The city of Chicago got itself ready for a championship celebration ahead of Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 finals after they took a 3-1 series lead. Unsurprisingly, that did not sit well with Charles Barkley.
“I find it very presumptuous,” Barkley told the media before Game 5. “They’ve got the national guard out. They’ve got the police in force. They’ve got every bar in town boarding up their windows. That’s rude. It’s like selling the estate before the person’s dead.”
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Unfortunately, the Windy City’s confidence in its hometown Bulls was not rewarded. The Suns used their collective act as motivation and extended the series to Game 6 back at home.
Peculiar series
The 1993 finals series was odd, given that the home team only won once — the Bulls won 111-105 in Game at the United Center. That pushed Phoenix to the brink, and Chicago came within one win to secure its third title in as many years.
With just one game away from elimination, the Suns played their most inspired basketball of the series. No eye-popping performance from one player, but the whole squad clicked on all cylinders.
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Starting shooting guard Richard Dumas hit 12-for-14 from the floor en route to a game-high 25 points. He remained the only rookie outside of Magic Johnson to score that much in a finals game.
Kevin Johnson matched Dumas’ output while Barkley added 24 points of his own. The Suns’ duo also had 14 assists between them. Dan Majerle was not having his best day from the field, but compiled 12 rebounds and seven assists on top of 11 points in the huge win.
The Suns dodged a bullet and survived 41 points from Michael Jordan. MJ was his usual deadly self, hitting 16 of his 28 attempts and adding seven rebounds and seven assists for good measure. He became the first and only player to drop four straight 40-point games in the finals.
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However, outside of Scottie Pippen’s 22, Jordan virtually had no help as the rest of the starters only mustered 10 points and nine boards.
“They showed a lot of energy, and we could never get control of the game,” Jackson said, praising the Suns’ performance.
Chicago’s party was put on hold
Spite really was a powerful motivator, as proven by the Suns’ Game 5 performance. The Bulls expected to celebrate, but the Suns flipped the script. With three individuals contributing at least 24 points, Phoenix ensured the confetti stayed packed away for at least one game.
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Game 6 in Phoenix brought back the same urgency. The Suns fought back in the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead with under a minute remaining. However, Jordan and Pippen proved too steady. The Bulls closed the series in six games, completing their first three-peat and officially taking possession of the “estate” Barkley said was being prematurely claimed.
Barkley may not have left the floor with the Larry O’Brien trophy, but he left with a point proven. Chicago learned the hard way that celebrating too soon can backfire, if only briefly.
Related: Charles Barkley credited Chris Webber’s franchise-changing impact: “They win”
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.