The two-time defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, prepared for the upcoming 1997-98 season by taking part in the 1997 McDonald’s Championship. This was an international club tournament that featured champions of leagues from Europe and South America, along with the NBA Champions. This was set up as a bracket tournament and featured four teams from Europe who won their respective championships – FC Barcelona Banca Catalana (Spain), PSG Racing (France), Olympiacos (Greece), Benetton Treviso (Italy); one team from South America – Atenas (Argentina) and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls faced the host team, PSG Racing, on October 17th, 1997 and defeated them 89-82 to advance to the finals against Olympiacos. The Bulls knocked off Olympiacos 104-78 to capture the title.

Offered here is a Chicago Bulls team signed basketball from 20 members of the 1997 McDonalds Championship-winning squad. Michael Jordan, who was the tournament MVP, signed his name in black marker below the SPALDING logo. A “McDONALD’S CHAMPIONSHIP NBA 1997 PARIS – FIBA” logo is on one panel and other signatures include Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper (inscribed “9”), Frank Hamblen, Tex Winter, Rusty LaRue (inscribed “#5”), Jimmy Rodgers, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Keith Booth (inscribed “#22”), Jud Buechler (inscribed “#30”), Bill Cartwright, Scott Burrell (inscribed “24”), Joe Kleine, Chip Schaefer, Jason Caffey, Dante Calabria, Boris Gorenc and three others. The signatures of Dante Calabria and Boris Gorenc correctly place the date range of this ball to October as both Calabria and Gorenc were waived in late October prior to the start of the season. This ball comes with a LOA from Beckett Authentication.

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