Stacey King Reflects on the Bulls’ Championship Confidence with Michael Jordan
Winning in the NBA is never a given. With the world’s best players battling it out every night, each game is a test. But for the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s, victory often felt inevitable. According to former Bulls forward Stacey King, the team’s unwavering confidence came directly from their superstar, Michael Jordan.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Gimme The Hot Sauce, King recalled his time playing alongside Jordan, shedding light on the almost surreal confidence the Bulls had during their dominant run. No matter who they faced, King said, the team knew they were going to win.
The Power of MJ’s Presence
Michael Jordan’s competitive fire is legendary, and King explained how it infected every corner of the Bulls’ roster. Jordan’s all-consuming drive to win was a catalyst for the team’s success. His intensity wasn’t just about his personal performance; it was about raising the level of play for everyone around him. Whether on the court or in practice, MJ’s standards were impossibly high.
“I just expected to win. We just expected to win,” King said, reflecting on his time in Chicago. “When you play with Michael, the confidence that you have, playing with Phil Jackson, Bill Cartwright, and John Paxson, you just knew every single night that — no matter who we played — we were going to win.”
For King, a key contributor to the Bulls’ bench, winning was a default expectation. Even when the Bulls had an off night or came in less than 100%, the team still believed they could pull out a win. According to King, if the Bulls lost, it was because everything would have to align perfectly for the opposition.
“It was like a 95% chance we were going to win,” he said. “If you beat us, it’s because we came out flat or were maybe out the night before — something like that. But the confidence? It was a given.”
A Perfect Storm of Talent
Looking back on his career, King realizes just how rare and historic his experience with the Bulls was. At the time, he didn’t fully grasp the significance of playing alongside some of the greatest players in NBA history. Having come up short in his pursuit of an NCAA championship with Oklahoma, King didn’t expect to find himself in a position to win NBA titles. Yet, everything changed when the Bulls selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 1989 Draft.
“I never knew if I’d ever get a chance to play for a championship at any level,” King admitted. “Then, to land in Chicago — a team that had already won 50 games the year I got drafted — it felt like a dream. Michael was in his prime, Scottie was just coming into his own, and I was stepping into a team that was ready to compete for championships.”
For the 22-year-old King, it was the perfect situation. Surrounded by future Hall of Famers and led by one of the most driven competitors the game has ever seen, King thrived in his role. In just his third season, he and the Bulls captured the first of three consecutive championships.
“Looking back, you realize what you’ve accomplished,” King reflected. “What we did with the Bulls, not too many teams have ever done. That’s what makes it special.”
The Legacy of Winning
In the end, it was more than just the talent on the roster that propelled the Bulls to dominance; it was the culture of winning that Michael Jordan instilled in every player. For King, playing on those championship teams wasn’t just about titles; it was about the mindset, the expectation that success was inevitable.
Winning NBA championships is an extraordinary feat — and King’s three consecutive titles with the Bulls are part of one of the most iconic runs in league history. But as King’s reflections show, the real magic came from the confidence and mentality instilled by Michael Jordan, a force that made the impossible feel like business as usual.