In the 1990–91 season, Michael Jordan won his second MVP award (Jordan also won the award in 1988) after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Chicago Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season.
Jordan received 77 of 96 first-place votes from a media panel. His 891 points in the voting outdistanced Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, who had 497 points and 10 first-place votes. San Antonio Spurs‘ David Robinson finished third, followed by Philadelphia 76ers‘ Charles Barkley, Utah Jazz‘ Karl Malone and Portland’s Clyde Drexler.
That year the Bulls advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history to face Magic Johnson and James Worthy and beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one, compiling an outstanding 15–2 playoff record along the way. Perhaps the best known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot in. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.
The 1991 NBA Championship with the Bulls was Jordan’s first, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a “three-peat.”
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