NBA Archives Debunked: The Jordan Saga

Chapter 60 The Last Dance (2)

Negotiations reached an impasse for a while, Leinsdorf was only willing to offer $400 million a year, but Musberg offered $750 million for Jackson.In the end, Leinsdorf said he never saw Mussberg again, and flew to Montana on a private jet to go straight to Jackson himself.As soon as they met, Reinsdorf handed Jackson an offer contract of $500 million, which was 100 million more than his previous offer.Mussberger heard that Leinsdorf had gone to Montana and immediately flew over to meet with Jackson, though he was not present for the negotiations.Leinsdorf told Jackson that the 500 million was all he could give.At this time, Mussberg's asking price has also dropped to 600 million.The two sides froze again, and Leinsdorf flew away to Arizona.

Talk again, Mussberg said: 600 million, no less.Reinsdorf responded: "You didn't understand, I said that's all, that's all." Musberg refused to accept, and the two sides fell apart.About nine hours later, though, Reinsdorf called and said he had agreed to $600 million.Jackson renews his contract with the Bulls, but there is a clause in the contract: If Jordan fails to renew his contract with the Bulls, then Jackson's contract will also be void.

The Bulls then held a press conference to announce that they had renewed their contract with Jackson.But this press conference is different from the cheerful atmosphere of similar scenes. Klaus tried his best to emphasize to the reporters present: Regardless of whether he can win the sixth championship or not, this will be the last time Jackson coached the Bulls. year.This sparked another row.Jackson said: Krause looked like he was on the side of other teams, not his team.Klaus immediately countered: "I don't care if this season is 82 wins and 0 losses, you have to get out!"

Signing back to Jackson, Leinsdorf can finally negotiate a contract extension with Jordan, but he has to ease the remaining hostility between the two sides first.Leinsdorf heard Jordan was mad at him, is that true?Jordan told him it was true.why?Jordan brought up what happened a year ago.

In the summer of 1996, Jordan and the Bulls renewed their one-year, $3000 million contract.After signing, Jordan was about to leave, and Leinsdorf said something he would never forget, which completely changed Jordan's view of Leinsdorf.When the two shook hands, Leinsdorf said: "I know that one day I will regret what we just accomplished."

It took a year for Leinsdorf to know that Jordan was dissatisfied with him because of such a sentence.Leinsdorf claimed he did not recall ever saying that, and would apologize if he did.He thought it was over, but it didn't.Around this time, Jordan met with the famous Harvard historian and writer Henry Louis Gates (Henry Louis Gates), told Gates about this incident, and told Gates: Leinsdorf said In that case, it was like punching him in the heart.Jordan's words were published in "The New Yorker" magazine.More than a year later, Jordan published his autobiography, which also included these words.Jordan said: "Money has never had anything to do with me playing basketball, but money will always be a problem for some people, and it was the case with Jerry Reinsdorf...After all these years and winning so many championships, I Trying to give so much for the Bulls, I've been underpaid for all these years, and after all this, you regret paying me market rate? It's like a blow to my heart fist."

In this matter, there are cultural differences between Jordan and Leinsdorf.Leinsdorf thought it was just a kind of self-deprecation, which should be said after the agreement was reached, but in Jordan's ears, it was disrespect for himself.

In any case, the two sides began to negotiate the next contract.Reinsdorf's initial asking price was 2500 million US dollars. He said that the 3000 million US dollars in the previous year was compensation for the low salary in the previous years. .But Jordan believes that he should get a salary increase. After all, they won the championship again, and he was elected as the Finals MVP again. Jordan said that the salary increase is to reward him for doing so well.Jordan and Falk proposed a 3000% raise to $20 million, but Reinsdorf rejected it.In the end, it was Jordan who proposed that both parties make concessions and raise the salary by 3600% to 10 million, and Leinsdorf immediately agreed.Falk also proposed another plan at the time, signing a two-year contract with 3300 million in the first year and 3600 million in the second year. Reinsdorf was frightened.Leinsdorf asked: "David, didn't your client agree to 4000 million a year? Isn't that right, Michael?" Jordan said: Yes.In this way, 3300 million, the two sides negotiated.

The Bulls' spending for the 1997-1998 season finally matched their market value.Jordan's 3300 million; Jackson's 600 million; Rodman signed a contract extension with various incentive clauses, the total value of which is close to 1000 million--4900 million for the three of them alone.In addition, Harper earns 500 million, Kukoc earns 400 million, and Pippen earns 300 million.Not counting substitutes, the annual salary of the Bulls coach and core team exceeds $6000 million.

