GDHQNBA15_f-Records 3

Chicago Bulls Gameday HQ

CHICAGO’S 72-10 SEASON In Michael Jordan’s first full season back after two seasons away, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls steamrolled their way to an historic season. A hell-bent Jordan (fueled by doubters and the playoff sting in 1995), Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and a very deep bench combined with head coach Phil Jackson to form an unstoppable offense (a League best 105.2 ppg) and an impenetrable defense (92.9 ppg, third). Chicago started 11-1, was 38-3 at the midway point and had only one two-game losing streak (Feb. 4 at Denver, Feb. 6 at Phoenix) in passing the 69 wins garnered by the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers that featured Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to become the NBA’s only 70-win team. Jordan treated every contest as a statement game or practice scrimmage. They were 33-8 on the road and 39-2 at home and not only won but crushed opponents, winning by an average of 15 points per game. Any attempts at running with those Bulls left you bruised and battered. In the playoffs, the Bulls went 15-3; MJ making sure to avenge the 1995 playoff loss to the Orlando Magic with a definitive sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals before dispatching a very good Seattle Supersonics (They were 64-18 and were every bit a championship-worthy squad) in the Finals. In fact the last team to come close to 70 wins was the 1996-97 Bulls, who finished 69-13. There’s simply too much quality in today’s NBA, many head coaches are more cognizant about building in rest for players and no Michael Jordan on any roster for a team to seriously challenge 72 wins. OSCAR ROBERTSON’S TRIPLE-DOUBLE SEASON In today’s NBA, it’s a big deal when a player goes for a tripledouble in a game, so it’s almost unfathomable to believe a player could average a triple-double for an entire season. Yet that’s what Robertson did for the Cincinnati Royals during the 1961-62 season. In only his second pro season, “The Big O”—he should have been called “The Big 1-O”—followed up a rookie season in which he just missed the trip-dub campaign (30.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 9.7 apg) by going for 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists. In fact, if you were to average out Robertson’s first six seasons, his numbers come out to 30.4 ppg, 10.7 apg and 10.0 rpg. Robertson’s combination of size (6-5, 210), quickness, strength, shooting and court vision, made him too much for opposing point guards—shooting guards and small forwards, too, for that matter—as he dominated and turned the Royals into royalty. In getting Cincy to the playoffs he recorded 41 triple-doubles that season which made up the bulk of the 181 he accumulated over his career. At the time it wasn’t even a celebrated achievement as the term triple-double wasn’t even invented yet. Everyone knew of Big O’s versatility, but it was never defined with a snappy name that is headlined in a game recap. And yes, the pace was faster then, but Robertson was an evolutionary leap in the game that changed the point guard position. Since that magical 1961-62 season, Magic Johnson, he of the 138 career trip-dubs, has come the closest to matching the feat. In 1981- 82, Johnson came close with an 18.6, 9.6, 9.5 season and a 16.8, 8.6 and 10.5 the nest season. Phoenix’s Jason Kidd also came close in 2006-07, going for 13.0, 8.2, and 9.2. LeBron James, who might be Big O 2.0, has flirted with the possibility a few times. It only goes to demonstrate how special Oscar’s season was. Today’s rosters are strewn with talents that can score, pass and rebound, yet no one other than Magic has really come close. Coupled with more managed minutes for the game’s top players and you might never see Big O duplicated. WILT’S 50/25 SEASON The same 1961-62 season Oscar Robertson was putting up the only triple-double season in NBA history, Wilt Chamberlain was recording the most impressive single-season double-double. His 50.4 point-25.7 rebound season set a bar so high that no one, not even by Chamberlain, himself, has come close to matching it. His 100-point game that March 2 was the exclamation point of that vaunted season and personifies his season-long dominance. Wilt went for 50 points 45 times, scored 60 points on 14 occasions, and one night lit up future Hall of Famer and that season’s Rookie of the Year Walt Bellamy, going for 73 and 36. It’s inconceivable anyone will match the that season in both categories, as the individual components alone appear safe. The best scoring season by an active player is Kobe Bryant’s 35.4 ppg in 2005-06 (LeBron James’ best is 31.4 in 2005-06), while the top active rebounding season is Kevin Love’s 15.2 rpg in 2010-11. Put it this way: In today’s NBA, if a player netted either 50 points or 25 rebounds in a game, he would get top headline billing. If someone went for 50 and 25 in a game, ESPN would start production on a 30 For 30 on the feat. A 50/25 season? That would likely break the Internet. NBA Photo Library, Stevenson Collection/NBAE/Getty Images Chamberlain 1995-96 Chicago Bulls


Chicago Bulls Gameday HQ
To see the actual publication please follow the link above