The Last Dance -- NBA Showdown 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls

What more can be said about this team, if you have watched the documentary, there is probably nothing new that I can tell you. So this write up will be very brief, but I figured to coincide with the finale of the Last Dance, before I drop the 2019-2020 season cards, I am here to bless you all with the greatness of the end of the Chicago Bulls Dynasty that won 6 rings in 8 years, and the two years they didn't win, Michael Jordan wasn't around the whole season.This team is certainly not as good as some of their other championship teams, which you may or may not be seeing over the coming months, but they still have a formidable big 3, and arguably the greatest player of all time depending on which side of the bed I wake up on that morning.

Now once you print the 2019-2020 cards you can throw in this championship winning team to the mix, and maybe settle some of these debates over which player is the best, which team is the best. Or just enjoy all the players for how great they are and not compare them since they aren't from the same era, position, type of player or any of those other reasons. I remember this NBA Finals as the first of many that I would watch growing up. I was 9 years old when Michael sealed the deal up in Salt Lake City with that awesome shot over Bryon Russell. Over time watching games as I matured and my knowledge of the game increased, Scottie Pippen is so underrated as a player as well as all the contributions that Dennis Rodman made on and off the court. Who else joined the NWO and won a NBA Finals in the same season?????? This team was deep, but it all centered around his Airness, and the legendary coach Phil Jackson. So lets take a look at this team, who will be having its First Dance in showdown form. The Bulls dominated the regular season going 62-20 finishing first in the Central Division.

I think the best way to do this, is NBA Introduction style and the Bulls have the Iconic one.
https://youtu.be/Zn6kiimEsYc
Gotta enjoy the intros, also for you hip-hop fans that haven't heard it check out Fabolous - B.O.M.B.S where he raps over that intro beat.

At Forward from the University of Central Arkansas Scottie Pippen!!!! This card in showdown terms, which we will all be getting familiar with is a Superstar. Any player over 700 points can do a little bit of everything. Scottie Can score, pass and rebound, while also probably guarding the best offensive player on the other side of the court. He can play both forward positions and will be on the court for the whole game.

At the other forward position, from Southeastern Oklahoma University, Dennis Rodman!!!!I love the look of this card, from his colored hair to him dribbling the ball. Dennis is huge for the rebounding battle. With him on your team he can lock up on defense, clean the glass and hopefully add some extra points to your score at the end of the quarter.

At Center from New Mexico, by way of Australlia the man in the Middle Luc Longley!!!! A very solid piece to this championship dynasty. Many say he was under appreciated as well, being the 4th or 5th option most times in the offense. He can provide stability on both ends of the court.

At Guard from Miami of Ohio Ron Harper!!!! Much like Luc Longley, a super crucial piece to make everything fit for this team. His versatility as a 6-6 point guard, the Bulls defense could switch anything before it became a thing that NBA teams now a days do automatically without putting up a fight. His presence allowed Jordan and Pippen breaks on defense, not that they would ever take them.

From North Carolina, at Guard number 23 MICHAEL JORDANNNNNNNN!!!!!!! What more can we say, over 20 years later he still lives in all basketball fans mind. This card is super star quality. His offensive ratings were higher in the early parts of the bulls run, but even as a 16 he is one of the best on the court, won't have many defenders that can completely lock him up, and if he has a favorable match-up, or gets hot, look out its cooking time. It almost feels like he should get a +2 to his rolls in the fourth quarter but hey we aren't that far into development yet, or even a +4 when your opponent talks trash to you. What I do know is in a draft, you couldn't go wrong picking up Michael.

The Bench:

An average at best player off the bench, here is Jud Buechler proving that white men can indeed jump. He only gets one quarter of play, and that is to give Michael or Scottie a quick rest before coming back in to dominate. 

I feel a little misinformed here ,and I blame NBA 2K who must not of acquired the rights to this players likeness because I do not remember him at all. Another solid off the bench rest player for the forward position and brings some above average defense to the table.

More than just a coach of the most recent dynasty, Steve Kerr was a problem when he was left open behind the three point line. Defensively he is lacking, but as a bench player, with the defenders that he had around him, his job was get to the open spot and knock down those threes. He did that job very well, and made clutch shots in his finals appearances.

The top sixth man for this Bulls team, Toni Kukoc, was fantastic off the bench. You see Dennis Rodman or Scottie Pippen heading to the bench, and get excited, but then this 6'10 almost point guard with the ball checks in and keeps the attacks coming. This is before small ball, but the Golden State death lineup vs the Bulls with Rodman at center and Kukoc playing with Jordan and Pippen sure would be a fun battle to see played out over time.

Finally is the back up big man Bill Wennington. He is the low point player on the team, and all he will be expected to do is give Luc a rest for a quarter if that is even needed. He is the 10th man in a showdown situation, but will always contribute at least 2 points and a rebound no matter what when he does play.

So that is it for the Last Dance Chicago Bulls, coming in a 5,660 points, which will be a fun marker when comparing the teams that follow. I hope you all enjoyed this new look showdown form, as I am having a blast getting it out to you guys. I haven't' even started the documentary yet, I am hoping to get some down time soon where I can sit back and watch it over a 2-3 day period. Take a look and get to know these cards as the 2019-2020 cards will be coming tomorrow. To conclude I felt it was necessary to provide a child hood memory for me as I talked about Dennis Rodman earlier in the post.