An hour ago I went downstairs to pick out a Hitchcock movie to watch on my computer.. For some reason a DVD collection of the 1990s Chicago Bulls caught my eye and I am watching it instead. Oh, baby. I watched that team hundreds of times, literally, either live or on television during their championship run. It has been quite a while now. I'm sure some younger fans never saw Michael, Scottie, and the rest play in the moment. They probably seem as immediate as Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell and Jerry West seem to the generation my age -- historical artifacts. I am watching the mind-boggling 6th game against Utah in the 1998 finals, eagerly awaiting the iconic final shot. If MJ hadn't been nuts enough to make a comeback with the Wizards it would have been his last shot in the NBA.
Time sometimes erodes the immediacy of greatness. As many times as I saw him play, I had forgotten a bit how dominant Michael was and what a fierce competitor he was. He was a cold blooded assassin. When he had his issues with gambling his own father said Michael doesn't have a gambling problem, he has a competition problem. He was not a nice guy. What he was was a stone cold killer. Watch him walk the ball up the court at the end of this game, all the time in the world. And then he makes his move. Pure poetry.
If anyone wants to borrow the DVD set, just email me your mailing address.
Here is a highlight video. Watching the whole game is much more rewarding IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Cf0BelurM
