Bulls complete their drive for five

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Michael Jordan narrates the Steve Kerr game-winner.
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Steve Kerr knew he'd have a chance to win the game.
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Phil Jackson says Michael Jordan's sharp mind set up Kerr's big shot.
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Steve Kerr shoots the decisive jumper (744k avi).

Convincing himself that he could make the game-winning shot was another story.

Kerr, the NBA's reigning 3-point king, had struggled throughout the Finals. The 31-year-old guard was just three for 14 from long range in the first five games.

In fact, things had gotten so bad for Kerr that he had his head buried in a pillow for eight hours after Game 4, agonizing that he was letting his teammates down. Kerr had to remind himself that the Bulls were doing just fine without him, leading the series 3-2.

But with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Game 6 tied at 86, the Bulls called a timeout -- and then they called on Kerr.

"When Phil (Jackson) drew up the play, everybody in the gym, everybody on TV, knew it was coming to me," Jordan said, "I looked at Steve and said, 'This is your chance, because I know (John) Stockton is going to come over and help. I'm going to come to you.'"

Kerr said he knew what Jordan was thinking before he said a word to him. He also knew the last thing you want to do as a Chicago Bull is let Michael Jordan down.

"I said, 'I'll be ready. I'll knock it down,'" Kerr said. "And I was like, 'Will I?'"

Steve Kerr was 3 for 5 in the fourth quarter. Click here for complete shot charts of Game 6.

The play developed just as the Bulls anticipated. With the shot clock winding down and the game clock under 10 seconds, Jordan had the ball on the left wing, which is where he hit the game-winning jumper over Bryon Russell in Game 1.

This time, Jordan darted in and Russell froze momentarily. Stockton tried to double down, lunging toward Jordan and leaving Kerr alone at the top of the key.

The mere sight of Jordan had Utah's minds working in overdrive.

"When John ran at him, (Toni) Kukoc cut behind me," Utah guard Jeff Hornacek said, "and I didn't know if he was (going backdoor).

"Michael looked at him, so I had to go after him. He then saw Kerr and threw it back to him.

"I mean, we did what we wanted. We got the ball out of Michael's hands, but Steve just got too good of a shot."

Stockton said coach Jerry Sloan had told him to double on Jordan so he wouldn't beat the Jazz like he did in Game 1.

Michael Jordan congratulates Steve Kerr after the game-winning shot.

"I was on my way back to (Kerr) and actually thought I was in good position," Stockton said. "But I stumbled a little bit."

Alone and just a few feet behind the foul line, Kerr did just as he said -- just as he always dreamed -- he would, sinking the game-winning shot to give the Bulls the title and sending the United Center into a frenzy.

"I love Steve Kerr," Chicago center Brian Williams said. "I told the man there's nothing like it. He'll be telling that story 20 years from now and I'll be calling him on the phone to help him embellish it: 'There were 20 guys on you! You had a broken ankle!'"

Actually the pressure Kerr faced was much greater than that.

"My wife told me, 'You'd better make a shot or you're not coming home tonight,'" Kerr said through a big grin.

"What a thrill!" he said. "Whoever could've expected me to hit the game-winning shot in the NBA Finals?"

Michael Jordan did.