Watching other people sign new high-dollar contracts, and he was almost sent away again, Pippen was very angry.His primary agent, Jimmy Sexton, believes it's not just about the money, it's about the team's respect for the player.Pippen believes that the Bulls have always implemented double standards when negotiating business with players, with one set of standards for Jordan and another set of standards for others.Reinsdorf treated Jordan like an aristocrat, not Pippen.Although Pippen knew that he couldn't do some things that Jordan could do, he felt that he, too, deserved some kind of special status.He is not just an ordinary player, he was selected for the Dream Team, he is also a star in the Dream Team, and he is also one of the top 50 superstars in history officially selected by the NBA.But for these special honors, Pippen always felt underappreciated in Chicago.

Pippen decided to do something, express his dissatisfaction and anger. In the 1997 Eastern Conference finals, he injured his left foot. He had been fighting in pain in the finals, but after the season ended, he did not have surgery, and let the summer pass like this.Many players avoid surgery as much as possible, but in Pippen's case, he doesn't trust the Bulls or their team doctors.Not only did he not have surgery, Pippen also played two charity games, including a charity game he initiated at the United Center, which prompted a series of faxes from Krauss warning him that he must stop this behavior immediately.Until the new season approached, Pippen did not treat his foot injury, just to let Leinsdorf and Krauss see: In order to retaliate, he did not hesitate to risk his health and the opportunities of his teammates.

Due to a foot injury, Pippen was unable to play at the beginning of the 1997-1998 season, and the team doctor said he may miss half the season.Jackson thought, this must be an extremely difficult season.In the past, Jackson has also seen Pippen unhappy, but this time Pippen's anger is obviously higher than ever, and even evolved into a blind hatred, so that he did not hesitate to sacrifice his greatest pleasure-playing basketball.

Jackson is convinced that this upcoming season, win or lose, will be the last year this gang works together.On the first day of training camp, the first team meeting of the new season, he sent everyone a playbook with "The Last Dance" on the cover.

At least on the surface, this is an old and weak team.The peak period of basketball players is usually at the age of 27 or 1997. In the 1998-35 season, Jordan will be 32 years old, Pippen will be 36 years old, Rodman will be 34 years old, and Harper will be 29 years old.Kukoc is only [-] years old, but he has never proved that he can consistently play at a high level.As for the other guys on the bench, they're smart enough, but not talented enough.

The players all know that it is not easy to win three consecutive championships.The second championship is already more difficult than the first, because people's expectations of you have increased and the pressure on you has increased.And the third championship is definitely more difficult than the second, because it is difficult for you to maintain a high level of enthusiasm and concentration.

But Jackson believes that the Bulls still have a good chance of winning another championship.Their four oldest players—Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Harper—are in very good shape and extremely smart.Jackson knew his team's strengths: intelligence, experience, and mental toughness.The last point will be extremely important in the playoffs.The Bulls know when to focus, how to focus, and how to execute the coach's tactical intentions, which is where they are better than many other teams.As far as the playoffs are concerned, Jackson thought, his players were ideal, and they would be willing to skip 82 regular-season games and go straight to the playoffs if they could.

Before the season started, Jackson talked to both Jordan and Pippen.Both captains asked him: Do you really think this is the last fight?Jackson replied yes, saying they were lucky to have been together for so long.They had to assume that everything would end in June 1998.

After clarifying Jackson's overall vision for the season, Jordan said, "We really have to pace ourselves, don't we?" Jackson agreed, but he wondered how Jordan would do that, especially with Scottie Pippen. will be absent for such a long time.

Due to Pippen's absence and a very weak bench, Jordan's burden was heavier than ever in the 1997-1998 season.He and his trainer, Grover, decided to try to get into shape a little slower than in previous years, when they started preseason much later than in previous years.Jordan was in good shape when the team started training camp.To protect him and several other veteran players, Jackson practiced once a day for the second straight season instead of the standard two.

Jordan needed help, so he would challenge the newcomer, force him to grow, force him to help.Unfortunately, Scott Burrell is that new partner.Blair is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 meters) tall and has good physical talent. He can play as a substitute for Jordan and Pippen. During the 1997 offseason, Klaus used forward Dickey Simpkins (Dickey Simpkins) traded him from the Golden State Warriors.In the first few months of joining the Bulls, Blair couldn't figure out the way of the triangle offense. In addition, he was late for a practice at the beginning of the season, and he became the target of Jordan's attack.Jordan trained Blair as hard as a rookie, but Blair dared to talk back to Jordan and confront him, and Jordan became more merciless.Once Blair wasn't playing well, Jordan said to him, "We should trade you poor bastard back to Golden State and get Dickie Simpkins back." That put more pressure on Blair. .Blair later admitted that, five months into the season, he didn't know how to respond to Jordan's reprimand. "I've been challenged before, but not every day like this," Blair said.

