After two three-peats, the Chicago Bulls decided to end its championship dynasty. With Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson gone, there was no telling what the future held for the Windy City Squad. According to Chicago media, Tim Floyd was tasked with succeeding Jackson. According to the reports, Floyd was known to be the favorite of then-general manager Jerry Krause. The 1989 American South coach of the year knew the task was daunting but revealed why the Bulls went in that direction.
“He [Krause] really believes that maybe taking a step back a little bit early will allow us to get to the championship level quicker than what other teams have been able to do in the past,” Floyd shared via NYT.
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The philosophy made sense in a way. However, that would depend on the players Floyd still had at the time. Only four players were assured of returning: Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, Randy Brown, and Keith Booth.
Scottie Pippen was traded, while Dennis Rodman was released. With their top three stars gone, it was obvious that the Bulls were rebuilding with Kukoc as the team’s main star. Unfortunately, that investment didn’t pan out, and Chicago’s plans to rebuild another champion team never prospered.
Krause put himself in a bad spot
At the time, MJ was 34, and Rodman was 36. Pippen was the youngest of the Bulls’ big three, at 32. Had Krause opted to keep them together, would it have resulted in another title during the 1999 season, at the least?
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Considering the 1998-99 season was shortened, there could have been a chance. But there was another problem – Phil Jackson – beyond Michael, Scottie and Dennis. Jackson clarified that he was leaving, and Jordan stressed that he would not play for any other coach. Considering the squabbles that Phil and the Bulls GM had at the time, it was evident that the team was headed towards an ugly end.
“Michael has said publicly that he will not play for a coach other than Phil. Phil has told us he’s gone. What does Michael do?” Krause wrote in a memoir.
Krause made a last attempt to bring back the band
In the same memoir, Krause wrote that he had tried to bring back Jackson and MJ in the 1998-99 lockout-shortened season. Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough, and some circumstances prevented this from happening.
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“When the lockout was over, I still couldn’t talk Phil into coming back. And the big thing is Michael had cut his finger with a cigar cutter, and he couldn’t have played. So what’s all this talk about bringing everybody back when Michael couldn’t have come back?” the Bulls executive alleged.
It was a messy end to the Bulls dynasty, with most cursing Krause for it. However, Jerry’s hand in putting together a team that delivered those six NBA championships cannot be denied. Kukoc believes the late Bulls executive deserved to be heard.
“He changed the game. He made it global. Every player today should tip their hat to him. But you have to hear the other side. Jerry built the six-time champions. You have to give him credit,” Kukoc reasoned.
Krause tried to do his job as any executive would. Change is something that many will not readily embrace, no matter how good the intentions are.
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For the Bulls, it may have been a matter of timing. Jordan had some good years left, and so did Rodman. The 1998-99 season could have given the Bulls a chance at a four-peat, possibly a better time to end it all. It was something to ponder, although enormous damage had already been done in the Bulls’ last dance in 1998.