Notice: Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in /home/ofzfvenynm4q/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-feed-to-post/includes/wprss-ftp-display.php on line 109
With the addition of the 2021 WNBA champions Sky, 13 professional sports teams in Chicago that have won championships since 1985. Here’s a look back at the rings issued to the coaches, players and owners.
1985 Super Bowl XX
Twenty-three years have passed since the 1963
— Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on Jan. 27, 1986:
It is a good thing Chicago is the city of the big shoulders. How else could it Bear up to the task of carrying an entire football team in a victory parade from here to eternity?
Sporting immortality is where the Chicago Bears are headed. They proved you can get there from New Orleans in a day trip.
With a 46-10 victory over the
Ring features
Logo in 14-karat gold and blue enamel with one half-carat and 40 smaller diamonds.
Left side: Bears helmet, season record (18-1), GSH (initials for Bears founder/owner George S. Halas) and “Attitude.”
Right side: Bears 46, Patriots 10, Super Bowl XX, Vince Lombardi trophy and the
1991 NBA championship
“(The championship) means so much. Not just for me but for this team and this city. It was a seven-year struggle. It’s the most proud day I’ve ever had.”
— Michael Jordan, in tears after the game talking to a national television audience
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 13, 1991:
Yes, the Bulls have taken the gold in their silver anniversary season, a tempest of effort finally sending the proud Lakers sinking into the Pacific Wednesday night in a hard-fought 108-101 game and letting loose a tidal wave of exhilaration and emotion.
The Bulls are champions!
Roll it around in your mouth and savor the sweet taste of victory. Close your eyes and see them raising the banners in honor of the Bulls, in honor of all Bulls teams and, really, in honor of all Chicagoans. Get ready for Friday’s noon rally at the Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park.
Because the Bulls have been Chicago’s team, winning with a bit of Gold Coast glamor and a lot of stockyards effort.
This not only has been an inexorable march to glory, it has been a 100-yard dash to success. The Bulls sped through the playoffs with a 15-2 record, equaling the best since the NBA went to the current postseason format and posting the second-best all-time playoff winning percentage. Read the full story.
Ring features
Small diamonds surround black onyx crest with 14-karat gold logo.
Left side: Larry O’Brien trophy.
Right side: “World Champions 1991,” NBA logo and the team’s playoff record (15-2).
1992 NBA championship
By winning twice in a row, even if it hasn’t been the artistic and overwhelming triumph of their maiden voyage a year ago, the Bulls have combined talent, genius and hard work into a special treat for their followers. They have entered the cathedral of greatness because they were the architects of their own success.
— Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 15, 1992:
There can be no doubt now about what the Bulls accomplished during the last few weeks in winning their second straight NBA title.
They have made greatness and history their principal opponents. They have taken their place beside the
They did it Sunday night at the Stadium, overcoming a 17-point deficit and defeating the
With Michael Jordan on the bench, an unlikely combination of Bulls reserves helped cut the margin to three in the fourth quarter.
Ring features
Name in 33 baguette and tapered baguette diamonds and 14-karat gold.
Left side: Season record (67-15).
Right side: “World Champions,” the NBA logo and “Back to Back.”
1993 NBA championship
(Michael) Jordan is the great star in a twinkling universe of bright lights, and winning a third straight title with this Bulls team has been his destiny, too. For when it has all been written, the Bulls will be among the elite sports teams of all time.
— Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 21, 1993:
The Bulls this time came stalking history, which is a most elusive goal. For history makes one both a target and an enduring memory.
It will be hard to forget this third consecutive NBA title, which the Bulls won by outlasting Phoenix in Game 6 Sunday 99-98 on a three-point shot by guard
The night will forever be engraved in the conscience of sport. For few have gone this way, and only the aristocracy of sport reside here, names offered in solemn reverence, like Boston Celtics,
And Chicago Bulls. Read the full story.
Ring features
Logo made of garnet and 14-karat gold.
Left side: Playoff record (15-4) and NBA trophy.
Right side: “World Champions 1993,” NBA logo and “3-Peat.”
1996 NBA championship
Winning — it’s true — doesn’t get old.
— Charles M. Madigan, Chicago Tribune
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 17, 1996:
It is undeniably true that for any Chicago sports team, nagged by a second city complex as big as the place itself, victory is always sweet. Now the Chicago Bulls can add another line to their history: Victory is always sweet, but not necessarily easy.
The Bulls, finally, captured their fourth championship trophy Sunday night at the
The final game was not a blowout. Seattle was not embarrassed. The Bulls did not stomp on them and then march away like triumphant Roman legionnaires into the arms of a loving hometown.
They just won, and that was enough.
The score was 87-75. Read the full story.
