RECAP – Ep 1 & 2: Four Takeaways from The Last Dance
The Bulls Nation finally got what they wanted, the 10 part documentary series “The Last Dance” has begun airing on ESPN, taking a deep dive into the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Episodes 1 and 2.
Photo: Elise Amendola/AP
Michael Jordan Completely Revolutionize the Game of Basketball
It’s funny to think back then that nobody was expecting MJ to be so great, simply because he wasn’t 7 feet tall. Before MJ stepped foot in the league, the game was dominated by centers. The Wilt Chamberlains, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbars, the Bill Russells. The league was based on power and strength. That is until the GOAT took the league by storm! His quickness and athleticism, playing in the air, while others played on the ground, single-handily shifted the league from power and strength to finesse and quickness. That dynamic is still in effect to this day, and it’s all because of Michael Jordan.
Jordan also entered the league in time when drug use ran rampant through the league, as the Bulls were known as The Cocaine Traveling Circus. A nickname MJ has not heard until the interview.
For a rookie MJ to immediately leave his teammate’s party once he saw the drugs and women, showed maturity, leadership and that he was totally dedicated to becoming the best basketball player ever.
Photo: Elise Amendola/AP
Jerry Krause’s Jealously Broke up a Dynasty
Jerry, to his credit, was great at building the Bulls roster around MJ and putting the pieces together to form championship teams. However, Krause appears to have thought that he was the main reason for the Bulls winning 6 championships, and then the players and coaches came under him. With his infamous line that “players and coaches don’t win championships, organizations win championships.”
He also was effectively pushing Phil Jackson out, telling him, “I don’t care if you go 82 and 0, you’re f**king gone.”
Pushing Phil out, of course, effectively pushed out MJ, who said he would not play for any other coach. Krause’s little man complex allowed him to think he was more important than he was and drove his mission to prove that he could build another dynasty without the Greatest Player ever and Phil. The Bulls would have a losing record each year after the ’98 season until Krause retired in 2003.
Photo: Elise Amendola/AP
The Effect of Not Paying Scottie Pippen Are Still Felt Today
Scottie was severely underpaid signing a 7-year contract for $18 million. At the time Scottie signed the contract, he thought he was making a smart decision, and be able to take care of his family, in case of injury. Scottie probably didn’t realize that he would play the perfect sidekick to MJ, or even holding the fort down as the Bulls best player when Michael retired and went to play baseball. Pippen just knew his loyalty to the organization and winning championships, would see the Bulls change his contract and offer him more money.
Not only did Pip not get more money, but he was also often in talks to be traded. Pippen’s frustrations lead him to put off surgery for his injured foot. Scottie could have gotten the surgery during the off-season and been ready to play when the ’98 season started. Instead, Scottie said, “the Bulls weren’t going to fuck his summer up,” and spent the first 3 months of the 98 season sidelined and publicly requested a trade. The Bulls not giving Scottie the money that he deserved earned them the reputation of being a cheap franchise, a reputation that still holds to this day in player’s minds.
The Biggest Mystery Is Bulls Owner Jerry Reinsdorf
Why did Reinsdorf place his loyalty with Krause, instead of MJ, Pip, and Phil? Did he believe Krause’s notion that organizations win championships and not players/coaches?
What would have happened if Reinsdorf fired Krause, brought back MJ, Phil, and paid Scottie? Could the Bulls have won the 7th title in 1999 with the dynasty kept intact? That’s the biggest mystery that has yet to be answered, and maybe it never will be.
We cannot wait to see what happens next week in Episodes 3 and 4.
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