“The Bulls had won the championship in 1991 at the Forum against the Lakers. Champagne is flying… I jump on [this folding table] and all hell is breaking loose around me. They needed Michael to do a 1-on-1 interview and they couldn’t find him. The clock is ticking because the commercial is about to end and they have to go back live… something in that moment told me to look to your left.
I turn left and look down just a little and there he is. He’s sitting in a locker, hugging that trophy and crying his eyes out. His dad is next to him and I just instinctually took 1 or 2 shots. Just as I’m shooting I remember a hand came, yanked him and took him to do that interview and that was the end of it.
This picture kind of took on a life of its own. It’s the first of 6 championships and it took him 7 years to finally get to the mountaintop to win… so his emotion is real and genuine. Shortly after his dad passed away I received a call from Michael’s office requesting a print of that photo on his behalf.
That was just the most incredible moment for me as a photographer… that it meant so much to him as it does to me. I’m just happy that it has become as important to the basketball world as it has become.”
– Andrew D. Bernstein
