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Started By
Message
Jerry Krause explains why the Bulls’ dynasty unraveled, in his own words
Posted on 5/17/20 at 11:10 pm
Posted on 5/17/20 at 11:10 pm
quote:
During the last championship run in 1998, cracks in the foundation of the teams we’d built began to alarmingly show up at inopportune times. To the adoring public, the age that was showing on Dennis Rodman, the lack of movement by Luc Longley, the slowdown in efficiency after playing over 100 games per year in two of the previous three seasons, was not apparent. The lack of recovery time in the summer, where beaten-up legs could have enough time on (strength and conditioning coach) Al Vermeil’s summer program to gain back the strength they’d lost in playing far longer than any other team in the league, never struck the fans or the media. The fact that winning titles meant drafting last each year in what at the time were poor draft crops meant nothing. We’d gotten lucky in 1990 in that most NBA people did not think that Toni Kukoc would even come to the NBA, and he’d fallen to early in the second round where we had a pick.
But to the fans and media, we had Michael Jordan and he could overcome anything. He could play without a center and a power forward for a capped team with little or no flexibility and still win by himself. Or Scottie Pippen, with two operations in the previous two years, could rise to the occasion and win with Michael and a declining supporting cast.
I’m now going to take you to a place no Bulls outsider has ever been, a meeting in early July 1998. It was attended by Jerry Reinsdorf, myself, (assistant general manager) Jim Stack, Al Vermeil, the team doctors and surgeons, (VP of finance) Irwin Mandel and (assistant to the GM) Karen Stack. Vermeil knew more about the condition of the players’ bodies than even the medical people. He had continually tested them in and out of season during the entire championship run. We had asked then-trainer Chip Schaefer to submit a written report on the team’s health. Phil had made his decision (to leave) eight months before the meeting.
The first question I asked was how much did people think we could get out of Luc Longley, a free-agent-to-be who we’d had to rest periodically over the last few years because of unstable ankles. Al and the doctors thought he would break down quickly.
Next question: Rodman? Each person in the room was concerned that Dennis’ off-court meanderings had caught up with him, that he was playing on fumes at the end of the season.
OK. No center, no power forward, very little (cap space) to sign anybody of any quality to replace them. Who defends in the middle if Jordan and Pippen do come back? Who rebounds?
We go to Pippen. He’s had two major surgeries in two years, one of them late in the summer to purposely defy our instructions to do it earlier and not miss regular-season time. He wants to rightfully be paid superstar dollars. Is he worth the risk, especially if we can’t find a center and a power forward, and he and Michael have to carry the load for a new coach? I seriously doubt it.
Can Michael continue his greatness without a center, power forward and possibly Pippen? Could Bill Russell, the greatest team player ever, have won without great players around him? No. 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?
The important role players like Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler are free agents who can get more money from other teams than we can give them under the cap rules.
Could we get Phil to coach without a proven center, power forward, probably Pippen, a basically new bench and crazy expectations that “in Michael we trust” can win without help? Not a chance.
Put yourself in our shoes as we walk out of that room. What would you do? Did we break up a dynasty or was the dynasty breaking up of age, natural attrition of NBA players with little time to recuperate and the salary-cap rules that govern the game?
One thing we did do was make sure no information got out of that meeting that could hurt any player’s chances of getting a quality contract. Phoenix gave Longley lifetime security in the form of a five-year deal at huge dollars. Three years later, having been dumped by Phoenix on an unsuspecting Knicks team, Longley was retired in his native country.
Rodman played 35 more games, never able to regain his previous form.
As the summer wore on and players were locked out of the training facilities by the league — that would mean the NBA season would not start until late January — things got even worse. Michael sliced a finger on a cigar cutter that would’ve prevented him from playing an entire season. To his credit, he could have stiffed us and signed a huge contract. But he was honest and we were well informed what the condition of the hand was. He didn’t want to play on a rebuilding team, and he stuck to his word.
In January, when the league was about to resume and free agents could be signed, Pippen’s agents asked us to do Scottie a favor. By doing a sign-and-trade with Houston, Scottie could get more than $20 million more than he could by just signing a straight-out contract. Jerry and I gave him his going-away present. I called Steve and Jud and told them the situation and to take the first good contract they could because we were not going to bid for them. They deserved it.
There you have it, the truth.
LINK
Posted on 5/17/20 at 11:13 pm to Bench McElroy
cliffs you frick. its 23:13
Posted on 5/17/20 at 11:17 pm to Bench McElroy
Team was in decline. They would've ended up overpaying for old guys like Pippern Kerr, Buchler, and Rodman who weren't worth what they were going to get offered from other teams. No one on that team improved performance-wise from the moment they were broken up.
