Taking the “Bulls” by the horns

As we reach the All-Star break, all eyes are on the Golden State Warriors. They already made their mark last year when they took the crown in the NBA Finals, but this season is another story.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors are on pace to make history for they attempt to surpass the Chicago Bulls’ record for most wins in a single season. The Warriors pose a threat as they have a promising chance to beat it. The 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls had the most dominant team in NBA history, finishing the regular season with a 72-10 record and ultimately winning the NBA Finals.

As of February 11th, the Warriors are 48-4. 52 games through the regular season in 1996, the Bulls had a convincing record of 47-5. By one game, the Warriors are ahead of where Chicago was 20 years ago.

Steve Kerr was a member of the record-breaking Bulls team and is now, ironically, the coach of the Warriors. In late November, Kerr was given an interview with ESPN. He stated that it is impossible to compare the two teams due to the change of rules and how the game has changed over time.

The same situation occurred when Golden State was off to a 21-2 start last year. Steve Kerr was not as confident when asked if he thinks they could beat the record. “Oh God, no. No!” Kerr went on to explain, “We had this guy named Michael Jordan on that team. That year, I think we were 41-3. So if we can go 21-1 the next 22 games, come talk to me.” Little did he know, his team would go on to have the greatest start in NBA history the next year and would be chasing the seemingly impossible record.

The Warriors have the confidence in their team, although many critics do not. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was very outspoken stating that “That Bulls team would kill this little team”. Barkley doesn’t even believe that the heavily favored Warriors will advance to the NBA Finals. “I still like the Spurs to win the championship this year”.

Even Dennis Rodman shared his opinion over the radio. He, like many other critics, are saying that the game has changed and that it was harder to play in his era. “If we played this era man, we’d be doing the same thing. We’d probably be undefeated.” Rodman went on to explain why he thinks it’s not right to compare the Warriors to the ‘95-’96 team. “We did it when the league was very very strong, when we had the greatest players in the world. Every team had 2 or 3 superstars on every team … like I said today’s game is just a totally different game.”

If the two teams were to play each other, all arguments would be settled. Could you even imagine all that talent playing on the same court? We’re talking about Michael Jordan, one of the best athletes of the 20th century along with Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Then you have the Warriors stacked lineup. Reigning MVP Steph Curry is leading the way with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. This matchup is unfathomable. But since we can’t go back in time, it’s all a matter of opinion. Whether you like the Warriors or not, they are winning games, and win number 72 could very well be in their future.