1993–94 Chicago Bulls season

The 1993–94 Chicago Bulls season was the 28th season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the regular 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. This was the first season without All-Star guard Michael Jordan since the 1983–84 season, as he retired during the off-season to pursue a baseball career after the murder of his father, James Jordan. During the off-season, the Bulls signed free agents Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, and Pete Myers, who was signed to fill in the void left by Jordan at the shooting guard position. Croatian rookie small forward Toni Kukoč, who was drafted by the Bulls as the 29th overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft, made his debut in the NBA this season.

With the addition of Kukoč, Myers and Kerr, the Bulls struggled losing seven of their first eleven games of the regular season, but then won 14 of their next 15 games, including a 10-game winning streak in December. The team posted a seven-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 34–13 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the Bulls traded Stacey King to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Australian center Luc Longley. The Bulls posted another 10-game winning streak between March and April, and finished in second place in the Central Division with a 55–27 record, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The team also qualified for the NBA playoffs for the tenth consecutive year.

Scottie Pippen averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Horace Grant averaged 15.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and B. J. Armstrong provided the team with 14.8 points and 3.9 assists per game. In addition, off the bench, Kukoč provided with 10.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, while Kerr contributed 8.6 points per game, Myers contributed 7.9 points per game as the team's starting shooting guard, Wennington averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and Bill Cartwright provided with 5.6 points per game, but only played just 42 games due to injury.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pippen, Grant and Armstrong were all selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was the first and only All-Star appearance for both Grant and Armstrong. Pippen scored 29 points along with 11 rebounds and 4 steals, and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 127–118. Meanwhile, Armstrong and Kerr both participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Kukoč was selected for the inaugural NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Phenoms team.

Pippen finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets, and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs, and also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, with Grant finishing in tenth place; Kerr finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, while Myers finished tied in seventh place in Most Improved Player voting, and head coach Phil Jackson finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting, behind Lenny Wilkens of the Atlanta Hawks.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1994 NBA playoffs, and for the third consecutive year, the Bulls faced off against the 6th–seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that featured All-Star guard Mark Price and Gerald Wilkins; the Cavaliers lacked big men for the series as All-Star center Brad Daugherty, All-Star forward Larry Nance, and Hot Rod Williams were all out due to season-ending injuries. The Bulls won the first two games over the Cavaliers at home at the Chicago Stadium, before winning Game 3 on the road in overtime, 95–92 at the Coliseum at Richfield to win the series in a three-game sweep.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, and for the fourth consecutive year, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New York Knicks, who were led by the All-Star trio of Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and former Bulls forward Charles Oakley. The Bulls lost the first two games to the Knicks on the road at Madison Square Garden, but then won the next two games at the Chicago Stadium. After losing Game 5 on the road, 87–86, the Bulls won Game 6 over the Knicks at home, 93–79 to even the series. However, the Bulls were unable to win a fourth consecutive NBA championship, as the team lost Game 7 to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 87–77, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series. The Knicks would advance to the 1994 NBA Finals, but would lose to the Rockets in a full seven-game series.

The Bulls finished seventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 760,816 at the Chicago Stadium during the regular season. This was also their last season at the Chicago Stadium, before moving across the street to their new arena, the United Center. Following the season, Grant signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic after seven seasons with the Bulls, while Cartwright signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, Scott Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and John Paxson retired.