My case for the 1999 Chicago Bulls

[TheStig]

Kush77 wrote:

TheStig wrote:

Only in Chicago can an employee demand his boss's job, the guy who picked him out of oblivion and gave him a shot to coach, come back and pull a stunt like that and come out as the hero. All bow to the zen master.

And the line in the sand, a bench big that got massively overpaid the following year. At least complain about someone worthwhile like Bison Dele.

Not all employees win 6 titles and have the support of the greatest player off all-time.

The Bulls were a unique case. But no one seems to want to acknowledge that.

People want to act as if this team (with the greatest player ever, greatest team ever, one of the best coaches ever) was just some regular run of the mill team. just like the 94 and 95 Rockets I suppose. Just like the Spurs teams I guess.

If the best player of all time wants to play for Phil, you make it happen.

What happened when Magic Johnson no longer wanted to play for Paul Westhead? They fired him.

but JR was loyal to Krause and his master plan. a plan that failed miserably.

I would take a 1999 title over the last 12 seasons.

Don't you see Kush, Jackson's teams always have personal problems. There is always some sort of conflict. Phil fosters that kinda attitude. None of the other championship teams in the last 20 yrs have had open conflict like his teams do. Jackson feeds off the mind games and ruckus.

Kush, I think you underate what Krause did for the franchise. Yes he was given the goat but he put together the rest of the team. Its not so easy. Look at what Bron's going through.

 

[Shakes]

Going to get novel length if we do the quote reply quote thing, so I'll try to be brief ...

I'm not saying Kerr was an unknown, or anything like that. Just saying that you have to put all the pieces together to win a championship, and there's always half a dozen or so teams who if they had the right role players they'd be a contender but they don't so they aren't. I give Krause credit for getting the right role players, because I think people write off that too much. Getting the star is mostly luck, getting the role players is where the GMs shine or don't.

Can I use that excuse for Michael Jordan? If he drafted Gasol instead of Kwame Brown would MJ be viewed in a different light?

I agree the draft pick was bad, I'm saying the trade was a good one. I'm saying that criticize him for drafting Chandler, fair enough, but the trade was for the #2 pick, not for Chandler.

But he didn't get two stars.

That we didn't end up getting two stars is hardly the point. I think we were in the situation New York is currently in: you're probably going to bomb out, but what better idea was there? It's easy to complain that we got nobody in free agency, what would you have done after the dynasty was broken up (whether in 98 or 99 or whenever, it had to eventually happen)? There's no easy way to build a winning team, you need luck to get the stars first.

If Scottie Pippen supposedly fell off a cliff in 1999, I sure as hell hope I can fall of a cliff in a similar fashion.

Relative to what he had been, yes he fell of a cliff. He's a guy who played a lesser role in the offense, yet didn't improve his shooting percentages and turned it over more. That trend continued in Portland, which is why I don't think you can just blame it on the Rockets being a bad fit. He was still a pretty good player, but from 99 onwards he wasn't a star player anymore.

The Bulls win the championship in 1999. But the ego of JR's little minion got in the way. and JR was loyal to him, to a fault.

I say they have a shot, but you make it sound like it's automatic. Don't forget the Spurs were really good, their record doesn't show it because they started 6-9, but they went 46-6 the rest of the way including the playoffs. I'm not even sure the 98 Bulls could have beaten the 99 Spurs.

In any case Krause was closer to the team than any of us, he was probably in a better position to judge whether the team had another title in them. He must have been pretty doubtful, I don't care how many grudges he held, as you say he had a big ego, and surely he'd have loved to be the mastermind GM who convinced everyone to come back and win one more.

 

[houheffna]

Sitting near center court in an arena built in large part to accommodate his enormous popularity, Jordan spoke quietly, keeping his emotions steadfastly in check. Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and gold tie, with his wife Juanita at his side, he flashed his trademark smile only a couple of times but never seemed on the verge of tears, either.

