The 1997–98 NBA season was the Bulls' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Bulls entered the season as the two-time defending NBA champions, and in the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like that year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win their sixth championship in eight years and complete the franchise's second "3-peat".

During the off-season, the Bulls acquired Scott Burrell from the Golden State Warriors,^[2][3][4] and signed free agent Joe Kleine.^[5] However, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen would miss the first half of the season due to an injured toe on his left foot sustained from the 1997 NBA Playoffs.^[6][7][8][9] Without Pippen, the Bulls started with a slow 9–7 record in November, but then would go on a 15–4 record until he returned in January. However, three-point specialist Steve Kerr went down with a fractured collarbone in January, and played just 50 games.^[10][11][12] Despite the injuries, the Bulls held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break.^[13] At midseason, the team traded Jason Caffey to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for David Vaughn.^[14][15][16] Vaughn would only play just three games with the Bulls before being waived on March 2. Also in early March, the team re-signed former Bulls reserve forward Dickey Simpkins, who was previously released by the Warriors, and played in the final 21 games of the regular season.^[17] Despite the slow start, with the help of Scottie's return which was limited to just 44 games, the Bulls would post a 13-game winning streak between March and April, and still finish first place in the Central Division and Eastern Conference with a 62–20 record.^[18] The Bulls had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA.^[19]

In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets, 3–0 in the Eastern Conference First Round,^{[20][21][22][23]} defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 4–1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals,^{[24][25][26][27]} despite losing Game 2 at the United Center, 78–76,^[28][29][30] and then defeated the Indiana Pacers, 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to advance to the NBA Finals.^{[31][32][33][34]} In the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like last year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win the championship. The championship was their sixth in eight years and completed the franchise's second "3-peat".^{[35][36][37][38][39]}

The season also saw Michael Jordan earn his fifth and final NBA Most Valuable Player Award,^{[40][41][42][43]} while being selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game,^[44][45][46] where he also won his third and final All-Star Game MVP Award.^{[47][48][49][50][51][52]} He once again led the league in scoring averaging 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while being named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[53] In addition, Pippen averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team, and also to the All-Defensive First Team, while finishing in tenth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[53] and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman once again led the league in rebounding with 15.0 rebounds per game. Toni Kukoč provided the team with 13.3 points per game, playing most of the season as the team's starting small forward in Pippen's absence, while Luc Longley averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Ron Harper contributed 9.3 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Kerr contributed 7.5 points per game off the bench.^[54]

This was Jordan's last season as a Bull, as he announced his second retirement after it was over.^{[55][56][57][58][59]} However, he did make a second comeback with the Washington Wizards in 2001.^{[60][61][62][63][64]} Following the season, Phil Jackson resigned as head coach,^{[65][66][67][68]} while Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets,^{[69][70][71][72][73]} Rodman left for the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent,^{[74][75][76][77]} Longley was dealt to the Phoenix Suns,^[73][78][79] Kerr was traded to the San Antonio Spurs,^{[80][73][81][82]} Burrell signed with the New Jersey Nets,^[83] Jud Buechler signed with the Detroit Pistons,^[84] and Kleine re-signed with the Suns, his former team.

Because of this dismantling of the team, this was the last season for the Bulls dynasty that had headlined the NBA throughout the 1990s. What followed was a long rebuilding process between 1998 and 2004, and the Bulls did not return to the postseason until 2005.

The story of this season was captured in ESPN's The Last Dance, which aired in April 2020.

• Michael Jordan, All-NBA First Team
• Scottie Pippen, All-NBA Third Team
• Michael Jordan, NBA All-Star Game MVP
• Michael Jordan, NBA MVP
• Michael Jordan, NBA Finals MVP
• Michael Jordan, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Scottie Pippen, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Michael Jordan, Favorite Male Athlete
• Chicago Bulls, Favorite Sports Team