NBA legend Scottie Pippen received a letter from Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause in September 1997, threatening to fine him if he played in his annual charity game.
Krause was trying to trade Pippen, so he didn’t want the superstar to play.
“Then, in September, I got a letter from Jerry Krause threatening, if I’m not mistaken, to fine me if I appeared in my upcoming annual charity game, the Scottie Pippen Ameritech All-Star Classic,” Pippen wrote in his book. “A charity game! The nerve of that guy. Ultimately, I didn’t play, although it wasn’t because I was afraid of Jerry and his attorneys. My left foot, which I had injured in the conference finals against the Heat, was still giving me a lot of trouble. In early October, I underwent surgery. The initial estimate was I would be out two to three months.
“The Bulls weren’t pleased. If I’d had the operation in July, I would have been ready for the start of preseason. Now I wouldn’t return until December, at the earliest. Some in the organization and media thought I delayed the surgery on purpose to get back at Jerry Krause. Add that lie to the countless others that were spread about me over the years. I took my time because I didn’t want to risk another operation and ruin a whole summer by hobbling around on crutches while there was a chance that if I got enough rest, I might be good to go by the time training camp rolled around.”
In November 1997, Pippen publicly demanded a trade from the Bulls, stating he wouldn’t come off the injured list until the team traded him.
The Bulls, however, didn’t trade Pippen in 1997-98. The swingman made his 1997-98 debut on January 10, 1998, against the Golden State Warriors at the United Center.
With Pippen, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman back on the court together, the Bulls were once again primed to win a championship despite all the turmoil behind the scenes.
The Bulls won 62 games in 1997-98 and beat the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals to capture their sixth title.
Chicago traded Pippen to the Houston Rockets in 1998 after Jordan retired. As part of the sign-and-trade deal, Pippen signed a five-year, $67.2 million contract, finally receiving the money he earned.
The Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals, the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals and the Jazz in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals.
A Hall of Famer, Pippen had two stints with the Bulls. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks.
Pippen made seven All-Star teams, 10 All-Defensive teams and seven All-NBA teams as a member of the Bulls. He’s one of the top two-way players in basketball history.
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