Flashback #26: Bulls Win 72 Games (1996)

As of 670 The Score's 20th Anniversary on January 3rd, the station has begun to reveal (in chronological order) the Top 100 Chicago Sports Stories that have occurred since they first went on the air 20 years ago. Once all 100 of these "flashbacks" have been revealed, fans will be able to vote for which stories they believe are the most significant in the 20 year history of The Score. To see all of the Flashbacks that The Score has posted so far, please visit 670 The Score's 20th Anniversary page.

April 21, 1996 - Bulls win 72 games

It had never been done before and it may never been done again.

Behind the star-studded cast of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and newly-acquired Dennis Rodman -- the original Big Three -- the Bulls finished the 1995-96 season with a record of 72-10, breaking the 1971-72 Lakers' record of 69 wins in a season.

The Bulls finished a staggering 20 games ahead of their closest competitor in the Central Division, the Indiana Pacers.

In his first full season back in the NBA after a brief hiatus, Jordan won his eighth scoring title to break Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven titles. Jordan would go on to be named the MVP of the regular season and win his fourth NBA Finals MVP award.

The Bulls started the season hot by winning 23 of their first 25 games. In fact, Chicago only lost back-to-back games once during their 72-win season -- on Feb. 4 and 6 to Denver and Phoenix, respectively.

In addition, the Bulls set another regular season record by becoming the fastest team to 41 wins by going 41–3 before losing their fourth game that year. This record was previously held by the 1971–72 Lakers, who got off to a 39–3 start.

Chicago won 33 road games that season, setting yet another NBA record. They also had a 39–2 home record, which was one win shy of tying the Boston Celtics for best home record in NBA history.

The hot-streak continued into the playoffs where the Bulls went 15-3 -- including a four-game sweep of the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals -- as they won their fourth NBA Championship of the decade.

The Score will continue to release a new Flashback each weekday until they reach 100. Check back tomorrow for a new one, or check out all of the previous Flashbacks: 670 The Score's 20th Anniversary »