Remember when Noah Lyles caused some NBA players to react left and right by saying the league’s champions are not world champions? Well, there was a time when those who held the Larry O’Brien Trophy could prove their mettle against other teams from different leagues, thanks to the McDonald’s Championship.
The tournament pitted a representative from the Association against other champion clubs from different continents. In 1997, the Chicago Bulls participated in it and won the title in Paris. It wasn’t easy for Michael Jordan and company, though, as the Hall of Famer didn’t have Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman.
“We were hit pretty hard with injuries,” Steve Kerr said. “So, it was Michael and a bunch of scrubs.”
Pippen and Rodman didn’t make it to France
Before the 1997 McDonald’s Championship, Chicago had just completed its second consecutive title run, defeating the Utah Jazz in six games. It was more of the same for the Bulls as in their previous championships, with Jordan leading the way in the playoffs and Pippen serving as his reliable sidekick.
However, the do-it-all small forward sustained a foot injury in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals and then delayed the surgery for as long as possible, resulting in him missing the McDonald’s Championship.
As for Rodman, he was also dealing with his own health issues, including chronic knee problems. The enigmatic power forward also had to undergo tough contract extension negotiations with the Bulls front office, as he had started to become more of a liability in the 1996-97 season, which saw him get suspended and fined several times. He told the organization, “Pay me for what I do,” which it acquiesced to. Still, the absence of a deal meant that Dennis couldn’t play in Paris.
Toni Kukoc also admitted he was dealing with plantar fasciitis at the time. So, Chicago had to field Jordan and the franchise’s B team in the tournament.
The “scrubs” did the job
Fortunately, that was enough for the Bulls to triumph in the competition, defeating hometown favorite Paris Basket Racing (then called PSG Racing Basket) 89-82 in the semifinals and routing Olympiacos Basketball Club 104-78 in the final round.
Despite enduring an infection on his foot, Jordan dominated the Finals, scoring 27 points.
Chicago also used its trademark defense to limit the opponent. So, the squad was fine with having only two guys score in double digits, with Randy Brown and Kerr adding 12 and 10, respectively.
It may not have been the ideal situation for the Bulls, but thanks to “His Airness,” they were able to show everyone why they deserved to be called “World Champions.”
