The Push That Saved Michael Jordan’s Legacy…

It’s June 14, 1998. The Delta Center in Salt Lake City is a cauldron of anticipation. The Chicago Bulls, battered and aging, are up 3-2 in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. One more win, and they cement their dynasty with a sixth championship in eight years; one more loss, and they face the daunting prospect of a Game 7 on the road, with their legs and spirits worn thin.

The air is thick with history. The Jazz, haunted by last year’s defeat, are desperate for redemption. Karl Malone and John Stockton are in the twilight of their careers, still searching for the ring that would validate their Hall of Fame legacies. The Bulls, meanwhile, are fighting more than the Jazz—they’re fighting time, injury, and a fractured organization. This is the last dance, the final act of the greatest dynasty the NBA has ever seen.

The Build-Up: A Dynasty on the Brink

The Bulls’ dominance in the 1990s is the stuff of legend. Since Michael Jordan’s arrival, Chicago has become synonymous with winning. From their first title in 1991, the Bulls have never lost in the Finals, with Jordan collecting five MVPs and rewriting the record books.

But beneath the surface, the team is fraying. General Manager Jerry Krause and coach Phil Jackson are at odds, with Krause publicly declaring that Jackson is done after this season, no matter the outcome. Jordan, fiercely loyal to Jackson, makes it clear: “If Phil isn’t back, I’m not back.” Scottie Pippen, underpaid and undervalued, delays surgery out of spite. The locker room is tense, the future uncertain.

Yet, on the court, the Bulls remain formidable. Despite missing Pippen for half the season, Chicago posts a 62-20 record—best in the league. Jordan, at age 35, leads the NBA in scoring, plays all 82 games, and wins his fifth MVP. The playoffs, however, promise to test their resolve.

The Playoffs: Surviving the Gauntlet

Chicago sweeps the Nets in round one, then dispatches the Hornets in five games. Their toughest challenge comes in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Led by Reggie Miller, the Pacers push the Bulls to seven games—a rare occurrence for Jordan’s Bulls. Chicago survives, winning Game 7 at home, but the series leaves them battered and weary.

The Finals are a rematch with Utah. Stockton and Malone, both in their mid-30s, know this may be their last shot. The Jazz steal Game 1 at home, but the Bulls respond, winning Games 2, 3, and 4 to take a 3-1 lead. Utah claws back in Game 5, with Malone dropping 39 points to keep the Jazz alive.

Now, it’s Game 6. The Bulls, nursing injuries and internal strife, must win on the road to avoid a winner-take-all Game 7.

Game Six: The Anatomy of a Classic

First Half: Fire Meets Fire

Both teams come out hot. Jordan is aggressive, scoring eight points and grabbing two steals in the opening quarter. Malone is unstoppable, hitting all his shots and racking up 12 points. Jeff Hornacek chips in nine for Utah. For Chicago, disaster strikes early—Scottie Pippen, battling a bad back, throws down a dunk but lands awkwardly, sending him to the locker room for the rest of the half.

With Pippen sidelined, the pressure falls squarely on Jordan’s shoulders. He responds with a masterful second quarter: two three-pointers, a slick step-through, and a barrage of mid-range jumpers. He finishes the half with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Yet, Utah refuses to wilt. Malone continues to shred Chicago’s defense, and at halftime, the Jazz lead 49-45.

Second Half: Mind Games and Momentum Swings

Pippen returns in the third quarter, but he’s a shell of himself, moving gingerly and scoring just two points. The real drama is psychological. Dennis Rodman, ever the agitator, gets into a wrestling match with Malone, earning a foul and trying to disrupt the Jazz star’s rhythm. Byron Russell jawbones with Jordan, and it seems to work—MJ has a quiet third quarter, scoring just six on 2-of-6 shooting. Utah maintains a 66-61 lead heading into the fourth.

The Fourth Quarter: Legends Are Born

The Final 12 Minutes

Jordan starts the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws and a mid-range jumper. Rodman adds a rare jump shot, cutting Utah’s lead to one. Chris Morris answers for the Jazz, but Toni Kukoc buries a three to tie the game. Jordan retakes the lead with free throws and another jumper, but the game remains a seesaw battle.

Malone and Stockton keep Utah afloat with clutch buckets. Pippen, Rodman, and Ron Harper contribute for Chicago, with Harper hitting a miracle shot-clock-beating dagger. With two minutes left, Utah leads by four. The Bulls are on the ropes.

The Climax: The Greatest Sequence in NBA History

Less Than One Minute Remaining

It’s 83-83, less than a minute to go. The Jazz have the ball. Stockton finds Malone, who’s been their anchor all night. Then, Stockton gets the ball back, swings crosscourt, and launches a three.

Stockton for three… It’s there!

Utah takes an 86-83 lead with 41 seconds left. The crowd is delirious. The Bulls are exhausted, desperate, and facing the possibility of a Game 7 they can’t afford.

Jordan’s Final Miracle

Phil Jackson draws up a play. Pippen inbounds to Jordan, who isolates against Russell. MJ drives left, pulls up, and drains a jumper to cut the lead to one.

The Jazz come down. Malone posts up, but the Bulls double-team, swatting at the ball. Jordan sneaks in, strips Malone, and starts the break.

Seventeen seconds left. The Bulls don’t call timeout. Jordan brings the ball up, faces Russell, and sizes him up. The world holds its breath.

Jordan crosses over—was it a push-off?—and rises. The jumper is pure.

Jordan open… Chicago with the lead!

The arena is stunned. The Bulls lead 87-86 with 5.2 seconds left.

The Final Play: Destiny Sealed

Utah calls timeout. Stockton gets the ball, Harper fights through a screen, and gets a hand up. Stockton’s three is off. The buzzer sounds.

The Chicago Bulls are NBA champions for the sixth time.

Jordan collapses in joy as the Bulls celebrate their second three-peat. For many, this is the last image of Michael Jordan in a Bulls uniform: arms raised, victorious, having delivered under the greatest pressure.

The Legacy: Motivation, Rivalry, and Immortality

What fueled Jordan in this series? The answer is simple: Karl Malone’s MVP award. After the 1996-97 season, Malone was named Most Valuable Player, a decision that stung Jordan and gave him extra motivation.

“I’m not saying he wasn’t deserving of it,” Jordan later said. “All I’m saying is that it fueled the fire and made me say, ‘Okay, you think he’s the MVP? No problem.’”

And so, the Bulls won their fifth championship in seven years, and then their sixth in eight. Jordan’s Finals record remained perfect. For the Jazz, it was heartbreak; for the Bulls, immortality.

Epilogue: The End of an Era

The 1998 Finals were more than just another championship. They were the culmination of a dynasty, the final chapter of a team that overcame internal strife, injury, and age to claim one last crown.

When you say “Michael Jordan,” what comes to mind? Excellence. Clutch. Legacy. The image of Jordan rising over Russell, hitting the shot, and sealing the Bulls’ sixth championship is basketball’s Mona Lisa—a work of art that will never fade.

For the Jazz, the pain was real. “We just happened to be playing the Chicago Bulls,” Malone reflected. “Championship number six.”

If that’s the last image of Michael Jordan—winning, arms raised, the ultimate competitor—how magnificent is it?

The Last Dance: Forever Remembered

The 1998 NBA Finals, and especially Game 6, remain one of the greatest moments in sports history. It was the perfect ending for a perfect player, a perfect team, and a perfect era.

Jordan’s final shot, the steal, the jumper, and the victory encapsulate everything great about basketball: skill, drama, heart, and the will to win.

As the Bulls celebrated their sixth championship, the world knew it was witnessing the end of an era. The last dance, immortalized forever.