How it unfolded
The Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz 87-86 to close out the series 4-2. Scottie Pippen was effectively out of action after a back injury in the first quarter, and Michael Jordan played 44 minutes and scored 45 points. A John Stockton three put Utah up 86-83 with 41.9 seconds left, and Jordan immediately answered with a layup to cut it to one. On Utah's next possession, as Karl Malone caught the ball in the low post, Jordan came from behind and stripped it away. Eighteen-point-nine seconds remained. Without rushing, Jordan brought the ball up, faced Bryon Russell one-on-one, drove right, broke Russell's balance with a crossover, and rose for a jumper near the free-throw line. The shot fell with 5.2 seconds left, making it 87-86. Utah's final possession ended when Stockton's three-point attempt missed. It was Jordan's sixth and final title, and he won his sixth Finals MVP.
Why it still matters
This is regarded as the most complete ending in basketball history. Jordan reached the Finals six times, won all six, and was named Finals MVP all six times, sealing the last of them with his own shot. The Bulls dynasty was dismantled almost immediately afterward and Jordan announced his second retirement. In the greatest-of-all-time debate that has run for more than two decades since, this moment is cited most often because it's a rare case where the story and the record align perfectly.