Posted on 5/17/20 at 11:53 pm to Bustedsack
It was actually informative for those without their head up their twat that bothered to read.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 12:07 am to LSUGraduate2002
All good things must come to an end. It's actually better the team went out the way it did then trying to hang on for one more. Losing the next year would have tainted the legacy.
I know MJ said he wanted one more shot but he was the ultimate competitor and he would have gone down swinging because that's what competitors do. They don't know any other way, and that's what makes them great.
I know MJ said he wanted one more shot but he was the ultimate competitor and he would have gone down swinging because that's what competitors do. They don't know any other way, and that's what makes them great.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 12:29 am to Bench McElroy
Cliffs:
We had Michael and other teams didn't.
But he was getting old.
So I might have to actually build a team.
We had Michael and other teams didn't.
But he was getting old.
So I might have to actually build a team.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 12:38 am to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:
Cliffs: We had Michael and other teams didn't. But he was getting old. So I might have to actually build a team.
Did you read any of it?
That's nothing like what he said.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 1:21 am to Bench McElroy
What was the cap like back then if they lose Rodman, Pippin, Lonngley, Kerr, And Beuchler and he’s up against the cap?
Posted on 5/18/20 at 1:35 am to Bench McElroy
It’s a lot shorter to just type bullshite excuses. “Team in decline” is rich coming off of a three peat especially when his answer to that decline produced a 24.8% win percentage.
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 1:40 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 2:15 am to Bench McElroy
The Jerrys' were assholes but they were right. They got the best years out of the core star players and most of their role players.
There is a time limit for how long insanely competitive people can stand to be around each other.
There is a time limit for how long insanely competitive people can stand to be around each other.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 4:15 am to Bench McElroy
I would never doubt Jordan, but if he really wanted 7 he would have played for peanuts if he could make his own team like lebron has done... he had enough money from Nike
Posted on 5/18/20 at 6:41 am to DaBeerz
There was no way to get Pippen back. After years of being grossly underpaid, he would have a really hard time swallowing doing it again. It would take Jordan basically giving a giant chunk of his salary to Pippen on a one year deal like Jordan talked about.
Plus, Rodman was cracking the whole season as documented. It was just time. I didn't realize it at the time. This has been an interesting doc, though very Michael heavy of course.
After watching the last 2 episodes, I kind of feel sorry for him. At the same time I kind of dislike him for being a raging dick constantly. That's what made him who he is. I had no idea how extremely intelligent he is. He is a psych pro. He could have been an amazing therapist in another world.
Plus, Rodman was cracking the whole season as documented. It was just time. I didn't realize it at the time. This has been an interesting doc, though very Michael heavy of course.
After watching the last 2 episodes, I kind of feel sorry for him. At the same time I kind of dislike him for being a raging dick constantly. That's what made him who he is. I had no idea how extremely intelligent he is. He is a psych pro. He could have been an amazing therapist in another world.
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 6:48 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:02 am to Bench McElroy
Michael has said publicly that he will not play for a coach other than Phil. Phil has told us he’s gone.
And why was that Jerry?
And why was that Jerry?
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:20 am to Bench McElroy
TLDR - Jerry Krause had a little penis and wanted credit.
I’m sure glad he didn’t mortgage the franchise’s future for a run at #7. Tim Floyd and company wouldn’t have been able to been so successful if they did.
I’m sure glad he didn’t mortgage the franchise’s future for a run at #7. Tim Floyd and company wouldn’t have been able to been so successful if they did.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:26 am to Bench McElroy
quote:
Phil had made his decision (to leave) eight months before the meeting.
I wonder why.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:47 am to Bench McElroy
Not hard to see they could have kept phil if the jerry’s werent assholes. Couldve kept michael, paid scotty, and replaced rodman with someone more dependable
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:27 am to josh336
Yeah, Krause effectively sabotaged another shot before the '97-'98 season. But, I think he's right that it's not so easy to run it back like everyone wants.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:37 am to josh336
In hindsight, they could’ve picked Rashard Lewis and or Cutino Mobley in the following draft. Or made some trades up and gotten Dirk, Vince Carter, Antwann Jamison, or Paul Pierce. It was a heavy draft with a couple of other really talented guys. Mike would’ve just had to do what he needed to do money wise to help get Pip back. Give him 20 Million and say come win another one and they would’ve won it. Just saying...
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:58 am to Madking
quote:That would make sense if they were still under contract.
It’s a lot shorter to just type bull shite excuses. “Team in decline” is rich coming off of a three peat especially when his answer to that decline produced a 24.8% win percentage.
But the fact is several of the players were free agents and they were not going to vastly overpay them to keep them. The Bulls knew the reality of their health. Other teams were going to overpay to get a champion Bull.
The team 100% had to rebuild. There was no other option.
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 8:59 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 9:09 am to Bench McElroy
And the bulls have been irrelevant ever since
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