Glenn McFarlane’s report from his 1996 visit to the United Center to watch Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
As the new documentary The Last Dance brings the mystique of Michael Jordan to a new generation of fans, we take a look back to the Bulls historic 72-10 season, where the hottest ticket in town cost just $20!
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Michael Jordan’s path to The Last Dance was punctuated by a glorious 1996 season when he lead the Chicago Bulls to a then-record 72-10 season and a fourth NBA title in six years.
Herald Sun reporter Glenn McFarlane was one of the lucky few to catch a glimpse of the Bulls juggernaut.
As basketball fans, new and old, are captivated by the The Last Dance documentary, here’s how ‘Macca’ told it in 1996.
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I’m late to the party, but just saw first 2 eps of The Last Dance. Extraordinary. We were lucky enough to see 1 game of Michael Jordan & Bulls’ “Penultimate Dance†in Feb 1996. We changed our honeymoon itinerary when a mate scored tickets in Chicago. Incredible night. #LastDance pic.twitter.com/fxMLYJjDPr
— Glenn McFarlane (@MaccaHeraldSun) April 24, 2020
They call it the house that Mike built.
The United Center stands like a newly-built coliseum on the outskirts of Chicago’s city district, seemingly rising above the surrounding buildings.
The team that plays inside the building has also risen above the pack — again.
The Chicago Bulls have just broken the NBA record for the most wins in a regular season, eclipsing the mark of 69 set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72.
Across the road lies the remnants of the old Chicago Stadium where a kid from the University of North Carolina first turned a city, then a country and finally the world on its ear.
Michael Jordan rendered the old arena useless after he led the Bulls to three straight championships from 1991-93.
This city lives and breathes Jordan, from the magnificent highs over the years to the ultimate low of his short-lived retirement from basketball.
A Chicago Bulls game is always a sellout.
There have been more than 450 consecutive sold-out nights during the past nine years, a figure that demanded a bigger, more modern stadium be built.
Hence, the United Center grew from the magic of Jordan.
And now the Bulls — “Your Chicago Bulls” the court announcer labels the best team in basketball history — are within reach of their fourth championship in six seasons.
The man who has made it all happen barely needs an introduction — to anyone.
His face is plastered over billboards, television screens, T-shirts, shorts and running shoes on a global scale.
The city is, very much, Jordan’s, even though he was not born there.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, as a toddler.
But the decision to pick Jordan at No.3 in the 1984 NBA draft proved the most significant in Chicago’s history — at least since Eliot Ness took a distinct disliking to an upstart mobster known as Al Capone.
Jordan is everywhere you look in Chicago. From the moment you step off the plane at O’Hare International Airport he is staring at you from a billboard.
He’s got his own restaurant that we attended a few nights earlier to coincide with his 33rd birthday. He was out of town playing.
A ticket to a Bulls game is the hottest item in the Windy City.
To have one in your hand means power. You can get them through contacts or scalpers at a huge price. Or you try your luck in the lottery at the start of the season.
A close friend’s number came up. He bought ours for $US20, plus a $3 booking fee. Bargain!
Before we leave for the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the radio says scalpers are getting more than $US200 a ticket.
We ain’t selling.
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More than 23,000 fans clambered into the United Centre on this night — February 20, 1996. Millions watch the game around the world.
The moment you enter the stadium you are assaulted by loud music. If you don’t like noise, the United Center’s state-of-the-art sound system is not for you.
Basketball is loud, just like Jordan’s high-spirited teammate Dennis Rodman.
Rodman was suspended last month for headbutting a referee. He is a self-confessed wild man who refuses to be tamed by officialdom.
You can buy a Rodman T-shirt in ‘Fandemonium’, the Bulls’ merchandise shop inside the stadium.
‘So what’, you say, ‘a Rodman T-shirt?’ Well, this one outlines the numerous tattoos that are as much Rodman’s uniform as the Bulls jersey.
A collector’s item.
Then there is the merchandise involving Australia’s own Chicago Bull, Perth’s Luc Longley.
Longley is another cult figure — the crowd cries “Luuuuuuccccc” every time he touches the ball.
Fandemonium houses a ‘not-for-sale’ memorabilia section. This includes sections of the court from the former stadium, the three championship trophies and a 70-seat “stadium within a stadium” showing videos of Chicago Bulls’ history and its stars.
Thank goodness there is a game to watch, or you would never leave Fandemonium.
Your credit cards breathe relief when you actually take your seat. Phew!
Five hundred television monitors are strategically placed throughout the United Center and a giant, eight-sided colour video replay scoreboard sits above the court.
They come in handy — the seats in the bleachers are almost as distant as the last row of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG.
There is spectacular entertainment before the start of the game. First, the motorised inflatable giant Bull flies through the crowd. Then comes the laser show, which introduces the players in a blaze of light, complete with the signature instrumental song, Sirius, from the Alan Parsons Project.
Almost too spectacular to describe, it is the best entrance for any sporting team in the world.
Then there’s the game. Yes, the game. There is a game somewhere amongst the hype — mixed in with the action are the numerous entertaining stunts provided for you during breaks.
There is the Long Distance Rally Ride where three kids race carts around the court; the Spin and Win contest where two hardy souls spin around with their head on a baseball bat before recovering their composure and throwing a basket; the Limbo Stick, where fans are highlighted on the screen and have to limbo under the line.
And Benny the Bull and his Luvabull dancing girls always create an impression.
The Bulls win the game, as always. This time the scoreline is 102-76. Until this point the Bulls have only lost once at home.
It’s one of those rare nights where MJ is almost in second gear, scoring 14 points, allowing others to step out from his considerable shadow.
Ron Harper had 22 points, Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc, 14 each, Longley, 10, and Rodman, 9.
MJ still had nine rebounds and six assists in the demolition job over one of his favourite opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Leaving the stadium in darkness and driving snow, you are confronted by the most distinctive statue in a city famous for them.
It is the one the Bulls erected to honour Jordan after he decided to retire in 1993 to play minor league baseball.
Thankfully, he’s back now, but nobody has forgotten it will happen again for good one day.
Despite the driving snow, you can just make out the words on the statue: “Michael Jordan, the best there ever was; the best there ever will be.”
