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4 days ago
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"It was never suggested" - Phil Jackson revealed what the Bulls could've done to make him and Michael Jordan stay
"It was never suggested" - Phil Jackson revealed what the Bulls could've done to make him and Michael Jordan stay originally appeared on Basketball Network. The late former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause made it clear to Phil Jackson that he would go even if the team went 82-0 in the 1997-98 season. On the other hand, Michael Jordan also let the Bulls front office know that he wouldn't stay and play for another coach other than Jackson. Krause's decision led to the Bulls' "The Last Dance," a farewell run which Jackson felt could've been prevented from happening. According to Phil, he couldn't do anything if Krause wanted to get rid of him. However, they could've done something to convince Jordan to stick around. For Jackson he would probably consider coaching the Bulls for longer just to ensure Jordan wouldn't retire. However, he never got the chance to be in that situation. "On the bus ride to our shootaround, assistant GM Jim Stack tells me Jerry Reinsdorf just gave an extensive interview about the club's future and not to be surprised if the media are all over me. They were -- five deep, asking, 'Are you really the one responsible for the breakup of the Bulls?' I deflected them, saying, 'We have a very important game tonight, and if we don't win the championship, everything is moot.' Yes, it's time for me to take some time off. The only thing management could have said that would have changed things is, 'Stay on until Michael is finished, so we can be sure we have him back until he retires.' But it was never suggested," Phil wrote in 1998 via ESPN. How MJ would've stayed in Chicago even without Phil As the Bulls' Last Dance unfolded, Krause remained adamant about his plan to rebuild. He would've wanted Jordan to stay, but he couldn't say the same thing about Jackson. For MJ, it was plain and simple – if Jackson's out, he's out. However, Jordan admitted that maybe, just maybe, he would've opted to stay with the Bulls even without Phil as the coach if the team could find a way to recruit his UNC coach and mentor Dean Smith. "[Phil] He didn't have a future in front of him right now, so he considers it to be 'The Last Dance.' I'm like the same way. I'm considering this to be the moment until something is shown in the future, for the future," Jordan told Stuart Scott in an interview. "Would there be another coach for me to play for? I have not thought about it in a sense other than Dean Smith, you know, [but] I don't think he's coming back at it in coaching."The Bulls never found another Jordan-type player Just as Krause planned, the Bulls let go of Jackson after the '98 Finals. MJ also retired that summer and the majority of the Bulls' veterans also left the team. It is now widely regarded as the end of an era in the NBA. Krause and the Bulls moved on from Jackson and MJ. With his team management skills, Krause did his best to recruit pieces that could build the team's new foundation, but to no avail. The Bulls were able to sign a few notable players but none of them ever replaced Jordan. To this day, Chicago has yet to assemble a squad that could beat or even match the depth of the Jackson and Jordan-led '90s story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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08-06-2025
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"It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie" - Phil Jackson recalls how Scottie Pippen abused Jerry Krause over his contract
"It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie" - Phil Jackson recalls how Scottie Pippen abused Jerry Krause over his contract originally appeared on Basketball Network. Shortly after the Chicago Bulls' historic last dance, head coach Phil Jackson reflected on the numerous challenges the team encountered during that tumultuous period. One was Scottie Pippen's public threat to leave the Bulls if his contract situation did not improve. Advertisement Jackson remembered how Pippen consistently directed his frustrations at the Bulls' general manager, Jerry Krause, seizing every opportunity to voice his discontent. But one confrontation stood out. "Scottie, who is still on injured reserve, tells some reporters he wants to be traded, that he's not going to play for the Bulls ever again," Jackson shared via ESPN. "I figure he's just feeling his oats, momentarily ticked off about his horrible contract that pays him less than probably a hundred players in the league. But on the bus ride from the airport to the hotel, he tears into Krause from the back." "Usually, Michael is the one who showers Krause with ridicule. But now Scottie is giving serious abuse. 'Hey, Jerry,' he yells. 'You going to sign me to a contract or trade me?' It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie," he added. Phil couldn't tell if Scottie was serious about leaving Throughout his illustrious coaching career, Jackson maintained a composed demeanor, even in the most intense moments. His ability to keep his emotions in check set him apart from other coaches, who often resorted to yelling and showing frustration. Advertisement Still, even Jackson found himself perplexed with the Pippen situation, particularly by the unusual behavior of his star small forward. It also didn't help that at that time, the Bulls were facing their own struggles on the court, and the legendary coach openly confessed to experiencing stress, an emotion he typically managed with ease. "The next day at practice, Scottie runs well, but he doesn't have much gas," Jackson continued. "And as he talks to the press afterward, he says that after all he had done for the team, he can't stand being treated with so little respect, and he can't see himself ever wearing a Bulls uniform again." "But that night on the bench, he is dressed to the nines in a gray pinstripe suit and boxed-toe shoes, and he cheers wildly, especially for Kukoc, who is taking his place. Still, we lose our fourth close