Despite the heavy accusation from “The Worm,” there seems to be no evidence that officials sided with the Jazz.
All six of the Chicago Bulls’ trips to the Finals resulted in championships, and none of them had to go to a Game 7. However, the 1998 Finals nearly went the distance, as Chicago would have likely lost in Game 6 if Michael Jordan’s tendency to come up short after going right for a pull-up jumper had manifested itself.
Many from the Bulls organization admitted it was the toughest of their title runs for various reasons. According to Dennis Rodman, his team also had to battle the leagues and referees, accusing the NBA of rigging Game 6 in favor of the Utah Jazz for more profit.
“It was obvious that the referees expected us to roll over and die so they could get an extra $30 million,” Rodman said of league officials about the 1998 Finals. “Thank God we have the players that believe in themselves.”
Checking Rodman’s assertion
That was quite an allegation from “The Worm,” and it would have weighed more had he shown some proof to back up his claim. Based on some calls that night in Chicago, it appears some whistles rang in their favor.
For instance, Jazz backup point guard Howard Eisley had his 3-pointer in the first quarter waved off, with the referees saying the release came after the shot-clock buzzer. However, replays showed that Eisley beat the clock. On the other hand, officials counted a Ron Harper shot in the fourth despite the replay indicating that the ball was still in his hands. Those missed calls constituted a five-point swing for the Bulls.
While playing five versus eight would have added to the lore of Chicago’s second three-peat, there seems to be little evidence that the referees sided with the Jazz, even if the extra revenue for the league would have been nice.
What’s sure is that the Bulls were somewhat handicapped in that series because Jordan had to exert more energy due to an injured Scottie Pippen and a distracted Rodman.
Mulling over a Game 7
Still, it would have been interesting to watch how the series would have ended had Utah been able to extend it to a seventh contest. Of course, MJ would have likely been his usual unstoppable self despite fighting fatigue.
On the flip side, the Bulls would have had a steep hill to climb because the Jazz, with momentum on their side, would have hosted the do-or-die matchup. In addition, the lack of able bodies would have been too tough to overcome for Chicago.
So, the Bulls organization and its fans should have thanked God, as Rodman did, because he and his teammates believed in themselves and willed their way to victory.
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