"Physically, I feel great," he said. "But I have to make a judgment in terms of the desire, and I can't honestly say that's going to be there every time I step into this building. And I've always been sure about that. I don't want to fool myself going into a situation knowing that I'm not 100 percent challenged mentally. ... This is a perfect time for me to walk away from the game. I'm at peace with that."

Jordan retired one other time, in October 1993, when he took a 16-month leave to pursue a career in baseball and to recover from the murder of his father.

This time, he departs under far different circumstances. He's a few weeks from celebrating his 36th birthday and since his last retirement has led the Bulls to three more championships, including last summer's defeat of the Utah Jazz.

Jordan said he essentially reached his decision after last season and informed Reinsdorf at the time. He said Reinsdorf urged him to reconsider, but Jordan said he never came close to playing again.

He brushed off suggestions that Coach Phil Jackson's retirement or his frequent feuds with Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause played a role in his departure. In the end, the grind of another season did not appeal to him.

Jordan would not have been ready for the start of this delayed season even if he had wanted to play. He'll undergo surgery next week to repair a tendon in his right index finger that Jordan said he severed while using a cigar cutter during a vacation in the Bahamas.

"My decision was reached long before this happened," he said. "The doctors said I couldn't play for about two months. ... I just hope it doesn't hurt my golf game."

 

[houheffna]

I don't know if you guys have heard that question. I can restate it. The question was, although the differences between management and myself apparently was not the same, and did that have any impact on my decision. Plus, if Phil Jackson had been the coach, would I have played on.

That's a big 'if.' I retired the first time when Phil Jackson was the coach. I think that even with Phil the coach, I would have had a tough time mentally finding the challenge for myself, although he could somehow present challenges for me. I don't know if he could have presented a challenge for me to continue on with this season -- even though midway in the season I wanted to continue to play a couple more years. But at the end of the season, I was mentally, mentally drained and tired. So I can't really say that he would have restored that.

In terms of my disagreements with management about some of the decision-making, that's always been my opinions. It hasn't been ultimatums or twisting the arms. The good thing about all of this, the good thing about any team, you may have disagreements but that doesn't mean the focus is not there in terms of trying to achieve what you're trying to achieve. Management may take a different approach in terms of rebuilding or whatever. And that's their prerogative. I would never, never say that that's wrong. That's their prerogative to make that statement or make that notion to do that. And I'd support them even though I'm not playing. But the matter of difference of opinion I don't think would have changed my mind in terms of my retirement at this stage of going into next year.

None. Phil and I, we talked all season long about what the possibilities may be at the end of the season. Once he made his decision, he didn't want his decision to influence mine. And I said it wouldn't. And I didn't want my decision to influence you. Sure I'm saying that I would rather play for Phil Jackson if he's here, but that's just my opinion. That doesn't tell me -- that shouldn't have you make the best decision suited for Phil Jackson because that, first and foremost to me is to make sure you're happy. And he didn't have any influence in terms of -- he didn't know, I haven't even talked to Phil since somewhere midway in the summer. And if the season would have started in October, I'm pretty sure I would have made the same decision. I don't think that changed by doing it now.

 

[Kush77]

Well this is something we'll never agree on.

Krause, and Reinsdorf's loyalty to him, caused the friction in that franchise. We can both fin quotes that fight each other all day long. Neither will change our minds. I know what Jordan said prior, and during the 1997/98 season, he wasn't just saying it for his health.

If the relationships were better, like most teams that win multiple titles, they could have been together for another year.

As for the 1999 Bulls vs. the 1999 Spurs, I'll take the Bulls.

Duncan and Robinson would be a problem, but the Bulls win every other matchup. Throw Kukoc in the mix at the 4, as he could pull on of the Towers always from the basket, that would leave Rodman to battle with the other down low.

I would take the Bulls in 6, like every other title they won, except for LA.

as for Stig and his Phil comments.

Hey, Phil couldn't have been that bad if the Lakers brought him back.

But the difference between Phil and any other Joe Blow is that Phil won.

