The most anticipated sports documentary maybe of all-time premiered Sunday night, and delivered as well as expected. Things we previously knew and didn't know were revisited or revealed, as the 10-part series began to peel back the layers of the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls.
Here are some things I found out for the first time, or found particularly interesting, while watching the first two episodes:
Scottie Pippen was grossly underpaid
Pippen, who was acquired in a draft day trade after the Seattle Supersonics selected him in 1987 and became a 7-time All-Star, defensive maestro, and the Robin to Michael Jordan's Batman, signed a 7 year, $18 million dollar contract in 1991. The prior season, in 1990-1991, he had made $765,000 (according to Hoops Hype), which was tied with Reggie Theus and Roy Tarpley for 151st in the NBA.
The roughly $2.5 million that he made per season on his '91 contract was a lot of money back then, but he still ranked 6th on the Bulls in salary and 122nd in the league in salary.
The disrespect Pippen felt from the organization was so jarring that he even demanded a trade during that final season. Obviously, it never happened, but it is mind blowing nonetheless to think about the possibility. For a guy who was the NBA's ultimate Swiss Army knife - as an example, when Jordan was gone from the Bulls in the '93-'94 season, Pippen averaged 22 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 steals, and was the '94 All-Star Game MVP - the fact that he ranked 6th on the Bulls in salary is tough to grasp. As said in the documentary, Pippen wanted to secure financial security without risking his future, so he was able to take care of his family, a smart move by any measure. But it doesn't change the fact that his worth was definitely greater than what his contract implied.
Jerry Krause was set on dismantling the team following the 1997-1998 season
It goes without the saying that "The Last Dance" is quite the teller in terms of what that final season meant. Bulls GM Jerry Krause had a meeting with Phil Jackson in which he stated that even if the team went 82-0, there would be no returning the following year.
Jordan was adamant that he'd only play for Jackson, securing the writing on the wall. He, Pippen, Jackson and Rodman all had expiring deals, and to go the opposite way of that saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it", the organization was dismantling no matter the result.
As we know now, Jordan retired, Rodman signed with the Lakers, Pippen was traded to the Rockets, and Jackson took a one year hiatus before signing on to coach the Lakers starting for the 1999-2000 season.
To me, I've always had that what if, as I'm sure every fan has, regarding the Bulls' championship limit had they stuck together for the following year and possibly beyond. In the lockout shortened 1998-1999 season, the Bulls surely would have had a great chance to win their fourth title. That we will never know, though, and it's just crazy to think about the insistence to break up a dynasty.
Michael Jordan just couldn't stand his restrictions after returning from his foot injury in 1986
90% he'd be OK, 10% he'd re-injure it in what would have been a catastrophic circumstance. Breaking his foot in Golden State on October 29, 1985, Jordan didn't return until mid March. Unbeknownst to the team, he had been playing pick up games during his rehab at his alma mater of the University of North Carolina. Upon returning to the Bulls, he had a minutes of around 14 minutes that he loathed, not starting a game again until April 7 against Milwaukee.
Jordan implored coach Stan Albeck to play him beyond his minutes restrictions, but it all seemed to work out, at least for Jordan, as the season and the Bulls playoffs concluded. The Bulls would go 5-3 over their last 8 games to get into the 8th seed with a 30-52 record, and their present was the Boston Celtics, a team that went 67-15 in the regular season and is considered to be one of the best teams of all-time.
Jordan would pour in 63 points in Game 2 of the series, a playoff record and one of the all-time legendary performances. He would average 47.3 points over the three game series, which the Celtics won in a sweep.
Pippen held off on ankle surgery until the fall of 1997 to prove his point to management
Pippen ended up playing 44 games in 1997-1998 following recovery from ankle surgery, not returning to the lineup until January 10. In the documentary, he said that he wanted to enjoy his summer and then have the surgery in the fall, an act that was thought of as selfish by Jordan.
I had not known about this, but nor did I know that Pippen was so underpaid. I can understand his point of view, but also why Jordan thought of it as selfish of Pippen to do that. It seemed that Pippen's mindset was to prove to management that he was worth more than being the sixth highest paid player on the team in basically wanting to see how the team would do without him. The Bulls were 24-11 without him, and would win 8 of the next 10 after Pippen's return. Overall, they would go 38-9 the rest of the way, finishing the season with a 62-20 record. The turmoil of the situation, coupled with a Pippen trade demand and Krause admitting that he had received offers, created drama, but as we know now, it was nothing that the team could not handle.
Episodes 3 and 4 premier Sunday night.
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