essence of his glory. He moved the whole world, provoking emotions that few players manage to convey. Even Phil Jackson, her coach, couldn’t contain his joy and let it explode on the pitch.
An action made history
(Credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
Phil Jackson is a legendary trainer who accompanied Michael Jordan to the pinnacle of his career. When he explains in his book Eleven Rings how much this precise moment moved him, we can easily feel how forcefully this shot marked the great history of basketball. ” Everyone considers this shot to be their ultimate masterpiece. The perfect ending if there could be one “. A romantic ending, so absurdly beautiful that it seems to have been written in advance. Michael Jordan had already inscribed his name in NBA legend during his career, but this action, this moment of intense glory, took him to a whole new dimension. Legend among legends, he has succeeded in making this suspended moment one of those images which is imprinted on our retina without ever wanting to leave it.
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Article in collaboration with Louis Rousseau
Crédit image en une : Fernande Medina/Getty Images
