Amid their dominance, the Chicago Bulls folded after their sensational performances in the Last Dance in 1998, a period when they were firmly at the pinnacle of basketball.
The Windy City football team boasts six championships, achieving two legendary three-peat streaks: the first from 1991 to 1993, followed by another string of successes from 1996 to 1998 after Michael Jordan returned back from a short break from playing baseball. However, the disbandment took place right when they were on the verge of writing their names in sports history.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon believes that if Jordan really wanted to prolong their legacy, he could have overcome the roadblocks from management, especially Jerry Krause, and gone directly to owner Jerry Reinsdorf to make it happen. show your vision.
Wilbon commented: "If you're going to suggest that Michael couldn't get Phil and Scottie together and say, 'Let's go after a seventh championship,' you'd be dead wrong. We were on that stage - at that with the Celtics. No one but Russell can achieve this feat. Do we really doubt Michael Jordan here?"
Wilbon had faith that Reinsdorf would listen to Jordan's request.
The breakup of that legendary team had its origins in the actions of then-GM Krause, who was clear about his intentions before the 1997-98 season that Phil Jackson would not be retained for the 1998 season. -99. At the same time, Scottie Pippen went public with his dissatisfaction with his contract situation, casting a further shadow on the team's stability.
Krause feared that the Bulls could follow in the footsteps of the aging Celtics, who, after a glorious run in the '80s, saw their fortunes decline over the course of the following decade. However, Wilbon argues that if Jordan had used his influence and gone straight to Reinsdorf, the story might have turned out differently.
“First of all, they would love to ally against Jerry Krause. If they approach Reinsdorf directly, possibly bypassing Krause, like Michael did in contract negotiations with David Falk, I still wouldn't dare bet against Michael,” he added.
Related: Mike Krzyzewski discusses the underlying issue affecting youth and college basketball: "I'm not sure love of the game is the primary driver of excellence."
But it's worth noting that Jordan may have faced outside pressure to retire. After he left, Tim Floyd took over as coach, and Pippen was transferred to the Houston Rockets, while Dennis Rodman signed with the Lakers. Jordan then announced his second retirement. Although he lamented the lack of a seventh championship, he never actively tried to stop Krause's recovery efforts.
There are many rumored factors that influenced Jordan's second retirement. A major factor was his unwillingness to play under a different coach, coupled with speculation about his exhaustion and tensions with teammates, especially Pippen, due to a salary dispute. However, as Wilbon argued, MJ had the influence to rally them for another championship opportunity; instead, he remained passive about Krause's plan.
No one knew that a serious finger injury might have influenced Jordan's decision to retire. While celebrating his sixth championship in the Bahamas, he accidentally cut his right index finger with a cigar cutter, requiring surgery and leading him to admit that he could not grip a basketball with the same finesse. before.
If he had suffered such an injury, he might have had to take several months out of the shortened season to recover. Although Jordan has denied any connection between his finger injury and his decision to retire, this is a fascinating story that leaves room for speculation.
Related: "Without him, we might not have won the first three championships," Michael Jordan said of the underappreciated coach who played a key role in his development.
