Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon. His profile on the NBA website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Capital One Arena, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. an arena they share with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Georgetown University men's basketball team. The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's team from 2019 to 2024 before joining the Nets in 2024.
Terry DeWayne Catledge is an American former basketball player. A 6'8" forward, he played college basketball for the University of South Alabama. He later spent eight seasons (1985–1993) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, and Orlando Magic.
Jeffrey George Ruland is an American former professional basketball player and coach, best known for his tenure as a player in the NBA which saw him selected to two All-Star games. After playing college basketball for Iona, he started his professional career with FC Barcelona in the Liga ACB.
Robert Louis Hansen II is an American former professional basketball player. A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) guard, he played nine seasons (1983–1992) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hansen is currently a commentator for Iowa Hawkeyes basketball broadcasts.
Albert King is an American former professional basketball player. The younger brother of former NBA scoring champion, Hall of Famer Bernard King, Albert played at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and is regarded as one of the nation's greatest high school players of all time. He was rated the top prep player in the nation over Magic Johnson and Gene Banks during his senior year. A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) guard-forward from the University of Maryland, King was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the 1981 NBA draft. King played in nine NBA seasons for four teams.
Kent Douglas Paynter is a Canadian former ice hockey player. Paynter played as a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1985 to 1994 with the Chicago Black Hawks, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators. He finished his professional career in the minor leagues in 1998.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Toronto Raptors' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first games in 1995, and were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. Retired All-Star point guard, and former Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas became the team's General Manager. The Raptors revealed a new primary logo of a dinosaur playing basketball, and got new pinstripe uniforms with the logo on the front of their jerseys, adding purple and red to their color scheme.
The 1996–97 NBA season was the Bulls' 31st season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as defending NBA champions, having defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals in six games, winning their fourth NBA championship. During the off-season, the Bulls signed 43-year old free agent All-Star center Robert Parish, who won three championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Coming off of one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, the Bulls, on the backs of recording another first-place finish in their division and conference, repeated as NBA champions.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bulls' 28th season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the three time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals in six games, winning their third NBA championship, their first of two threepeats in the 1990s. This was the first season without All-Star guard Michael Jordan since the 1983–84 season, as he retired during the off-season to pursue a baseball career after the murder of his father. Instead, the Bulls were led by All-Star forward Scottie Pippen. In the off-season, the team signed free agents Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, and Pete Myers, who was signed to fill in the void left by Jordan at shooting guard.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Bulls' 29th season in the National Basketball Association. This was also the team's first season playing at the United Center. During the off-season, the Bulls signed free agents Ron Harper, and Jud Buechler. The Bulls struggled in the first half of the season with a 23–25 record at the All-Star break. However, there were rumors that retired All-Star guard Michael Jordan would come out of his retirement to rejoin the team, after an unsuccessful baseball career. The Bulls received a major boost upon Jordan's return, as he faxed a memo that simply said "I'm back." The Bulls won 24 of their final 34 games, and finished the season with a 47–35 record, going 13–4 with Jordan back in the lineup. The Bulls finished third in the Central Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Magic's 6th season in the National Basketball Association. After building through the draft in previous years, the Magic made themselves even stronger by signing free agents Horace Grant, who won three championships with the Chicago Bulls, and Brian Shaw during the off-season. The Magic got off to a fast start winning 22 of their first 27 games, then later holding a 37–10 record at the All-Star break. Despite losing seven of their final eleven games in April, the Magic won the Atlantic Division with a 57–25 record. They also finished with a 39–2 home record, tied for second best in NBA history.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Hawks' 45th season in the National Basketball Association, and 26th season in Atlanta. In the off-season, Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Michael Jordan shocked the NBA by announcing his retirement. This meant that various teams in the league had an opportunity to contend for a championship. The Hawks hired Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens as their new head coach. Wilkens was a star guard for the franchise when it was based in St. Louis in the 1960s. He was quickly moving up the all-time coaching wins list after successful runs with the Seattle SuperSonics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wilkens employed a defensive system which benefited several members of the team. The team also signed free agents Craig Ehlo, and Andrew Lang during the off-season.
The 1992–93 NBA season was the Bullets' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Bullets selected Tom Gugliotta out of North Carolina State with the sixth overall pick. In the off-season, the team acquired rookie forward Don MacLean from the Los Angeles Clippers, who had acquired him from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agents Buck Johnson, and rookie guard Doug Overton. However, Ledell Eackles would miss the entire season due to weight problems.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the sixth season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Hornets acquired Hersey Hawkins from the Philadelphia 76ers, and Eddie Johnson from the Seattle SuperSonics. Coming off their first playoff appearance, the Hornets won six of their first eight games as they played around .500 for the first half of the season. In December, the team traded Johnny Newman to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Rumeal Robinson. However, the Hornets would soon struggle as Larry Johnson injured his back, and second-year star Alonzo Mourning was out with a torn calf muscle and sprained ankle.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bullets' 33rd season in the National Basketball Association. The Bullets received the sixth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Calbert Cheaney out of Indiana University, and also selected 7' 7" Romanian center Gheorghe Mureșan with the 30th overall pick. In the off-season, the team acquired former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth from the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade involving Harvey Grant, signed free agents Kenny Walker and undrafted rookie guard Mitchell Butler, and released LaBradford Smith to free agency after seven games, as he later on signed with the Sacramento Kings.
The 1992–93 NBA season was the Warriors' 47th season in the National Basketball Association, and 30th in the San Francisco Bay Area. This season is most memorable when the Warriors drafted Latrell Sprewell from the University of Alabama with the 24th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Jeff Grayer. The Warriors were severely bitten by the injury bug all season losing their top players; Chris Mullin missed half the season with a torn ligament in his right thumb, only playing just 46 games, Tim Hardaway missed 16 games with a bruised right knee, Šarūnas Marčiulionis broke his right leg and dislocated his right ankle in a jogging accident before the season, returned to play 30 games, then sat out the rest of the year with Achilles tendonitis; and second-year star Billy Owens only played just 37 games due to a knee injury.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Kings' 45th season in the National Basketball Association, and ninth season in Sacramento. The Kings had the seventh overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Bobby Hurley out of Duke University. The Kings started the season winning three of their first four games, but then continued to struggle, losing 16 of their next 18 games leading to an awful 5–17 start, including eight straight losses. In December, things got worse for the Kings as Hurley was involved in a life-threatening car accident, and was out for the remainder of the season after only playing just 19 games, averaging 7.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.