When it comes to Phil and MJ, these aren't guys like Latrell Sprewell, bitching about a new contract when you haven't won a damn thing. This is the best player and coach in the league, that have delivered results.

I've enjoyed this discussion.

 

[houheffna]

I think Jordan's point was, "I put up with Krause all this time, he is not why I am retiring now...."

The reason he was retiring had to do with the grind of the season. Those playoffs took a major toll on him. He struggled at times to meet his own expectations and knew he was aging. He wanted to go out on top....

People on here saying Krause should have been fired after 1998 have to realize that in Reinsdorf's eyes, Krause delivered. Krause was responsible for 6 rings as the GM. He was just as responsible for the success as he was the failures. Its not hard to understand JR's point. All it takes is a little objective thinking. I never said one side was right and one side was wrong. I said all were culpable. Being the greatest player does not mean you can bully everyone and they just take it.

The Bulls culture doesn't allow stars to make those decisions. Krause said that even if Jordan objected to the Rodman trade, he would have made that trade anyway. It is what it is...it worked long enough to create a dynasty...

 

[Shakes]

Kush77 wrote:

Krause, and Reinsdorf's loyalty to him, caused the friction in that franchise.

But what is the alternative? Fire the guy who had built the most successful team since the 60's era Celtics? What does that say about the Bulls and loyalty?

Ultimately it comes down to how much you believe that these guys were incapable of working together. I mean they might not like each other, fine, but I think anyone who has worked in a company of more than a few people will have worked with people they don't like. Most people manage to get the job done anyway.

I think we over analyse what is said, I'm sure I've told people things that if you wrote them down in a book, would look as bad as telling Phil that he's gone even if they go 82-0. Sounds to me a lot like the kind of things that you might say during an argument when you go a bit over the top with the rhetoric.

 

[houheffna]

I think we over analyse what is said, I'm sure I've told people things that if you wrote them down in a book, would look as bad as telling Phil that he's gone even if they go 82-0. Sounds to me a lot like the kind of things that you might say during an argument when you go a bit over the top with the rhetoric.

I agree...Krause got fired, when he should have...AFTER he failed as a GM.

 

[Fred]

TheStig wrote:

I'm thought Wolfe was who MJ wanted, not Krause.

I checked with Sam Smith, because I recalled a story of Collins begging Krause to take Grant. As usual, I was absolutely right. Sam confirmed this with an email to me today:

"the jordan rules had the true story
jordan wasn't involved
krause wanted wolf
collins bach and jackson wanted grant
they went to reinsdorf and said they wanted grant
reinsdorf told krause to pick who he wanted but know he is the only one who wants wolf
there is no other side"

So apparently this was in "The Jordan Rules". What's so utterly shocking is that Krause has tried to rewrite history and pass it off that Jordan wanted Wolf, when according to Sam, Jordan absolutely did not. If it wasn't for Collins insistence on Horace, the jack-ass would have taken Joe Wolf. How many years would that pick have put us back?

I believe that Reinsdorf convinced Krause to pick Grant because Krause went against the entire staff in the previous year with the pick of Sellers over Dawkins. Dawkins averaged double figures in an 11-year NBA career. Sellers was out of the NBA by 1993.

 

[TheStig]

Fred wrote:

TheStig wrote:

I'm thought Wolfe was who MJ wanted, not Krause.

I checked with Sam Smith, because I recalled a story of Collins begging Krause to take Grant. As usual, I was absolutely right. Sam confirmed this with an email to me today:

"the jordan rules had the true story
jordan wasn't involved
krause wanted wolf
collins bach and jackson wanted grant
they went to reinsdorf and said they wanted grant
reinsdorf told krause to pick who he wanted but know he is the only one who wants wolf
there is no other side"

So apparently this was in "The Jordan Rules". What's so utterly shocking is that Krause has tried to rewrite history and pass it off that Jordan wanted Wolf, when according to Sam, Jordan absolutely did not. If it wasn't for Collins insistence on Horace, the jack-ass would have taken Joe Wolf. How many years would that pick have put us back?

