When you hear that NBA on NBC theme—the one that sounds like basketball Christmas morning—you think about moments. You think about Marv Albert. You think about the Bulls. You think about Game 6 in Salt Lake City. And you definitely think about Bob Costas.
The Hall of Fame broadcaster who helped narrate an era joined me recently to reflect on all things MJ, the meaning of legacy, and why you won’t catch him ringside for a UFC fight anytime soon.
THE FINAL SHOT: “HE HELD THE FORM AS IF HE WERE POSING FOR A STATUE”
If there’s one image that captures Michael Jordan’s dominance, it’s that iconic jumper over Bryon Russell. With the flick of a wrist and a freeze-frame follow-through, Jordan gave the Bulls their sixth ring and walked away on top—at least for a while.
“That shot against Utah that won Game 6 turned a one-point deficit into a one-point win,” Costas told me. “It was such a classic jump shot and he held the form as if he were posing for a statue. That would be number one.”
While Marv Albert called the bulk of Jordan’s big NBC moments, Costas had the mic during that 1998 Finals and remembers the entire sequence vividly—not just the shot, but the chess moves leading up to it.
“They were down three and they called timeout with, I don’t know, about 30 seconds to go. Jordan went in for a layup uncontested—they didn’t want to foul him—so that cut it to one,” Costas explained. “The play he made that people forget about before the shot, he snuck in behind Rodman. Rodman was guarding Malone, and Malone didn’t see Jordan along the baseline, and Jordan slapped at it and stole it… Otherwise, Utah was going for the basket that would’ve given them the 3-point lead again.”
That steal? That was the setup. The shot? That was the exclamation point.
THE SHOE SWITCH: “HE WAS ALWAYS SAVVY WITH THE MARKETING”
Here’s something you might’ve missed about that night in Salt Lake City. Not only did Jordan close out the Bulls dynasty with style—he did it in a different pair of shoes.
“He actually changed sneakers during that game,” I told Costas.
“I did not know that. That’s the first I ever heard of it,” he said. “I know he changed numbers once to #23 to #45, but I was not aware that he changed sneakers during the game?”
Yup. MJ started the game wearing the Air Jordan XIII. But before that last iconic stretch—the layup, the steal, and The Shot—he switched into the Air Jordan XIV, a model inspired by Ferrari design cues.
“It had to be during the timeout,” Costas reasoned. “He wouldn’t have changed while he was on the court!”
“He had on the Jordan XIV’s which came out the year after,” I said.
Costas nodded. “He was always savvy with the marketing.”
54 POINTS: THE UGLY GAME NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
We all remember The Shot. But not enough people remember The Stinker.
“In Game 4 if I’m not mistaken, Utah scored like 54 points,” Costas recalled. “Which was the lowest total ever in any game. Not just a playoff game, but since the inception of the shot clock.”
That was the reality of the ‘98 Finals—ugly, rugged, defensive basketball. “They came back and won the fifth game when everyone counted them out for dead… held to 54 points and completely routed them. But then they came back and won Game 5, to send it back to Utah and very well could’ve won the sixth game.”
Costas reminded me that while the Bulls won in six, Utah could’ve easily gone up 2–0 if Game 2 had swung the other way. “They won Game 1 and I think the second game the Bulls won in overtime. Otherwise, Utah would’ve come back to Chicago up two-nothing.”
WHAT IF UTAH HAD WON?
So, I asked the obvious. “What would it have been like if the Utah Jazz won that Finals?”
Costas didn’t flinch. “They came so close. They took them to six games in ’97 and six games again in ’98… They had a great team: Two first ballot Hall of Famers in Stockton and Malone and a good supporting cast. They probably would’ve had a title or two had the Bulls not been in their way.”
That led me to the question every hoop historian wrestles with: Where does the Stockton-Malone duo rank?
“Stockton and Malone are right there,” Costas said. “They’re one of the great duos in NBA history. Not because they were effective but because they were teammates for so long. In the case of Malone, you’re talking about a guy who’s in the discussion—you want to go back historically, Bob Pettit, certainly more recently Tim Duncan, Karl Malone… 3 or 4 guys that are going to be talked about as the greatest power forwards in basketball history.”
He added: “Stockton I believe still holds the record for assists and steals. If he doesn’t anymore, at one time he did hold the all-time record for steals and assists. That speaks for itself.”
RINGS CULTURE: “IN BASEBALL, NOBODY THINKS THEY WON OR LOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLEHANDEDLY”
It’s the eternal barbershop debate: Jordan vs. LeBron. And yes, I went there.
“Much has been made about the fact that Michael Jordan has gone undefeated in the NBA Finals…” I began.
“6–0 and the MVP every time,” Costas jumped in.
So, would the conversation change if MJ had lost one of those Utah series?
“Championships always factor into these sports talk conversations,” Costas said. “It’s what separates some people from others… But it’s funny, because in baseball for example people don’t apply the same standard. Nobody would say that Mickey Mantle’s Yankees were in 12 World Series and won 7 so that makes him better than Willie Mays or Hank Aaron…”
He continued: “They blame Wilt for lost championships, they credit Russell for championships won… it’s especially true in basketball and I think it’s also true of quarterbacks in football. But that same yardstick does not seem to apply in other sports.”
It’s a fascinating perspective from a man who’s been in every broadcast booth from hoops to hardball.
COSTAS ON UFC: “NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT”
Before we wrapped, I asked Bob if he messes with UFC.
“No,” he said, flatly.
“Is it because it’s too brutal?” I asked.
“Mindless violence does not appeal to me,” he replied.
Fair.
Whether he’s calling games, quoting stats, or gracefully declining Dana White invites, Bob Costas remains a broadcasting treasure. His insight on Jordan, legacy, Stockton & Malone, and the myth-making power of television makes you remember: it’s not just the moments—it’s how they’re told.
And no one told them quite like Costas.
