The 1995-96 Bulls' 72-10 Season

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10, setting an NBA record for regular-season wins that would stand for two decades, and unlike the team that eventually broke it, they won the championship. Led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, Chicago went 15-3 in the playoffs to seal one of the greatest seasons in basketball history.

What separates the 1995-96 Bulls from other record-setting teams is that they left nothing unfinished. They dominated the regular season, then dominated the postseason, then lifted the trophy. It was Jordan’s first full season back from his baseball detour, and he returned with something to prove, dragging the franchise back to the summit. Here is how the 72-win season unfolded. All figures are through the 2025 season.

The record: 72 wins that changed the standard

Chicago’s 72-10 regular season redefined what was possible. For years the benchmark for a great season had been the 69 wins of the 1971-72 Lakers; the Bulls blew past it, becoming the first team to reach 70 wins and finishing with 72. The mark stood as the NBA record until the 2015-16 Warriors edged it with 73, and it remains one of only two 70-win seasons in league history.

The season was a two-way masterpiece. Jordan led the league in scoring, Rodman anchored the defense and dominated the glass, and Pippen did a bit of everything. Phil Jackson’s triangle offense tied it together into a machine that lost only ten times in six months.

The playoff run to the title

The regular-season record would mean far less without the ending, and the Bulls delivered it. The table below shows their 1996 playoff path.

Round	Opponent	Result
First round	Miami Heat	Won 3-0
Conference semifinals	New York Knicks	Won 4-1
Conference finals	Orlando Magic	Won 4-0
NBA Finals	Seattle SuperSonics	Won 4-2

Chicago went 15-3 overall in the postseason, sweeping past Miami and Orlando and handling New York before closing out Seattle in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP to go with his regular-season MVP award, a clean sweep of the sport’s top individual honors.

Jordan, Pippen and Rodman

The roster was built around one of the great trios in NBA history. Michael Jordan, back to full form, provided the scoring and the will. Scottie Pippen offered elite two-way play and playmaking. Dennis Rodman, added before the season, brought rebounding and defense that unlocked the whole system, letting Jordan and Pippen focus on the rest.

Around them, role players like Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr and Ron Harper filled every gap. It was a deep, balanced, ruthlessly efficient team, and the 72 wins reflected that completeness rather than any single hot streak.

Where 72-10 stands today

The Bulls’ record was eventually surpassed, but the context matters. The 2015-16 Warriors won 73 games yet lost the Finals, which is why the 1995-96 Bulls are still cited as the last team to set the wins record and win it all in the same year. Our breakdown of the best regular-season record in NBA history shows exactly where the two seasons sit, and the Bulls’ capacity to sustain dominance connects to the sport’s longest win streaks.

Why the season endures

The 1995-96 Bulls remain a cultural and statistical touchstone because they paired a historic record with a championship, the rare combination that leaves no argument unfinished. For many, the fact that the team that broke their record could not win the title only strengthens the case for 72-10 as the greatest season ever.

The short version: the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10 to set the NBA wins record and then won the championship with a 15-3 playoff run, led by Jordan, Pippen and Rodman. Through the 2025 season, they stand as the last team to break the wins record and win the title in the same year.