Chicago Bulls: Unsung heroes from championship era
Steve Kerr
One of the unsung heroes from the second trio of Chicago’s championships is Steve Kerr. He joined the Bulls before the 1993-94 campaign. And although Kerr has the best conversion rate from beyond the arc in NBA history, he wasn’t a player that opposing defenses focused on
Not only that, but Kerr certainly had his fair share of struggles in the Finals. In the six-game series against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996, Kerr shot just 10-for-33 from the field, including a woeful 4-for-22 from 3-point range.
Those struggles continued into the 1997 Finals against the Utah Jazz. Through the first five games of that series, he shot a combined 6-for-20 from the floor. However, his stock rose quite a bit in the series clincher.
After the Jazz tied the game at 86 apiece on a 3-pointer from Bryon Russell, it was the Bulls’ turn to respond. Being that Jordan had already delivered the game-winning shot in Game 1, Utah was determined not to allow him to beat them again.
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On This Date: Steve Kerr silenced the Jazz with a series-winning jumper off a pass from MJ during the 1997 NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/u6QpAktivt
— ESPN (@espn) June 13, 2018
As expected, the Jazz double-teamed Jordan, who found an open Kerr inside the charity stripe and he calmly knocked down the jumper to give the Bulls a two-point lead.
The Bulls stole the inbound pass on the subsequent possession, enabling them to escape with a 90-86 win, capturing their fifth title in seven seasons.