Blair didn't understand why Jordan was so against him, but others who had worked with Jordan longer could. "He's working on Scott," one Bulls insider said. "He's grinding out his skin, building his game, mentally building his game."

"That's it, mentally," Jordan himself said, "you have to force them to think. This team, not a physical team, we don't have a physical advantage. We have a mental advantage. I think, That's something you're trying to force him to use — his mind, not his muscles."

Jordan believes that new teammates like Blair, from a weak team to a championship team, this is the process they must go through. "A lot of these guys came from other teams and didn't go through the process of becoming a champion," Jordan said. "I just accelerated the process."

Finally, in March 1998, Blair mustered up the courage to challenge Jordan once, and he wanted to fight Jordan one-on-one.Cole wouldn't try something like this. "Scott is stupid," Kerr laughs. "I'm not stupid."

Blair actually almost won. With a 7-point system, the two tied for 6 and Blair held the ball.At this time, Harper, who was watching the game from the sidelines, grabbed Blair for a walk and passed the ball to Jordan.Jordan quickly broke through and dunked to end the battle, 7-6.Blair refused to accept it, and sprayed trash talk at Jordan face to face, but Jordan ignored him and walked away swaggeringly.

A few days later, Blair challenged Jordan again, and this time Jordan won easily.Jordan walked away, but Blair yelled behind him: "Please, come back and let's finish the fight!" Jordan finally couldn't hold back, and turned around and said, "You want to fight, so when your child grows up, you can Tell them you beat Michael Jordan once. So what am I going to say to my kids? I beat Scott Blair? Well done! They're gonna beat me."

Under Jordan's destructive education, Blair gradually found the feeling, and understood where to catch the ball and where to shoot.There was a focus game against the Heat, and Blair made the right call by giving up a [-]-pointer to set up Jordan for a dunk.Jordan ran up to Blair, pointed at him, bumped his chest, and praised him: "This is my man! That's why I've been picking you up for the past five months." A Bulls insider saw, He said with emotion that Jordan is so incredible, "He will always teach you, teach you, teach you, challenge you, but all of this is rewarded. He makes you stronger, and then the team wins, everyone is happy ".

Jordan advocates the power of the spirit and believes in the power of the spirit.Someone in the Bulls said: "Michael felt that he could win with four poor little sisters. But the poor little sisters must be tough and confident."

At the beginning of the new season, the Bulls did not get off to a good start, losing to the young Celtics in Boston in the first game.Everything Jackson worried about before the season became a reality in the first 15 games of the season.Jordan was under tremendous defensive pressure every night and scored desperately every game, but the Bulls' winning percentage was still fluctuating around 50%.

On November 1997, 11, the Bulls arrived in Los Angeles to face the Clippers, one of the worst teams in the league. At that time, the Bulls' score was only 21 wins and 6 losses.Clippers head coach Bill Fitch (Bill Fitch) was Jackson's mentor in college, and his life was harder than Jackson's. The Clippers only won one game after playing the first 5 games.But this night, the Clippers looked like they were going to win. The Bulls played terribly, without the slightest demeanor of the defending champions. Even Jordan didn't start well, making only 11 of his first 1 shots.This is the fifth away game for the Bulls this season. They lost all the first four and have not won a ball outside the United Center in Chicago.At the beginning of the second quarter, the Clippers once led 14 to 3. The Bulls slowly relied on defense to stabilize their position, and then they came back bit by bit.By the end of the game, Jordan made 36 of 18 shots, which means that he made 38 of the next 18 shots.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Jordan scored the last 11 points of the Bulls, and the two sides drew 9+2 in regular time.With 39.5 seconds left in the first overtime, the Clippers still led 102 to 98, but Jordan quickly hit a mid-range baseline to catch up to 100 to 102.With 15.7 seconds left, Jordan was fouled, walked to the free throw line and missed the first free throw.Jackson yelled from the sidelines, asking Jordan to intentionally miss the second free throw. Jordan did so, grabbed an offensive rebound, and then made a breakthrough layup to tie the score at 10+2. The game entered the second overtime.

(End of this chapter)