Chicago Bulls relive memories of playing in the 1997 McDonald's Championship in Paris

With the Chicago Bulls back in "The City of Lights" to play the Detroit Pistons, players and staff from the Bulls squad, as well as a finals opponent from the 1997 McDonald's Championship, shared their memories from that unforgettable five-day experience.

Special memories

Bill Wennington, a former backup center and now the Bulls' color commentator for the team's radio broadcast, shared how they got the rockstar treatment from the moment they arrived in Paris. In an era when there were no social media platforms, the fans welcomed them with open arms.

"I remember getting off the plane and going straight to practice. There were people outside waiting for us. It was like, ‘How did you know we were going to practice right away?’ And this was before Twitter and Instagram. It wasn’t like someone could put a Tweet out, and there’d be a thousand people converging. They were just waiting," said Wennington.

The Bulls went to several tourist spots, including the Eiffel Tower, but Wennington tried to live the Parisian life as best he could in the short time he had.

Bulls are headed back to Paris! 🇫🇷

The Bulls last played in Paris in 1997 as part of a six team pre-season tournament at @Accor_Arena! #NBAParis | @NBAFrance pic.twitter.com/899FI50Zve
— Chicago Bulls Archive (@BullsArchive) May 24, 2022

"I remember going with Dan Roan to a couple different restaurants and living the Parisian life. I wore a red beret. We had baguettes and cheese and wine. We did touristy stuff like that. We had a lot of fun," Wennington added.

Michael Jordan had to play great

The Bulls squad that went to Paris, though, was far from the juggernaut that won the 1996-1997 NBA title. They didn't have Scottie Pippen, who was recovering from foot surgery, nor did they have Dennis Rodman, who was still negotiating a new contract with the team. That left His Airness to do the heavy lifting.

"The teams we were playing were already in pretty good shape. Michael had to be Michael both games for us to leave with wins," said Chip Schaefer, the head athletic trainer on the 1997-98 Bulls and now the team’s Director of Performance Health.

After defeating PSG Racing 89-82 in the semifinals, the Bulls had to contend with Greek powerhouse Olympiacos for the title. That team was led by a familiar face, current Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas.

Arturas Karnisovas vs. Michael Jordan.

Playing with Olympiacos, Karnisovas scored 19 points vs. the Bulls in the 1997 McDonalds Championship Final in Paris. MJ finished with 27 points. pic.twitter.com/rjOK3Phl0I
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 13, 2020

"It wasn’t fun guarding MJ," said Karnisovas. "Everyone else guarded him but me. I was mainly on Toni. Everyone tried to get in a photo shot with MJ."

The Bulls prevailed 104-78 in the finals, with Jordan scoring 27 points. Randy Brown and Steve Kerr also helped out with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Wennington pitched in eight.