The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever

Chicago Bulls: What if Jordan hadn't retired and there was no last dance?

Unlike most NBA players, Michael Jordan retired not once but three times, including during an 18-month stretch during his prime in the mid-90s. During that time, the Houston Rockets repeated as champions, and many wondered whether the Bulls would have been able to reel off five straight championships or if Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets or another team would have snapped their streak.

The answer is probably the latter, with Jordan experiencing burnout and likely needing the time away to prepare himself for what ended up being a second three-peat. That run was broken up by GM Jerry Krause, who traded Scottie Pippen and released Dennis Rodman in the 1999 offseason. Had the team stayed together, however, they might have faced the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 Finals.

Most would likely have given the edge to the Jordan Bulls, but the 99 Spurs are one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history and featured two Hall of Fame big men, Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Duncan likely would have given Rodman fits, especially considering Rodman wasn't the same player after the 98 Finals. The same might be said for Robinson and Luc Longley. The Bulls would still have had Jordan and Pippin, but would they have beaten the Twin Towers? Unfortunately, we'll never know.