Michael Jordan explains why it took a long time for the Bulls to buy into the Triangle Offense: “At least three years before we fully understood the system” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Chicago Bulls began to thrive once Phil Jackson took over from Doug Collins, but the shift wasn’t seamless. Michael Jordan had to be persuaded to move away from an offense built around his individual brilliance and adopt an unfamiliar system with no guarantees of success. Commenting on this, “His Airness” details how hard it was learning the system under the “Zen Master.”
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“It took a while,” Jordan answered when asked how quickly the team picked up the nuances of the Triangle. “At least three years before we fully understood the system. Phil was very patient, as well as Tex (Winter), who implemented it all together and came up with the concept. It just took some time for us to connect and understanding each other as a team, and act instinctively instead of knowing exactly a certain place.”
As “His Airness” highlighted, it took a while to pick up the Triangle because it’s a system that doesn’t rely on specific sets. It’s a read-and-react philosophy that does depend on predetermined plays. After all, the Triangle offense is about structure within freedom where players move with purpose, the ball keeps flowing, and options emerge based on how the defense shifts. Learning all these things couldn’t be done overnight.
Why the Triangle worked
With Jordan in uniform, the Bulls had lightning in a bottle. Naturally, Collins put him at the heart of everything, as any coach would. However, basketball isn’t won by brilliance alone. Sooner or later, teams adjusted, and the Bulls’ lack of depth, especially at the one position, remained a stubborn obstacle. That’s where Phil’s Triangle came in handy.
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“It’s really obvious what was missing. What was missing was a well-rounded offense because we had so many offensive things that ended up with Michael having to do it. We were trying to run a point guard offense, but ultimately, we didn’t have a point guard. John Paxson was not a point guard,” Jackson explained.
As the 11-time champion coach reiterated, Paxson was an extraordinary shooter, but bringing the ball up against constant pressure was not among his best qualities. The Pistons, whom they faced in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989, took advantage of this and prevailed.
On the other hand, there is no system that needs a point guard less than the Triangle. In this philosophy, anybody could bring the ball up and start the action, whether it was Jordan or Scottie Pippen. Jackson pointed out this nuance as the difference maker that allowed them to get past the Pistons in 1991.
Again, mastering such an offense is not for the weak of heart. Former Bulls power forward Horace Grant likened learning the Triangle offense to studying a foreign language, such as Mandarin Chinese. But once it clicked, it gave the Bulls a shared rhythm and a way to win that didn’t rely on Jordan doing everything.
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Patience paid off
The Triangle asked the 1988 MVP and DPOY to trust his teammates in ways he hadn’t before. Conversely, it asked the team to step up and match his level of focus. It was a slow process marked by frustration, repetition, and countless hours of learning a system that demanded total buy-in.
Nonetheless, that trust changed everything. The Bulls evolved from a one-man show into a complete team, and the Triangle became the framework that unlocked their dynasty. It may have taken three years, but as anyone who wore the Bulls jersey during those runs, it was well worth it.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.