Ring features
Crest of black onyx set with four diamonds and gold nets representing four trophies in a 14-karat gold setting with 72 smaller diamonds.
Left side: Bulls logo in color.
Right side: “World Champions,” Chicago skyline, 72 wins, NBA logo and “Greatest Team Ever.”
1997 NBA championship
“That’s all it was was — a big challenge. Every night we had to find a new way of getting ourselves motivated. That was the difficult part.”
— Dennis Rodman, Bulls forward
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 14, 1997:
The long journey ended late Friday night, much the way it played out over the previous seven months.
From November to June, there were ups-and-downs. Quite a few hairy moments. Big plays that kept the Bulls in games. Big shots delivering victories. Particularly the hard victories.
So when Steve Kerr hit the shot, the 17-foot jumper that will be remembered every time people recall the Bulls’ latest championship, it was appropriate. The basket came at the end of an uphill battle, almost magnifying how tough this journey truly was.
Bulls coach Phil Jackson didn’t need a do-or-die shot to remind him.
“I didn’t enjoy this journey,” he said with a smile big enough for all the United Center to see. “This was filled with injuries and suspensions. But we had a great run, didn’t we? It was wonderful.”
And it’s over. The season came to a close with a thrilling 90-86 victory over the
Kerr hit the shot, a wide-open jumper that hit the bottom of the net with just five seconds left, putting the Bulls up 88-86. Then, after a Jazz timeout, Toni Kukoc deflected
Within the celebration of the moment — Michael Jordan danced on the scorers’ table — was an enormous sense of relief. The Bulls finally were done with what they believed was their toughest Finals test ever. Read the full story.
Ring features
Logo set in diamonds, platinum and a 14-karat gold setting.
Left side: Five basketball and net trophies.
Right side: “World Champions,” “Team of the Decade,” stadium image and NBA logo.
1998 NBA championship
“I think it was bittersweet in the sense that it was the toughest route, toughest challenge in the six championships that we’ve won. I was more competitive than I ever was, because I wanted to win more than I ever did.”
— Michael Jordan
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 15, 1998:
If the final chapter of Michael Jordan’s career was completed on Sunday night, his role in the final gripping moments of a sixth championship for the Chicago Bulls would forever mark the perfect ending.
With the capacity crowd at the Delta Center roaring in anticipation of a Utah victory that would have forced a seventh game of the NBA Finals, Jordan’s steal and two scores in the last 37.1 seconds secured Chicago’s shocking 87-86 triumph over the Jazz. And it was the fans in Chicago who got to celebrate victory, although in some areas it was marred by gunfire and several shootings.
The statistics will claim that Jordan’s performance was less than artistic. Jordan’s 45 points, his high for the playoffs this year, came on 15-of-35 shooting.
But with Scottie Pippen limited by a back injury,
Ring features
Round diamonds for six championships with alternating rows of round and baguette diamonds.
Left side: “World Champions 1998,” NBA logo, “Repeat 3-Peat.”
Right side: Bulls logo.
2005 World Series
“We never had any egos on this team. I think that was what was really special about this club.”
— Jermaine Dye,
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 26, 2005:
The White Sox completed their incredible conquest Wednesday night, eliminating the final demons that haunted the franchise since their last World Series title in 1917.
They completed their stunning run in a manner that mirrored their amazingly successful season, riding the pitching of
“In sports, I haven’t had a greater feeling,” said general manager Ken Williams, whose transformation of a franchise to an emphasis on pitching and defense was rewarded greatly in the final game.
The players celebrated on the field and in the clubhouse, where Williams was doused with champagne after hoisting the World Series trophy.
“Enjoy it and be safe,” slugger Paul Konerko advised several thousand fans who gathered behind the dugout to celebrate.
The Sox snapped the second-longest World Series drought in history. The longest dry spell, 97 years, belongs to the
Ring features
Ninety nine diamonds — one for each win — set in black onyx and 14-karat gold.
Left side:
Right side: “World Champions,” 2005 and playoff record (11-1).
2010 Stanley Cup
“It was crazy. At the moment it’s just like, ‘We won the Stanley Cup’ and that’s all you’re thinking about. To play this game, this is the only thing I want to do in the world and be a part of moments like this.”
—
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 10, 2010:
After nearly half a century, the Stanley Cup again belongs to Chicago.
The Blackhawks brought it home for themselves and their fans — both long-suffering and those who jumped on board during a remarkable resurgence that began just three seasons ago — when they defeated the
The
Patrick Kane scored the game-winner 4 minutes, 6 seconds into overtime and
The win capped a dramatic turnaround for the organization that began with the drafting of Kane with the top overall selection in 2007, continued with the ascension of Rocky Wirtz to team chairman following the death of his father, William, and the hiring of
Ring features
Diamond inlay in 14-karat white gold. Blackhawks logo over the Stanley Cup is set with round brilliant and marquis cut diamonds for feathers.