game of the season, and I don't know what is going on. In the past, we were always the ones who won the close ones. My sleep is suffering," he concluded. Related: Charles Barkley says "The Last Dance" increased his reverence for Michael Jordan: "Some of those fouls, you would get suspended multiple games today" Scottie's last dance in Chicago Despite the turmoil surrounding his contract situation, Pippen continued to play for the Bulls during the 1997-98 season. Although Chicago may have been willing to offer him a more lucrative contract or even if Jordan had chosen to remain with the team, Pip was firm in his decision that this would be his final season with the franchise. Advertisement He was looking for an organization that would treat him with respect and value his contributions and impact. "Even before Michael announced his retirement, I knew that I was taking a different route than returning to Chicago," the seven-time All-Star said in an interview with NBC's Hannah Storm in 1999. "I wouldn't have returned. Over time, you know, I still feel like there is some type of relationship there between me and the Bulls, but to have been there would have been very difficult for me." "He pretty much knew it. You know, we talked a tremendous amount of time throughout the season, and we sort of had that vibe, that feeling after the season, that it was pretty much our last time together," the legendary forward added. "It was a little bit emotional at that time, but I knew that was it." Pippen's post-Bulls run Going into the last season of the Bulls dynasty, Krause was already sure about breaking up the team and starting the rebuilding process. Keeping an aging veteran like Pippen was not part of his plans. Advertisement The following season, Pippen found a new home with the Houston Rockets. He was optimistic about their trio with Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon but they failed to win a championship. He then joined the Portland Trail Blazers and was appointed the team leader. However, that squad also failed to win a title. Related: "There are only two players who could possibly do the things he does" Phil Jackson names the only players who were as good as Scottie Pippen This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
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"We could've won seven, we could've won eight, or we could've won nine, the LeBron thing" - MJ took a shot at LeBron when discussing how many titles would Chicago won if the 1998 team never broke up
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls built a dynasty during the 1990s. They completed two three-peats during an eight-year span from 1991 to 1998 to establish themselves not only as the best team in the decade but one of the greatest basketball squads of all time. But successful as the Bulls were during that period, Michael Jordan was still bothered by the fact that they never got to keep the dice rolling and see how far their luck took them. After achieving a second three-peat in 1998, the Bulls surrendered the Larry O'Brien trophy without losing it on the basketball court by going their separate ways. Advertisement "It was a very sad situation because we never lost in the Finals," said Michael in 2013 in an interview with good pal Ahmad Rashad. "I never knew what it felt like. At least, if you gonna…'Think I'll be the king of the hill?' Until somebody knocks you down there, you can shake the hand and say, 'You enjoy now, you gonna see how difficult it is,' but it never happened." The Last Dance The Bulls entered that 1997-98 season knowing that it would be their last. Phil Jackson was already told he wasn't coming back even if he went 82-0. And Jordan had declared that he'd rather retire than play for another head coach. Also, Scottie Pippen's controversial contract expired at the end of that campaign. GM Jerry Krause also did not want the Bulls to get old. While he still had control over the pieces, he wanted to rebuild the team, even if that meant breaking them up while they were still at the peak of their powers. And so, despite winning a third straight Larry O'Brien Trophy in 1998, the dynasty team was disbanded, leaving Jordan and the crew thinking about the 'What ifs?' Advertisement "Now we have to live the rest of our lives with this idea that we could've won seven, we could've won eight, or we could've won nine, the LeBron thing, but we were halfway there. We could've done all that. But for whatever reason, it was not meant to be," added Mike and thus took a dig at LeBron James' statement that the Miami Heat would win eight or nine titles when he assembled the big three there with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but only managed to win two. Related: Isiah Thomas recalls his college recruitment: "My mom closed the briefcase and said, 'My son's not for sale" Harp said the Bulls would've beaten the Spurs in '99 While MJ thought about the possibilities after the "Last Dance", Bulls guard Ron Harper firmly believed that if the 1998 Bulls squad was retained and carried over to the 1999 season, they would have beaten the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals and captured a fourth straight championship and a seventh overall title. Advertisement "We felt we had a good enough team to keep winning — I don't think that the San Antonio Spurs would have gotten that championship, no way. Because they wouldn't have had to play against the New York Knicks, they would have had to play against that Chicago team. If we — the Bulls — had the same team, we would whooped San Antonio as*. I'll tell it like it is. We would whooped their a*s in five. Maybe four, but I'll say five," said Harper. Looking back, the Bulls were still in their primes in '98, with Rodman as the oldest at 36 years old. With a team that was dominant and a unit that was cohesive, Chicago would still have been a powerhouse in '99. With MJ and Pip leading the way, there was a good chance they would've kept on winning and added at least another title in 1999. Related: "He never beat Larry Bird, he never beat Magic and Kareem"- When Isiah Thomas reminded Stephen A. Smith he did what Michael Jordan could never do
