Watch Classic Games With Your Kid
One of the best things a dad can do is sit down and watch great basketball together. Not just for fun (though it is fun) — watching high-level basketball with intention builds the kind of court awareness and basketball IQ that drills alone cannot teach.
Where to Watch Classic Games for Free
The NBA made this easy. Hundreds of full classic games are available with a free NBA ID — no paid subscription needed.
| Platform | What You Get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| NBA App / NBA.com | Hundreds of full classic games including all Finals from the ’90s, plus team-specific collections | Free (NBA ID required) |
| Bulls Classics Collection | Every iconic Bulls game — dynasty era, Jordan’s early years, Derrick Rose era | Free (NBA ID) |
| YouTube | Search for specific games — many full classics uploaded | Free |
| Peacock | Curated NBA Classic Games collection | Subscription |
The Bulls Dynasty — Perfect Team Basketball
Watch any Bulls game from the early ’90s dynasty and you will see the kind of team movement described in our Court Movement & Spacing section. Every player is always within passing range. The ball moves, the players move, and the defense cannot keep up.
| Game | What to Watch For | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 Finals, Game 5 — Bulls vs. Lakers | The game that won Chicago’s first championship. Jordan scores 30 with 10 assists — the whole team contributes. | NBA.com |
| 1992 Finals, Game 1 — Bulls vs. Blazers | Jordan’s famous “shrug game” — 35 first-half points with six 3-pointers. Pure shooting confidence on display. | NBA.com |
| 1993 Finals, Game 6 — Bulls vs. Suns | John Paxson’s game-winning 3-pointer. All five Bulls touch the ball on the final possession — perfect team basketball. | NBA.com |
| 1996 Finals, Game 6 — Bulls vs. Sonics | The 72-win Bulls clinch the title at home. Peak team dominance with Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman. | NBA.com |
| 1998 Finals, Game 6 — Bulls vs. Jazz | Jordan’s last game as a Bull. “The Last Shot.” The most iconic sequence in NBA Finals history. | NBA.com |
| 1998 Finals, Game 6: The Movie | Same game, but recut with never-before-seen footage from five camera angles. Cinematic presentation. | NBA.com |
All-Time Great Individual Performances
| Game | What to Watch For | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 Playoffs, Game 2 — Bulls at Celtics | A young Jordan scores a playoff-record 63 points against arguably the greatest team ever. Pure individual will. | NBA.com |
| 1989 Playoffs — “The Shot” vs. Cavaliers | Jordan’s buzzer-beater over Craig Ehlo. The most famous shot of his pre-championship career. | NBA.com |
| 1993 Finals, Game 2 — Bulls vs. Suns | Jordan and Barkley each score 42 points. Two opposite playing styles at their absolute peak. | NBA.com |
| 2007 East Finals, Game 5 — Cavs vs. Pistons | LeBron scores his team’s final 25 consecutive points. Watch one player take over when it matters most. | Peacock |
| 2009 East 1st Round, Game 6 — Bulls vs. Celtics | Triple overtime classic. Derrick Rose leads a young Bulls team in a game that has everything. | NBA.com |
Games That Teach Defense & Hustle
| Game | What to Watch For | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 NBA Finals — Pistons vs. Lakers | The “Bad Boys” Pistons. Show your kid what relentless, physical, team-first defense looks like. | NBA.com |
| 1976 Finals, Game 5 — Celtics vs. Suns | Triple overtime. Possibly the greatest single NBA game ever played. Pure hustle and heart. | Peacock |
| 2004 NBA Finals — Pistons vs. Lakers | Pistons upset the heavily favored Lakers through pure team defense. No superstar — five guys playing together. | NBA.com |
How to Watch With Your Kid
Do not just put the game on and zone out. Make it interactive:
- Pause and point. “See how #23 moved to the open spot when his teammate drove? That is what we practiced in spacing.”
- Ask questions. “Why do you think he passed instead of shooting?” This builds decision-making.
- Count passes. On a great possession, count how many times the ball moves before the shot. Good offense usually has 3–5 passes.
- Watch off-ball. Challenge your kid to watch a player WITHOUT the ball for an entire possession. What are they doing? Setting screens? Cutting? Standing still?
- Compare to their game. “That three-pointer he just made is from 23 feet. Your three-point line is 19 feet. See how much farther that is?”
Don't overdo it. One observation per quarter is enough. The goal is to make watching basketball more fun and more educational at the same time — not to turn it into a lecture. If your kid stops wanting to watch with you, you went too far.
Related pages
- Court Movement & Spacing — the principles you will see in classic games
- Playing Both Ways — offense and defense are not separate skills
- Professional Rules (NBA) — understanding what you are watching