NBA legend Scottie Pippen wrote in his book that general manager Jerry Krause wasn’t happy the Chicago Bulls won titles in 1996 and 1997.
“Even when the Bulls captured the NBA title in 1996 and 1997, Jerry wasn’t entirely pleased,” Pippen wrote. “Winning meant he couldn’t get rid of Phil. Jerry Reinsdorf wouldn’t let him.”
Krause didn’t have a good relationship with Pippen, Jackson or Michael Jordan.
“The relationship changed in 1995 when Michael came back from his hiatus,” Pippen wrote about Krause. “Phil was forced to make a choice: Do I side with Michael or do I side with Jerry? He couldn’t side with both. Michael despised Jerry and vice versa. Phil chose Michael. He trusted Michael. He didn’t trust Jerry. Phil tried to keep Kerry away from the team as much as he could, sometimes asking him to leave the locker room to talk to us privately. He saw the locker room as a sacred place for the players, coaches and trainers, who were part of the circle. Jerry responded like a jilted lover, pining for the day when Phil would no longer be around.”
Krause told Jackson that the 1997-98 NBA season would be his final campaign with the Bulls even if the team went 82-0 and won the championship.
Chicago went 62-20 in 1997-98. Jordan won his fifth MVP and 10th scoring title.
The Bulls beat the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers in the 1998 Eastern Conference playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals, where they faced the Utah Jazz for the second consecutive season.
Led by Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, Chicago defeated Utah in six games for its sixth title in eight years. Jordan won his sixth Finals MVP and retired from the NBA, Jackson retired and went back to Montana and Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets in a sign-and-trade deal.
As part of the sign-and-trade deal between the Bulls and Rockets, Pippen signed a five-year, $67.2 million contract.
“The payday I waited for my whole career had finally arrived,” Pippen wrote.
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 and made seven All-Star teams, seven All-NBA teams and 10 All-Defensive teams.
One of the best players in NBA history, Pippen finished his career with averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls, Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.
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