Don’t Bet On These Bulls Breaking Up Despite All The Public Posturing, Jordan & Co. Could Carry On
Phil Jackson is a lame-duck coach. Michael Jordan is threatening to retire if Jackson leaves. Scottie Pippen, sidelined until January after undergoing foot surgery, says he’s good as gone at season’s end.
Dennis Rodman didn’t announce until Thursday that he’ll return for one final season-long preen in his black-and-red, official-Bulls-logo lingerie. Toni Kukoc is woefully out of shape after months of resting his aching foot. Luc Longley and Ron Harper have chronic knee problems.
After several years of teetering on the brink of breakup, this really could be the grand finale for the reigning sports dynasty and probably the foremost in professional sports since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s.
“I think it’s the right time for this organization,” Jackson said. “They want to do some things differently. Maybe they’re tired of watching the sideline triangle. It’s time to move on.”
Age and attrition. Disinterest and distractions. Injury and uncertainty.
Any or all could conspire to deny the Bulls their sixth NBA championship in eight years.
“As long as we’re winning, it’s no problem,” backup guard Steve Kerr said. “As soon as we start losing, if we get off to a bad start, then it becomes a problem. That’s what losing does. It creates a lot of controversy, fans get upset, players are not happy, coaches aren’t happy.
“Winning solves everything. (Former NBA player) Doc Rivers called it the great deodorant because it covers up all the stink. And he’s right.”
The season hasn’t even started, however, and already there’s stink in the air.
Jordan is upset that owner Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Jerry Krause seemingly can’t wait to rebuild. They dangled Pippen as trade bait, declared it to be Jackson’s final season and took their time signing Jordan and Rodman.
“It’s a bad way to end an unbelievable run,” Jordan said. “You would want it to be better down the stretch when the curtains are finally closing.”
Of course, all this talk of closing curtains might be premature.
Yes, Jordan insists he’ll leave if Jackson does. But didn’t he say he wouldn’t return to basketball after retiring in 1993? Didn’t he say when he returned less than two years later that he’d never again wear No. 23?
Jackson, who alternately talks about retiring to Montana, chairing Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign and coaching elsewhere, said he will encourage Jordan to keep playing.
Jordan might be sincere now, but would he really turn down $40 million for next season if he is still the league’s best player, if the Bulls hire a coach he likes and if he has Jackson’s blessing?
And isn’t it feasible that Pippen could change his mind, too? After all, the Bulls will be able to pay him far more than any other franchise.
“The reality is, there’s no better free agent to get than Scottie,” Jackson said. “They’re going to look at Scottie and determine, ‘Gee, this is still a great player and he can help us attract better players, younger players and help us rebuild this franchise the quickest.”’
Rodman? Though no one knows what’s going on in that tutti-frutti head of his, even the 36-year-old Worm could return one more time.
The last two years, the Bulls have used exceptional starts as launching pads for the best regular seasons in NBA history - 72-10 and 69-13. Each year, they wrapped up homecourt advantage early, rested in April, and rolled through the playoffs.
With Pippen out, with Rodman and Kukoc trying to play themselves into shape and with Jackson determined not to burn out Jordan, a much slower start seems likely this time.
“I just hope we can hang in there long enough to make a run at homecourt advantage in the second half of the season,” Jackson said. “When Scottie comes back, he’ll be healthy and fresh. We should be ready to take off.”
Pippen’s injury is minor compared with the distractions the Bulls endured during their two most recent championship seasons.
“I don’t call this drama. Just the usual Bulls things before a season,” Kukoc said. “I’m used to this - guys leaving, guys coming back, guys retiring, guys unretiring.”
Jackson, ever the Zenmaster, is trying everything to keep up the karma.
He has his players doing yoga after practice “to find inner peace and to come to terms with their bodies.”
“It really does have a psychological, spiritual, holistic approach to improving areas of weakness,” he said. “The wonderful thing about these guys over the years is they’ve done what I think is important. They’ve kept open minds.”
Open minds. And limitless confidence.
If the rest of the league is finally catching up, the Bulls don’t know it.
“A lot of people expect us to be in the middle of the pack,” Rodman said. “But we don’t care. We know we’re still the best.” xxxx DISTRACTIONS The Bulls have put up with plenty during their last two championship seasons: Dennis Rodman, the cross-dressing, foul-mouthed rebounding machine, lost 20 games to four suspensions. Scottie Pippen lashed out at owner Jerry Krause. Tony Kukoc limped through weeks of poor play. Michael Jordan and Rodman worked on their endorsements and acting careers. There were the uncertain futures of coach Phil Jackson, Jordan, Pippen and Rodman.