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Orlando Magic Rewatchables: Unanswerable Questions from the 1995 Orlando Magic-Chicago Bulls series

By Philip Rossman-Reich

As we revisit the Orlando Magic's series win over the Chicago Bulls, defeating Michael Jordan stands the test of history. (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan)
As we revisit the Orlando Magic's series win over the Chicago Bulls, defeating Michael Jordan stands the test of history. (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan) /
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Do the Bulls go 72-10 without this loss?

The story goes that Michael Jordan saw Horace Grant hoisted on his teammates’ shoulder celebrating on his court and he experienced the failure of the playoff defeat. That story drove him in the offseason to get back into basketball shape and put on a three-year tour de force that changed the league.

The 1996 season was especially vengeful. The Chicago Bulls went 72-10 and dominated the entire league — only getting challenged in the Finals from the Seattle SuperSonics (an interesting what-if series for Orlando Magic history).

Jordan experiencing failure is probably one of the worst things that can happen for his opponents. His ability to use any sleight as motivation was legendary.

The Magic gave him a serving of motivation not only be beating him but by lifting Grant on his shoulders. Or even exploiting the Bulls’ strategy of forcing Grant to beat them.

The Magic beat the Bulls. Jordan made several mistakes on his own. And then they rubbed it in by lifting his former teammate — and apparently the guy Jordan felt snitched on the team for Sam Smith’s The Jordan Rules.

That is like shoveling coal into a fire. And that fire was raging in 1996.

Jordan averaged 30.4 points per game in 1996 and the Bulls put together perhaps the greatest full season in NBA history. At least, the most dominant.

The Bulls probably go on to win the title in 1996. A fully healthy and basketball-ready Jordan was going to be nearly impossible to stop. Evey by a team as up-and-coming as the Magic.

Would the Bulls have jumped to historical levels without the motivation of this loss and the way they lost? That is a question we will never know.

Next. Magic score two wins over NBA's GOATs. dark

Be sure to check out part one of our Rewatchables series on this 1995 matchup between the Magic and the Bulls. We will have one more part coming tomorrow naming who wins the series.