Although it has been more than 3 decades since John Paxson helped the Chicago Bulls win an NBA championship, fans are still mesmerized by this moment and still recall it several years later. To those who might not be aware, Paxson is a former NBA star who played the point guard position and spent the vast majority of his career with the Chicago Bulls.
Since players such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were given a lot more attention, several valuable members of the team’s roster have been overlooked by the majority of the basketball community when recalling the greatness of the Bulls in the 1990s. With that being said, let us take a closer look at what John Paxson managed to do for the Bulls.
John Paxson saved Micahel Jordan’s legacy with his Game winner in the 1993 NBA Finals
Fans speak of Michael Jordan and his accomplishments with the Chicago Bulls as a legendary feat even in modern times. After all, Jordan led the Bulls to win 6 championships in the form of two three-peats. This is something that has yet to be replicated since the 1990s. Even the Shaq and Kobe Los Angeles Lakers managed to three-peat just once before breaking up.
The 1993 NBA Finals was Jordan’s run at a third NBA championship and his first successful three-peat. The Bulls had matched up against the Phoenix Suns and had a 3-2 lead in the series heading into Game 6. The Phoenix Suns fought with a sense of desperation and held onto a narrow lead in the 4th quarter of Game 6.
31 years ago today: John Paxson hit the game-winning shot to clinch our 3rd straight NBA title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/eUqiuP14Vp
— Chicago Bulls Archive (@BullsArchive) June 20, 2024
With less than 10 seconds left in the game, the Bulls were down by 2 points and were desperate to score in order to tie the game. They moved the ball around efficiently and found Paxson who knocked down a clutch three-pointer. This allowed the Bulls to miraculously win the game and avoid facing a Game 7. This also undoubtedly played a role in the narrative that Michael Jordan has never seen a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Paxson shot 46.3% from the three-point line that season and retired the next year
While the majority of fans may have expected Michael Jordan to take the game-winning shot, it was John Paxson who found himself entrusted with the task and made the long-distance shot with no hesitation. Fans who watched this game and the highlights revealed that the entire quarter was stressful to witness, “The most stressful 4th quarter I’ve ever witnessed smh.”
The most stressful 4th quarter I’ve ever witnessed smh.
— KMart81 (@MrKMart81) June 20, 2024
I remember like it was yesterday! epic!
— goof (@gooftroop2025) June 20, 2024
Given that Paxson was not a starter for the Chicago Bulls that season, one can certainly understand why fans were worried when he threw up a prayer to help their team win. However, the statistics reveal that John Paxson was an impressive long-distance shooter and made 46.3% of his three-pointers during that championship season. Therefore, there is no denying that entrusting him to make that shot was the right decision for the Bulls.