'The Last Dance' Episode 6 revisits John Paxson's epic feat against Phoenix Suns in '93, wins hearts again
Spoilers for 'The Last Dance' Episode 6
One of the talking points of Episode 6 of 'The Last Dance' was Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns vs Chicago Bulls game in 1993. And one of the most talked-about players in the Bulls' win over the Suns was Point Guard, John Paxson. The docuseries relived that epic moment when Paxson was the game-winner in game 6 of the NBA finals against the Suns. The Bulls were trailing 96-98 to the Suns and the final seconds saw the ball being passed on to Paxson who slammed in a basket to give the Bulls the lead and the win.
Fans on Twitter praised Paxson for helping Bulls while there were also some who criticized him for being "Jerry Reinsdorf's puppet". "Oh Paxson seemed like a cool guy. It’s too bad no one in Chicago likes him anymore because of the crap job he did as Jerry Reinsdorf puppet. #firegarpax," a fan wrote. "A lot of opinions about John Paxson. As a player, thank you, Pax. Your contributions to the team helped win 3 championships. Nothing can change that," another fan said.
"Thank you, Paxson, for being a good player and the championships. NOW GET THE F**K OUT OF THE OFFICE SO WE CAN GET BACK TO WINNING," exclaimed one of the fans. "This is hands down, the greatest play ever drawn by a coach and performed by a team. In an age where actual basketball was played. Not the 'forced your three-point shot and pray it's good' era we are living now," read one of the tweets.
"I’m glad young Bulls fans get to see that Pax was a solid player and a good guy. With all the fire Garpax stuff he’s looked at now negatively. He was a solid player and has always been a good guy," remarked one of the fans. "The first time I watched this game, I was sure Horace Grant was going to take that shot. Geesh Paxson couldn’t have been any more open," tweeted a fan.
One of the fans relived the time he watched the game on tape. "Had to see this game on videotape. Was out to sea while in the Navy. Remember where I was when they announced the score over the ships 1MC," he said. Paxson had been vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2009 to 2020, after serving as their general manager from 2003 to 2009.
'The Last Dance' airs Sundays 9 pm ET on ESPN.