Left side: Tomahawk logo made of rubies, emeralds and yellow diamonds on the left side.
Right side: Chicago Blackhawks 2010, “One Goal” and Stanley Cup set with diamonds and championship years of 1961, 1938 and 1934.
2013 Stanley Cup
“It was like a fairy tale. We were down with a couple of minutes left in the game and all of a sudden, bang, we won the Stanley Cup. We didn’t quit. We knew we had to put the puck at the net, but nobody would think in 17 seconds we would score two goals.”
— Marian Hossa, Blackhawks winger
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 25, 2013:
The journey began with Jonathan Toews organizing informal workouts while the NHL lockout raged on and ended with the Blackhawks captain holding the Stanley Cup aloft.
The Hawks’ magical 2013 season concluded with seemingly the only result Toews and Co. would allow — the franchise’s fifth title and second in the last four years — after a 3-2 victory over the
As with the 2010 champs, the end came in stunning fashion in Game 6 on enemy ice. Trailing by a goal with less than 90 seconds remaining in the third period, the Hawks got goals by
“This is an unbelievable group,” Toews said in an interview on the ice after the game. “We’ve been through a lot together this year, and this is a sweet way to finish it off.”
Corey Crawford made 23 saves to record the victory — and exorcise some demons after allowing goals in consecutive overtimes in a first-round departure at the hands of the
“I don’t really remember the past 20-25 minutes,” said Patrick Kane, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player. “My head is kind of spinning right now. It’s all worth it. All the hard work pays off in the end. These are the feelings you live for. It’s going to be a great summer enjoying this. This year we had a great team and we really followed through.” Read the full story.
Ring features
Logo in diamonds along with rubies.
Left side: Tomahawk logo set with rubies and emeralds.
Right side: Five diamond-studded Stanley Cup trophies.
2015 Stanley Cup
“I think for us, we want to win almost more for (the fans) than for ourselves. Nothing better than getting the Cup at home. It’s a moment I want to … hold on to forever.”
— Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks captain
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on June 16, 2015:
With patience wearing thin everywhere else Monday night in Chicago due to a scoreless tie at the United Center, Blackhawks star Patrick Kane waited near the blue line.
And waited. Then Kane waited some more.
The Hawks had waited two years for another chance to win a Stanley Cup. What was another few seconds? Especially with Hawks defenseman
Keith skated into the Hawks’ offensive zone, and Kane set up his tireless teammate with the perfect pass between two
The horn blared, the crowd of 22,424 exhaled loudly and “Chelsea Dagger” played after Keith’s goal that served as, well, the dagger. It seemed only fitting that the game-winner in a legacy-defining 2-0 victory over the Lightning came from Keith, who plays hockey the way teenagers use iPhones — without worrying about the minutes that accumulate. The best player for the Hawks this postseason should be the one remembered most for winning the biggest hockey game in the city since 1938.
“Every moment is special, and this one is special because we did it in front of our fans,” Keith said. “I’m just thankful and blessed. The third time winning the Cup in six years, that’s unreal.” Read the full story.
Ring features
More than 10.8 carats — 355 diamonds — in 14-karat white gold.
Left side: Blackhawks secondary logo in diamonds.
Right side: Six Stanley Cup trophies.
2016 World Series
The funny thing about waiting 107 years for a championship was that when it finally happened, you didn’t want the season to end. It was that much fun, from Kyle Schwarber’s smashing of a windshield outside the outfield wall with a
— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune
This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on Nov. 3, 2016:
Finally.
The most epic drought in sports history is over, and the Cubs are world champions.
After 108 years of waiting, the Cubs won the 2016 World Series with a wild 8-7, 10-inning Game 7 victory over the Indians on Wednesday night at
A roller coaster of emotions spilled out in a game that lasted almost five hours, featuring some wacky plays, a blown four-run lead, a 17-minute rain delay and some 10th-inning heroics that sealed the deal.
It was a perfect ending for a franchise that had waited forever for just one championship, and your stomach never will be the same.
This is not a dream. The Cubs did it. Read the full story.
Ring features
Front: 108 diamonds, 33 rubies and 46 sapphires.
Left side: 31 round diamonds, blue corundum stone and bricks and ivy silhouette.
Right side: Wrigley Field marquee, trophy with diamond and two additional diamonds for previous titles.
Inside band: Date and time of championship victory; postseason opponents and series records. Oh, and a goat’s head.
Sources: Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, Elmhurst; Jostens; Chicago Tribune archives
Created by the Chicago Tribune Dataviz team. On Twitter @ChiTribGraphics
