The Chicago Bulls entered the NBA playoffs with a record of 72–10 (the best regular season record until the 2016 Golden State Warriors went 73–9), eclipsing the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers record of 69–13, helped by Michael Jordan's first full season back from his mid-1990's retirement and the addition of another future Hall of Famer to the Bulls, Dennis Rodman. The SuperSonics were only the tenth team in NBA history to win 64 games during the regular season, but their feat went largely unnoticed due to Chicago's record 72 wins.
This was the Sacramento Kings' first playoff appearance since 1986, but would be Mitch Richmond's only one as a King (he previously appeared twice in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriors in 1989 and 1991). The Kings did not make it back until 1999, which began their eight-year string of playoff appearances. Richmond would be traded to the Wizards in 1998 and would later win his first and only championship with the Lakers in 2002 (he would retire shortly thereafter).
Game 4 of the Lakers-Rockets series was Magic Johnson's final NBA game. He would retire for good after a brief in-season comeback following the loss.
As for the two-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, their quest for a 3-peat was thwarted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who swept the Rockets 4–0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The SuperSonics were also the last team to defeat the Rockets in the playoffs before their two–year title run, in the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4–3). Also noted during their two-year title run, the Rockets never faced the SuperSonics in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by both the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
The 1996 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic were redemption for Michael Jordan after his first return to the playoffs in 1995 and the Bulls' disappointing second-round loss to the 1995 Orlando Magic, a team that would be swept in last year's finals. With Jordan leading the way, the Bulls swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic, winning all four games by an average of 17 points. As for the Magic, it ended a three-year run of dominance for the team, as Shaquille O'Neal went on to sign with the Lakers the following season. The Magic did not have another 50-win season, division title and first round playoff series victory until 2008, followed the season afterward by an Eastern Conference championship and the franchise's second NBA Finals appearance in 2009 to which they lost to the Lakers.
With their Western Conference Finals victory over the Utah Jazz, the Seattle SuperSonics made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979. They wouldn't return ever again because the franchise was sold after drafting future Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, Kevin Durant. With the win, the SuperSonics vindicated themselves as well after their stunning first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets in 1994, when they had become the first top seeded team to lose to an eighth-seed in the NBA playoffs. Despite the Jazz losing in seven games to the SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals (their third appearance in 5 years), in retrospect it kickstarted their own Finals run, which they ultimately accomplished in 1997 and 1998, but lost both times to the Bulls.
By winning their fourth title in six years, the Bulls capped what many consider to be the greatest season in NBA history, finishing with a combined 87–13 record, including 72–10 in the regular season and 15–3 in the postseason. In addition, they remain the first and only team to win 70+ games in the regular season and win the NBA championship.
Down by 8 late in the 4th quarter, Michael Jordan leads the Bulls on a personal 8–0 run including hitting the game-tying 3 with 19.4 seconds left to force OT
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first four meetings. The SuperSonics defeated the two-time defending NBA champion Rockets to return to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years.
The SuperSonics led the series 3–1 after an 88–86 victory at the Delta Center in Game 4. However, the Jazz shocked the Sonics in Seattle in Game 5 98-95 and would handily win Game 6 118–83, Seattle's worst playoff loss in team history. Game 7 was a close affair and the Sonics pulled away late to win 90-86 and advance to their first NBA Finals since 1979. This is the most recent conference final played entirely outside of Texas and California.
Seattle battled to a Game 6 after trailing 3–0 in the series, only the second team in NBA Finals history to do so (1951New York Knicks forced a Game 7).