I believe that Reinsdorf convinced Krause to pick Grant because Krause went against the entire staff in the previous year with the pick of Sellers over Dawkins. Dawkins averaged double figures in an 11-year NBA career. Sellers was out of the NBA by 1993.

Was this before or after that idiot tried to trade pippen for draft picks and some random player? Your never going to convince me with a Sam Smith article unless he has a direct quote. KC Johnson is a bit more believable but I don't read much into the inferences or "inside" company leaks they publish. To me its national media or nothing when it comes to getting some inside into the team. I think our beat writers are a disgrace, one is a mouth piece for the team and the other sits on stories. In the end, it doesn't really matter since we drafted Grant. BTW this from the guy who calls Pargo an underrated defender.

 

[houheffna]

As far as credit goes, the buck stops with Krause. He makes the final decisions. If he had drafted Wolf, people would have blamed him for it. "Jordan liked him..." would not have been an valid excuse.

 

[Kush77]

Hey, I give credit to Krause. I never said he was a bad GM.

He had god-awful people/communication skills though. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

Anyway, he drafted Pippen and Grant. We can get into the Grant crap but bottom line is he chose him. We can have that argument both ways. If we rip him for not drafting someone, we can't rip him FOR drafting someone because he was leaning another way.

If Krause wanted Wolfe he would have took Wolfe.

I think we all know, after this debate, that no one tells Krause what to do when it came to drafts.

Overall Jerry was a solid GM.

But how come, after he left the Bulls, he never got another job? I know he went to baseball. I don't know, I'm just asking.

 

[houheffna]

After the Jordan years, he was ineffective. Elton Brand wasn't a transcendant superstar, his free agency plan didn't work...the players he got in FA were horrible...he was bad. Plain and simple...and he deserved to be fired.

But again, I don't blame Krause for standing up to Jordan, I do think he was childish with Jackson. But he deserves credit for giving Jackson his only...ONLY shot. Going so far as to fire a coach partially because that coach didn't want Jackson on his staff. That might be his greatest achievement. Phil Jackson. But those six rings seperate him from the bad general managers in league history.

 

[Diddy1122]

Kush77 wrote:

Overall Jerry was a solid GM.

But how come, after he left the Bulls, he never got another job? I know he went to baseball. I don't know, I'm just asking.

I can agree that he was average. He did find some nice players in Pip, Grant, & Kukoc, signed Pax, traded Oak for Cartwright, made Jackson head coach (which I'm sure would've happened at some point on some team, it's not like Jackson was some obscure coach that would've toiled away if not for the mighty Krause giving him a chance) & he took a chance on Rodman when few teams were.

But his drafting was laughably bad other than 87 & 90, & he never fully backed the GOAT or the greatest coach of all time after they had become mega stars & he was pushed to the background. If Krause was not gifted a team with MJ on it already, I doubt he could've built even a consistant playoff contender, which he proved after destroying the dynasty teams. The constant tension between MJ, Phil, & JK is what broke that team up.

Could we have won in 1999? I think it's very possible but there was just no way that was ever going to happen. All the bridges had been burned long before that & there's nothing that either side could do to bridge the gap.

I've never liked Krause & never will. I have no patience for smug, little assholes like him. Sure MJ may be an asshole but atleast he backs it up by being the GOAT.

 

[houheffna]

I can agree that he was average. He did find some nice players in Pip, Grant, & Kukoc, signed Pax, traded Oak for Cartwright, made Jackson head coach (which I'm sure would've happened at some point on some team, it's not like Jackson was some obscure coach that would've toiled away if not for the mighty Krause giving him a chance) & he took a chance on Rodman when few teams were.

That is like saying if Berry Gordy didn't hire Smokey Robinson, another record label would have discovered him eventually...that is not important at all. What is important is that Gordy hired his friend, recognizing his talents, and built a record label around him...the rest is history. Gordy hired the right guy, maybe the greatest, and most important songwriter in American music history. No Smokey, no Motown Records.

