June 12, 1991

Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson had motivated his team all season by showing them the 1973 championship ring he won as a member of the Knicks. Today, the Bulls earn their own rings.

They win their first championship with a 108-101 victory over the Lakers in Game 5, their third straight triumph in the Forum at Inglewood, Calif. Finals MVP Michael Jordan leads the way with 30 points and 10 assists, and John Paxson scores 10 of his 20 points after the Lakers tie the game at 93.

"(This championship) means so much," says Jordan, in tears as he talks to a national television audience. "Not just for me, but for this team and this city. It was a seven-year struggle. It's the most proud day I've ever had."

In the locker room, the Bulls go wild. "I've never seen a celebration like this," says Jackson, drenched in champagne and the warmth of success. "I was with the Knicks in '70 and '73, and there was never anything like this. This has been a poised team and they just lost it."

But never on the court.