Every NBA player has their respective unforgettable moment on the court. For former Denver Nuggets forward LaPhonso Ellis, his was the night he blocked Michael Jordan's shot late in the game in which his team upset the vaunted 72-10 Chicago Bulls.
Years have passed, but Ellis still vividly recalls how he diligently read Jordan's move and patiently waited for the right time to swat the GOAT's shot away. To this day, "The Fonz" even remembers how important that block was as the Bulls were trying to make a late run within the last two minutes of the game.
"I do remember that we were up 31. Then Michael Jordan went off for 22 in the third quarter. He awakened them in a blur. But Mahmoud (Abdul-Rauf) had 30-plus points in that game as well. In my role, I was always energetic and emotional, so I tried to bring that off the bench for us. I remember Michael Jordan posting up against Bryant Stith while I was on the wing. I knew he was going to take a final shot, so I wanted to give my buddy Bryant Stith some help," Ellis told The Athletic in 2020.
"So, I waited until Jordan kind of turned his back and was blind to my coming over. I timed it perfectly and was able to block his shot out of bounds. I know there was under two minutes to go in the game at that point," he continued.
LaPhonso says beating the 72-10 Bulls meant a lot to them back then
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, the Bulls were dominating the league that season, leaving opponents in their wake. They were on an 18-game winning streak when they visited the lowly Nuggets during their six-game road trip.
Needless to say, the Nuggets were considered underdogs, and even their home fans didn't expect them to pose a significant challenge to the reigning champions. Despite the odds stacked against them, Denver, fueled by determination and grit, took on Jordan and the Bulls and won in a stunning upset.
For Ellis, that moment didn't only defy expectations but also left a lasting impact on him for obvious reasons.
"We were able to hang on late to win it, but what a remarkable run for Chicago, which was down 31 points and was actually able to come back and take the lead (87-84) in the fourth quarter. For us to be able to hold and make some big plays down the stretch and close it out against a historic team, it was pretty cool," he reflected.
The upset win over the Bulls speaks volumes about how good the '90s Nuggets were
Ellis added that apart from blocking the best player in the league, the other thing that made Denver's upset win over the Bulls in the '96 special was that it served as a testament to their team's immense potential. For "The Fonz," it's amazing how they upset the first-seeded Seattle Supersonics in 1994 and handed the historic '96 Bulls one of their only 10 defeats two years later.
Indeed, that Nuggets squad earned quite a reputation for upsetting the best teams in the league back then. Despite not winning a title with Denver, Ellis confided that it feels good to be part of such an explosive and promising team.
"We didn’t get a chance to win a world championship or get a chance to see how far that young team I was a part of could have gone after that experience of being the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed. So those opportunities to make history along the way and be a part of history along the way were special," he concluded.
Mahmoud would prefer a ring over a historic upset win
Like Ellis, former Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf also remembers the night they torched Jordan and the Bulls very well. Unsurprisingly, Abdul-Rauf is also proud of what the team pulled off in that game, but if he's being honest, Mahmoud admitted that he'd rather win an NBA title with the Nuggets than be remembered as one of the teams that beat the Bulls in '96.
"They put (Michael) Jordan at the point guard, they were trying to run him at the point… I'm tryna kill him, tryna get him off of me immediately, which ended up working. But I tell guys all the time, 'It was nice to score 32 and beat 'em (96 Chicago Bulls), but I would flip it round and have the championship," Abdul-Rauf once said .
After missing the playoffs in '96, the Nuggets decided to make certain changes in their roster, including some of their key players. Ellis was retained, but Dikembe Mutombo was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, while Abdul-Rauf was shipped to the Sacramento Kings.
Though the '96 Nuggets could be considered a "what if," at least they could boast about being the unlikeliest team to beat Jordan and the 72-10 Bulls.
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