RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
The 1991–92 NBA season was the 46th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their second-straight NBA Championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. This would be Larry Bird's final season in the NBA.
* The game clock and shot clock combo was introduced as of today.
* Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers announces his retirement early in the season after receiving the news that he had tested positive for HIV.
* The Philadelphia 76ers' Charles Barkley honored Johnson by switching from his usual number 34 to 32, which he wore for the entire season. The 76ers had retired the number in honor of Billy Cunningham, who un-retired it for Barkley to wear.
* Due to back problems, Boston Celtics star Larry Bird retires at the end of the season, and since Bill Russell vs. Jerry West it brings one of the most memorable eras in NBA history (Magic vs. Bird) to a close.
* After a season in the Western Conference's Midwest Division, the Orlando Magic move back to the Eastern Conference, playing in the Atlantic Division. The 27 teams of the NBA would remain in the same four divisions until 2004, when the league would realign into six divisions.
* The 1992 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, with the West defeating the East 153–113. In an emotionally charged game, Magic Johnson wins the game's MVP award.
* In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers rescheduled and relocated their home first-round playoff games. Game 4 of the Lakers-Blazers series was played at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, while Game 4 of the Clippers-Jazz series was played at the Anaheim Convention Center.
* Luc Longley, drafted by the Timberwolves, becomes the first Australian to play in the NBA. He would later play in three Bulls championship teams.
* Larry Brown became the first to coach two different NBA teams in a single season after resigning from the San Antonio Spurs to coach the Los Angeles Clippers. Brown led the Clippers to the team's first winning season since their relocation to Los Angeles in addition to ending their fifteen-year playoff drought.
* The season marked the last time the Boston Celtics would win 50 games (they won 51) until the 2008 season.
* Following the first round loss to the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly resigned, ending the Pistons' "Bad Boys" era.
* On December 17, the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the Miami Heat by a score of 148-80. This 68-point win by the Cavaliers set the record for largest margin of victory in league history.
* Run TMC, consisting of Golden State Warriors players Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, was disbanded when Richmond was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Billy Owens.
* The Utah Jazz played their first game at the Delta Center.
* The Phoenix Suns played their final season at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
* The Chicago Bulls set a franchise record with 67 wins in a season (later broken by the 1996 team).
* Dennis Rodman recorded 1,530 rebounds and averaged 18.7 rebounds per game in the regular season, both of which were the highest figures since 1972. It is the first of an NBA record seven consecutive rebounding titles for Rodman.
* Michael Jordan scored 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, setting records for most points in a Finals half and most three-pointers in a half (six) until the latter was broken by the Houston Rockets' Kenny Smith (seven) in 1995.
* The Miami Heat were the first of the four late-1980s expansion franchises to make it to the playoffs, but were swept in the first round by the Bulls.
* All NBA teams sported patches on their warmups commemorating basketball's centennial anniversary.
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Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals | Cavaliers vs Warriors
We flashback to the final 3 minutes and 39 seconds of Game 7 of the NBA Finals where 2 of the best plays in NBA History transpired!
About the NBA:
The NBA is the premier professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. The league is truly global, with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, as well as NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featuring a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories. For the 2016-17 season, each of the league's 30 teams will play 82 regular-season games, followed by a postseason for those that qualify.
The NBA consists of the following teams: Atlanta Hawks; Boston Celtics; Brooklyn Nets; Charlotte Hornets; Chicago Bulls; Cleveland Cavaliers; Dallas Mavericks; Denver Nuggets; Detroit Pistons; Golden State Warriors; Houston Rockets; Indiana Pacers; Los Angeles Clippers; Los Angeles Lakers; Memphis Grizzlies; Miami Heat; Milwaukee Bucks; Minnesota Timberwolves; New Orleans Pelicans; New York Knicks; Oklahoma City Thunder; Orlando Magic; Philadelphia 76ers; Phoenix Suns; Portland Trail Blazers; Sacramento Kings; San Antonio Spurs; Toronto Raptors; Utah Jazz; Washington Wizards.
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For more information, as well as all the latest NBA news and highlights, log onto the league's official website at
In this clip, John Salley explained where the origin of the perceived beef between Michael...
John Salley: Magic, Not Jordan, was the Reason Isiah Thomas Didn't Make the Dream Team / In this clip, John Salley explained where the origin of the perceived beef between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas started. According to John, it was sparked by Isiah's nephew wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey which made Isiah develop a certain disdain for the Bulls. But John explained further that it wasn't personal. He also said that the story of MJ keeping Isiah off the Dream Team was a myth and in fact, it was Magic Johnson's doing which kept him from making the Olympic squad.
Later on, John Salley talked about the Bulls becoming a force only after Scottie Pippen assumed more responsibility and that the narrative around the "Bad Boys" of the Detroit Pistons was started by Phil Jackson.
Ryan, Channing, and Fred sit down with one of the most iconic athletes who just...
Isiah Thomas 12x NBA All Star on Detroit Bad Boys, Magic Johnson & Feud w/ Michael Jordan / Ryan, Channing, and Fred sit down with one of the most iconic athletes who just happens to be their long time idol, NBA hall of famer, Isiah Thomas. The original Bad Boy of Detroit Pistons is opening up and talking everything from his relationship with Magic Johnson to Detroit Pistons changing the game to sharing his side of the infamous Michael Jordan feud.
Isiah starts the show saying very simply that he is going to state facts and you can’t argue facts and that it’s one thing to win a championship in the NBA but it’s another to win a championship at every level ever played.
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Isiah shares how his upbringing was shaped by his mother’s guidance and a family first mentality where his mother cared more about the type of man he’d become vs the money and opportunity being offered. His mom’s influence was so great, it became her decision where he played college basketball and also who he played for.
Explaining how he ended up in Bloomington, Indiana playing for Bobby Knight, he expounds on the life lessons that shaped him there not just winning back to back collegiate championships.
The West Side of Chicago is home to many activists and organizations such as Fred Hampton, Martin Luther King Jr, and The Black Panther Party. Isiah grew up in this environment and recalls marching alongside his mother with Dr.King. Spearheading change at the national level, Isiah used his local groundwork in Detroit to advocate for Black journalists covering the team, more rights for Black NBA players leaving a greater impact with his legacy not just on the court but in culture.
Isiah makes his case known for why so many people overlook Detroit Pistons as transcending the NBA and shares what the team really did for the league and how they were the firsts to do many things back then setting the example of how teams should be and move.
Known for his historic rivalry with Michael Jordan, Ryan asks what were his thoughts on the way his character was portrayed by Jordan in The Last Dance. Isiah provides The Pivot with an exclusive inside look to his true relationship with MJ and goes on to say that he always looked out for Michael and that their families were even close. He also speaks about how rules within the NBA were changed to protect Michael Jordan. Isaih doesn’t hold back as he shares his thoughts on while he was deemed the a-hole of the NBA when in fact he was the nice guy.
Lastly, Isiah lets the guys in on the history of his and Magic’s close relationship and what led up to their legendary interview. He gives credit to the current legends playing the game such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, and says they’ve transformed the game in
1 Comment
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.