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Continued from previous page
Posted: Wed June 17, 1998
After Game 3 of the Finals he seemed more open to the
possibility of returning than he has been all season. "If I'm
offered the right thing, maybe I would consider coming back if
the guys are here and they're looking forward to winning another
championship," he said. But he quickly amended that two days
later, when he talked about locking his Bulls uniform away in a
trunk. "My options are still the same," he said last Thursday.
"I want the opportunity to go out and open all the doors to the
free-agent market. I don't have any intentions of coming back
next season."
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After taking a pounding from Malone and other
Jazz players, Pippen had an aching back—but wouldn't quit.
(John W. McDonough)
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Where does Pippen really stand? A multiyear contract offer from
the Bulls would probably keep him in Chicago. Despite his
animosity toward the front office, Pippen seems to want to stay
with the team, which is understandable. "When you've given your
blood, sweat and tears to a franchise, it can't be easy to
leave," says Chicago guard Steve Kerr. Pippen has done that, and
Game 6 was a case in point. Suffering from a sore lower back as
a result of taking charges in Game 3, Pippen received a
cortisone shot last Saturday but still found himself in extreme
pain during the first half on Sunday night. A dunk early in the
game aggravated his injury, leading to spasms in his back and
right leg, and after wincing each time he went up and down the
court for seven minutes, he was forced to go to the locker room
for treatment.
Pippen was in such pain that he couldn't lift his leg onto the
training table in the locker room, and several members of the
Bulls medical staff worked on him furiously during halftime,
including massage therapist Brigitta Kintala, who pounded on his
lower back until he felt well enough to start the second half.
"We knew Scottie was hurting, and just his presence gave us a
lift, offensively, defensively and emotionally," Jordan said.
Pippen wants to continue playing next to Jordan, and would
probably say so more definitively if he weren't worried about
weakening his bargaining position. His agent Jimmy Sexton says
Pippen would not return without at least a three-year deal, but
that merely may be a place to begin negotiations. A two-year
contract for an average of roughly $10 million per year might
very well be enough to convince Pippen (who this season earned a
relatively paltry $2.8 million) to re-sign.
Jackson's situation is more complicated. A source close to him
describes the Chicago coach as "a physical and emotional wreck,"
and says there is no chance that he will return for another
season. Jackson has hip problems that will eventually require
surgery, and his nine seasons as coach have been a drain on him
and his family. He is more likely to take a year off than he is
to return to the Bulls or to coach another team, though the
Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle
SuperSonics will surely take a run at him. "I know what I feel
like right now," he said the day before Game 5. "I feel I'd like
to get away from the game for a while and step back and enjoy
reflecting on this."
Not knowing whether they would dance again, Jackson
(who's probably leaving) and Jordan (who could be staying)
savored the moment.
(Walter Iooss Jr.)
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Jordan, meanwhile, has distanced himself from his early-season
declaration that he wouldn't play for any coach but Jackson. It
now appears that if Pippen returns, Jordan will, too, regardless
of Jackson's decision. Jackson's family and friends will no
doubt urge him to stick to his plan not to return to Chicago.
They will try to convince him that he doesn't need another year
of strained relations with Krause or of bizarre behavior by
Rodman. But if Pippen and Jordan commit to returning, Jackson
will surely be tempted to do the same.
Ironically, Rodman's chances of coming back to the Bulls may be
more closely tied to Jackson's than Jordan's are. Some members
of the Chicago organization feel it would be a major risk to
bring the Wrestlemaniac back under any coach other than Jackson,
who seems to have found the perfect bemused approach to dealing
with Rodman's antics. When Rodman skipped practice on June 8 and
appeared at a pro wrestling event at the Palace of Auburn Hills,
Mich., that night, Jackson barely batted an eyelash. Two nights
later at the United Center, Rodman contributed four crucial free
throws and outstanding defense against Malone that propelled the
Bulls to an 86-82 victory that gave them a 3-1 series lead.
Then came a slight stumble as Chicago, victimized by Malone's
heroic 39-point performance, dropped Game 5 at home 83-81. Two
nights later Jordan carried the Bulls to the title in Game 6.
Make no mistake, Jordan won the championship for Chicago. He had
very little help on Sunday—Kukoc, who scored 15 points, was the
only other Bull in double figures—and had he been even a touch
less brilliant, Chicago would have faced the frightening
prospect of a seventh game on Utah's home floor, with Pippen
still at less than full effectiveness. Jordan rescued the Bulls,
and now he asks only one thing: that enough of the team be kept
intact for him to keep playing with a reasonable chance to
successfully defend the title.
He may well get his wish. Despite Sunday night's nostalgic mood,
there is still a strong possibility that these Bulls have a
future together. As they celebrated on the bus after the game,
with Jordan and Pippen sitting side by side, laughing and
smoking stogies, it didn't feel as if the last dance was over.
If you listened closely, you could still hear music playing.
Issue date: June 22, 1998
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NBA Finals
