Magic Johnson and Larry Bird discuss why the Lakers and Celtics would defeat the Bulls team of the 1990s.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird discuss why the Lakers and Celtics would defeat the Bulls team of the 1990s.

Justifiably so, the Chicago Bulls of the mid-1990s remain the greatest team in NBA history to this day. With a level of dominance rarely seen on the basketball floor, they won three consecutive NBA titles. They had Rodman, Pippen, Jordan, and an amazing group of backup players who could step up on any given night.

The Bulls were in a league with a lower level of skill.

But, it’s also true that other factors—like the NBA’s early 1990s expansion, which many claim diminished the league’s talent—also greatly aided them.

In one of the older interviews, NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson talked about the Bulls and how, despite being a great team, they also had it much easier than the Lakers or Celtics did back in the ’80s. Bird was convinced that the expansion hurt the NBA to a certain degree because the talent level on many teams wasn’t the same as before, making life easier for the Bulls.

Bird also added his Celtics would give the Bulls big problems, especially in the paint, because of their height advantage. The Celtics, alongside Larry Bird, who is listed at 6’9″, had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, a fantastic duo in the frontcourt. The difference in size is where Bird sees their advantage against the Bulls in a seven-game series.

The primary factor would be the variation in size.
Enchantment Johnson was in agreement with Bird on this point, stating that the 1980s teams were simply bigger than the Bulls and might pose a threat to them. Magic predicted that Kareem would be unbeatable in that game, giving them the advantage over the Bulls and a six- or seven-game victory.

With Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Denis Johnson in the backcourt, our frontline was just fantastic, and we may have performed well against them due of our height advantage.”

The primary factor would be the variation in size.
Enchantment Johnson was in agreement with Bird on this point, stating that the 1980s teams were simply bigger than the Bulls and might pose a threat to them. Magic predicted that Kareem would be unbeatable in that game, giving them the advantage over the Bulls and a six- or seven-game victory.