That is a woefully inaccurate account of Jackson's status in the NBA. Krause (showing LOYALTY to a friend) pushed Jackson on Albeck, Albeck said no, emphatically. Albeck was fired. Jackosn was put on Collins staff AGAINST Collins wishes. During this time, Tex Winter started to notice Jackson's abilities. Krause's plan all along was that Phil eventually would coach and Tex Winter would tutor him while teaching the triangle offense to the players. Jackson was seen as an out of touch hippie with no future in the league, to quirky and wierd for most standards. Krause not only provided a way for Jackson, he forced Jackson on people to assure Jackson an opportunity. And Krause was criticized severly by many for hirning Jackson to lead a team on the rise because Jackson had not yet shaken many of the negatives against him.

Krause's contributions to the team were manifold. Jackson, the Triangle offense (He was equally enamored with Winter) were all in Krause's mind from the beginning. He envisioned these elements as part of a winning franchise in Chicago. He should be given credit for his achievements. To dislodge those achievements from his resume unnecesarily is not right. He deserves credit, not sought out discreditation he gets on this forum regularly. And yes, Jordan was wrong in his assessments of Krause's talents also. Of course, we have learned that Jordan can be wrong in his assessments of a lot of people, especially players. Yet people still argue that he deserved what wasn't his to begin with, hand him a piece of the Bulls franchise...give me a break.

Anbody hear about the firing of Bach and the true story behind it? I posted on here sometime ago. Jackson is not innocent in that breakup mess...he also could be a tyrant and he had an agenda like others in that organization.

Longtime Jackson observers recognize the agenda he is setting. Indeed, we have all been here before, including:

• In 1998, when Jackson was coach of the Chicago Bulls, he engaged in a similar campaign with Bulls GM Jerry Krause, even as Jackson was driving the club to its sixth NBA title.

• In 2000, he conducted a smaller, more focused effort in dislodging then Lakers executive Jerry West from the franchise.

• In 2004, Jackson failed in a similar effort to get rid of star Kobe Bryant and was in fact fired by Jim and Jerry Buss.

Jackson, of course, was rehired by the team in 2005, and this time around he appears to have a much stronger relationship with Bryant.

Will Jackson be successful in reducing the role of Jim Buss and securing power for Jeanie and himself?

Lakers fans better hope the Buss family is smart enough not to escalate an internal power struggle for the team. That could quickly become a zero sum game.

As Krause, West and a long line of basketball experts have discovered, Jackson is central to the success of his teams, regardless of what conventional thinking suggests.

If Jim and Jerry Buss want my advice – and I’m pretty sure they don’t – they can save themselves a lot of grief and messy embarrassment if they’ll just sit back and chill, and let Phil and Jeanie take over.

Otherwise, it looks like Phil’s about to unleash another storm on the basketball world. Jerry and Jim Buss don’t want that. If they don’t believe me, they can just ask Jerry Krause.

Roland Lazenby

 

[Kush77]

houheffna wrote:

Krause's contributions to the team were manifold. Jackson, the Triangle offense (He was equally enamored with Winter) were all in Krause's mind from the beginning. He envisioned these elements as part of a winning franchise in Chicago. He should be given credit for his achievements. To dislodge those achievements from his resume unnecesarily is not right. He deserves credit, not sought out discreditation he gets on this forum regularly.

Yes. You've said nothing wrong in that statement.

But, he ruined it all with his ego. He ruined it all with his inability to deal with people, media etc..

We talked about all the good things Jerry Krause did. Yet no job in the NBA?

