Bulls first to win 70 games
On April 16, 1996 – 1996: It’s a remarka-Bull record as Michael Jordan and his supporting cast become the first NBA team to win 70 games in a season. Though Air Jordan is not shooting at his best (nine of 27 from the field in scoring 22 points), he still leads the Bulls’ to the record-breaker, an 86-80 victory over the Bucks in Milwaukee.
Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman embrace at halfcourt as the game ends and the Bulls (70-9) better the 1971-72 Lakers’ record of 69-13. Afterward, in the locker room, Jordan attempts to downplay the significance of the Bulls’ achievement.
“I’m glad it’s over with,” he says. “We didn’t start out the season to win 70 games. We started out the season to win the championship, and that’s still our motivation. It’s going to take some time for this to sink in. I feel in the future, when we look back, 70 wins will mean a lot. If we win a championship, you’ll see a much more enthusiastic party.” He’s right. The Bulls, who started 39-3, will finish the regular season 72-10 and then celebrate wildly after winning the championship, the first in their second three-peat of the ’90s.
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