Phil Taylor: Around the league, there was a growing sense during that season that no one was beating Michael that year. It was almost a resignation.

Phil Jackson (head coach, Chicago Bulls) (via): The day of the big game—against the Bucks—TV helicopters shadowed our team bus all the way to Milwaukee, with crowds massed at the overpasses on the interstate holding up signs of support.

Butch Carter (assistant coach, Milwaukee Bucks): We were hoping and praying someone would beat them before they came to our place.

Terry Cummings (forward, Milwaukee Bucks): I just told all the guys, “This is about pride. They’re going to make history but let them make it with somebody else but not with us.”

Vin Baker (forward/center, Milwaukee Bucks): We weren’t a playoff bound team, so that was our championship game to hopefully stop history.

Butch Carter: The six years I spent there, that night was the livest the building ever was.

Vin Baker: There were a lot of Bulls fans. That was always the case when I was there. The Bulls were so successful, so seeing all their jerseys in the Bradley Center, that was something we were accustomed to.

Ahmad Rashad: Their season was like a tour. Every night it was the biggest game in town. Every single game there were people that surrounded the hotel, there’s nothing quite like that probably before or since.

Butch Carter: We played as well as we could for three quarters. [Ed. Note: The Bucks led 68-62 after three quarters, but were held to 12 points in the fourth. The Bulls came back and won 86-80, setting the wins record. Baker finished with a game-high 28 points.]

Shawn Respert (guard, Milwaukee Bucks): When the Bulls took over, you would just hold your breath. You knew something was coming, you knew there was a storm front, but you just didn’t know when it was going to hit. No matter how much of a punch you gave them, they just didn’t stagger. They just had a self confidence about them.

Vin Baker: For me, being on the other end of history, I was really dejected and hurt. I cried in the locker room because it reminded me of being at University of Hartford and always having be second to the University of Connecticut. I just couldn’t get over this hump of being this second team in the area.

John Salley: I got Michael’s sneakers autographed from that game. He usually gives them to the ball boy, but I stepped in that night and was like, “Young fella, I’m sorry, but I need these sneakers.” I don’t even know where my birth certificate is, but I know where those sneakers are right now.

Ron Harper: Before the playoffs, Scottie and I went to eat, and we were just throwing out ideas, 72-10 this, 72-10 that. I said to Scottie, “I got one. 72-10 don’t mean a thing without the ring.” He’s like, “That’s kinda hot.” We were just playing around when we said it, but Scottie had a good friend who made t-shirts. So we called him up, and told him our t-shirt idea. We wore them all throughout the playoffs.