Now Hou I know you pointed out hi post-dynasty failure as a reason for that. But doesn't 6 titles trump a few bad years? Sure it would. But the post-dynasty rebulid failure isn't the reason he hasn't gotten another NBA job. Drafting Brand and Artest was very good. Curry was the right pick at the time. The 2000 draft sucked hard. so I rip no one for picks made in that pile of dung draft. But Krause's big mistake was picking Fizer, when you already had Brand, and expecting Fizer to be a SF? then trading Brand for Chandler was a big mistake. And so was Tim Floyd.

It's his terrible people skills. Cases #1 and 2 is his the pettiness he engaged in with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. Which goes back to why I blame JR because he allowed Krause to be an egomaniac.

I was searching through articles and found this interesting nugget.
Here for a year - Jackson , Bulls won't commit any further
Chicago Sun-Times - , June 21, 1996
Author: JOHN JACKSON

There was speculation that Iowa State coach Tim Floyd would be added to the coaching staff as an assistant coach, but Krause said there aren't any plans to add to the staff despite the departure of Jim Cleamons to Dallas.

Krause was already trying to groom Jackson's replacement after Phil and the Bulls just had the best season in NBA history. I just fnd that hilarious.

Now I know what you will say Hou -Jackson was being groomed for Collins etc.. The difference is that Collins didn't have 4 titles on his resume like Jackson. Jackson deserved more respect than that. That's just an example of Krause's poor people skills.

Krause did some good things, but he also managed to alienate himself from the NBA. Despite being a GM with 6 titles on his resume.

That's an accomplishment. Anyone else in NBA history (coach or GM) with multiple, or even 1 title, ever not get a second chance anywhere?

 

[Diddy1122]

It's not woefully inaccurate. Jackson would've gotten a chance. He's a great coach. He was coaching winning teams in the CBA & Puerto Rico. Most NBA execs didn't like his Zen lifestyle. And like I said I give Krause credit for taking the chance but people often make it out like Krause discovered Phil. He didn't. NBA execs were well aware of him & his talent they just didn't give him the opportunity. Krause did & that was a great move.

I also like how you point out that Krause was pushing Jackson on other coaches due to loyalty. Well that loyalty caused him to do the same damn thing with Pretty boy Floyd & Jackson (his "friend") said "HELL NO!" This prompted Krause saying "I don't care if he goes 82-0, he's gone." Krause had been trying for years to get that hack Floyd on Jackson's squad similar to what he did with Jackson back in the day. The difference being Jackson is a great coach & Floyd is well Floyd.

And I give Krause some credit but the simple fact is the guy is not this great GM that people make him out to be. I guess I could agree with he was solid, like Kush said. But he's not in the class of say Auerbach, RC Buford, or Jerry West.

 

[Fred]

Diddy1122 wrote:

I can agree that he was average. He did find some nice players in Pip, Grant, & Kukoc, signed Pax, traded Oak for Cartwright, made Jackson head coach (which I'm sure would've happened at some point on some team, it's not like Jackson was some obscure coach that would've toiled away if not for the mighty Krause giving him a chance) & he took a chance on Rodman when few teams were.

Out of all the points people use to back up Krause, this one drives me the most crazy.

In the 1993–94 NBA season, Rodman joined a Spurs team which was built around perennial All-Star center David Robinson, with a supporting cast of forwards Dale Ellis, Willie Anderson and guard Vinnie Del Negro.[18] On the hardwood, Rodman now was played as a power forward and won his third straight rebounding title, averaging 17.3 boards per game along with a career-low 4.7 points, but yet another All-Defensive Team call-up.[9] Living up to his promise of killing the "shy imposter" and "being himself" instead, Rodman began to show first signs of bizarre behaviour: before the first game, he shaved his hair and dyed it blonde, which was followed up stints with red, purple, blue hair and a look inspired from the film Demolition Man.[8] During the season, he headbutted Stacey King and John Stockton, refused to leave the hardwood once after being ejected, and had a highly-publicized two month affair with Madonna.[2][19] The only player to whom Rodman related was reserve center Jack Haley, who won his trust by not being shocked after a visit to a *** bar. However, despite a 55-win season, Rodman and the Spurs did not survive the First Round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs and bowed out against the Utah Jazz in four games.

