10 of the most memorable NBA moments from the 90s

Whether you were a seasoned basketball fan already, or part of a younger generation in the infantile stages of fanaticism, it was a special time for the NBA and the sport in general.

It was a decade defined by Michael Jordan and his Bulls, by the last great era of throwback big men, by groundbreaking announcements and earth shattering revelations, and by backboard-shattering dunks.

It was the 1990s, and here, in all their glory and heartbreak, are the 10 most memorable moments from that iconic decade in hoops.

Honorable mentions (in chronological order): Dee Brown’s 1991 dunk contest performance, Michael Jordan's baseline dunk on Ewing, John Starks' dunk on Jordan and Horace Grant, John Paxson’s 1993 championship-clinching triple, Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee, 1995 expansion to Canada, Chicago’s NBA-record 72 wins in 1995-96, 1996 Draft, 50th anniversary (50 Greatest Players) in 1996-97, John Stockton’s 1997 West-winning buzzer beater.

10. Shaquille O’Neal destroys all of the baskets

Few men have ever physically dominated a basketball court the way Shaquille O’Neal did through his various stops, and no moments highlight that physical domination quite like the big man destroying the rim, the backboard and rendering the basket useless on numerous occasions.

9. The Flu Game

Whether it was actually the flu or that shady Utah pizza ordered the night before, Michael Jordan was battling a nasty stomach ailment before Game 5 of the tied 1997 NBA Finals, with his availability for the game reportedly in question.

Lo and behold, as the legend now goes, Jordan played 44 minutes to help the Bulls rally from an early 16-point deficit, pouring in 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block before memorably collapsing into Scottie Pippen’s arms as Chicago took a 3-2 series lead back home.

8. No. 8 Nuggets defeat No. 1 SuperSonics

No 8-seed had ever eliminated a 1-seed, so when the 63-19 Sonics took a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Western Conference quarterfinal against the youngest team in the Association, the 42-40 Nuggets, no one expected a Denver rally.

But rally they did, winning Game 3 in a rout before surviving overtime in Game 4 and double-overtime in Game 5 to pull off the stunning upset that left Dikembe Mutombo memorably and emotionally clutching the game-ball.

The Nuggets would go on to push Utah to seven games in the West semis.

7. The Shrug

Sometimes words just aren't enough to adequately describe greatness.

Michael Jordan entered the 1992 playoffs as a career 28 percent three-point shooter, so when he opened The Finals with a record six three-pointers in the first half as part of a record-setting 35-point half, M.J. was as memorably speechless as the rest of us.

6. “A spectacular move by Michael Jordan!”

With the Bulls down 1-0 in their first ever Finals appearance, Michael Jordan erupted for 33 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block in Game 2 to send the series to Los Angeles tied at one. But one shining drive to the basket and one marvelous Marv Albert call from that night will always stand out.

With one unorthodox switch from right hand to left, Jordan took control of the '90s and never looked back, as his presence on this list exemplifies.

5. Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds stun Knicks

With the Pacers down 105-99 to the Knicks, less than 20 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Spike Lee talking trash in the background at Madison Square Garden, Reggie Miller completed one of the most memorable sequences in NBA history.

Miller drained a three, stole the ball on the ensuing New York inbounds play before quickly connecting on another triple, then made a couple of free throws seconds later to seal a personal 8-0 run and give Indiana a 1-0 series lead.

4. Jordan over Russell

With the Bulls down three late in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, Jordan cut the lead to one on a layup, stripped an unsuspecting Karl Malone on the defensive end, then came back down the court to bury a championship-winning dagger over Bryon Russell, the Jazz and the tortured Utah faithful.

Rewatching the footage now, it appears Dennis Rodman came close to calling a timeout when Jordan first stole the ball from Malone, perhaps nearly robbing us of one of the NBA's most defining moments.

Jordan’s final act of the 90s would have been the perfect cap to His Airness’ career if not for a brief comeback with the Wizards a few years later.

3. "I'm back."

A year-and-a-half after Michael Jordan stepped away from the game - a moment that could have its own place near the top of this list - he announced his return with a two-word press release that sent the basketball world into a frenzy.

In his fifth game back in the Bulls lineup, wearing the number 45 because his original No. 23 had already been retired by Chicago, Jordan marked his return with an iconic 55-point performance at Madison Square Garden forever dubbed 'The Double-Nickel.' For good measure, he also assisted on Bill Wennington’s game-winning bucket in the final seconds.

2. The Dream Team

In the first Summer Olympics to feature active NBA players, the Americans trotted out a Hall of Fame roster of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin and Christian Laettner, under the coaching direction of names like Daly, Wilkens and Krzyzewski (and Carlesimo).

They took Barcelona by storm, won all six games by an average of 51.5 points, and forever made their case as the greatest team ever assembled across any sport.

1. The Announcement (and a Magic All-Star moment)

Before the start of the 1991-92 NBA season, Magic Johnson was a 32-year-old superstar still in the prime of his career, with a smile and endearing personality that meshed with his entertaining brand of basketball to make him one of the planet’s most beloved athletes. On November 7, 1991, however, he shook the sports world by announcing he would have to retire as a result of being diagnosed with HIV.

The announcement served as a reminder that the deadly disease could affect anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or socioeconomic status, and launched Johnson’s lifelong commitment to both fighting the disease on a personal level and helping as many others with HIV and AIDS as he could.

On the court, a magical moment was still to come, as in addition to starring on The Dream Team that summer, Johnson returned for the 1992 All-Star game and took home MVP honors. When his final three splashed down with 14.5 seconds remaining, both benches simply emptied to congratulate and embrace him. As Magic would later say, “It was the first game ever called on account of hugs.”