In the following 1994–95 NBA season, Rodman clashed with the Spurs front office. He was suspended for the first three games, took a leave of absence on November 11, and was suspended again on December 7. He finally returned on December 10 after missing 19 games.After joining the team, he suffered a shoulder separation in a motorcycle accident, limiting his season to 49 games. Normally, he would not have qualified for any season records for missing so many games, but by grabbing 823 rebounds, he just surpassed the 800-rebound limit for listing players and won his fourth straight rebounding title by averaging 16.8 boards per game and made the All-NBA Team. In the 1995 NBA Playoffs, the 62-win Spurs with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Award winner Robinson entered the Western Conference Finals and were considered favorites against the reigning champions Houston Rockets who had only won 47 games. It was thought that Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon would have a hard time asserting himself versus Robinson and Rodman, who had both been voted into the NBA All-Defensive Teams. However, neither Robinson nor Rodman, who had disrupted a playoff game against the Lakers by sitting down on the court,could stop Olajuwon, who averaged 35.3 points against the elite defensive Spurs frontcourt, and helped eliminate the Spurs in six games.

Rodman admitted his frequent transgressions, but asserted that he lived his own life and thus a more honest life than most other people: "I just took the chance to be my own man... I just said: 'If you don't like it, kiss my ass.' ...Most people around the country, or around the world, are basically working people who want to be free, who want to be themselves. They look at me and see someone trying to do that... I'm the guy who's showing people, hey, it's all right to be different. And I think they feel: 'Let's go and see this guy entertain us.'"[5] - wikipedia[/i]

Dennis Rodman destroyed a very good Spurs team with his antics. He absolutely did not perform for them, because he didn't respect David Robinson. Jordan was probably the only guy in the league who Rodman would respect, because he was the greatest ever, and he DEMANDED it. Trading a bum like Will Perdue for one of the greatest rebounders of all-time was a no-brainer. It only worked because of Michael Jordan, and to a lesser extent Phil. Jerry Krause made a no-brainer trade. The imposing presence of Jordan kept Rodman from destroying the Bulls like he destroyed ever other team he played for after the Pistons.

(Ron Artest's) relationship with Kobe has become a mirror image of Jordan/Rodman in the mid-'90s: He's so deferential to Kobe, and so desperate to please him, that it's endearing and even a little comical.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100602&sportCat=nba

 

[Kush77]

I agree with Fred. I tend not to give Krause tons of credit for the Rodman trade.

First off Rodman was plan B because they couldn't sign Jayson Williams.

But then they gave up Will Purdue for him. And Rodman was in the last year of his contract. So there was really no risk. It was a no-brainer.

And I guess Krause had asked the option of Jordan and Pippen on that trade accoring to his clip in this video at 3:34. So I guess he cared about Jordan's opinion in the case of Rodman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5dQ...155306AA7&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

 

[Diddy1122]

Kush77 wrote:

I agree with Fred. I tend not to give Krause tons of credit for the Rodman trade.

First off Rodman was plan B because they couldn't sign Jayson Williams.

But then they gave up Will Purdue for him. And Rodman was in the last year of his contract. So there was really no risk. It was a no-brainer.

And I guess Krause had asked the option of Jordan and Pippen on that trade accoring to his clip in this video at 3:34. So I guess he cared about Jordan's opinion in the case of Rodman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5dQ...155306AA7&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

Guys I'm not saying it wasn't a no brainer but there was definitely risk involved which is why I give Krause some credit for taking a chance on that crackhead. You even said it Fred, he destroyed that Spurs team. Who's to say it was going to work in our favor? Not alot of people were when we got him.

But thankfully MJ is the greatest & Phil is the Zen master & they basically only asked him to trust & respect them on the bball court & let him be himself anywhere else. We were the only team that could take the chance on him & we did. Thankfully it worked out but if it didn't it very well could've caused some serious damage to our 2nd 3-peat run.