SUMMARY
- Jerry Krause decided to rebuild the Bulls following the 1997-98 season.
- Krause claimed that the NBA salary cap rules was a reason why he chose to rebuild.
Jerry Krause was viewed as a major antagonist in The Last Dance documentary series that depicted the Chicago Bulls’ journey through the 90s. While he did not cause the entire downfall, his work was what led to the team’s dismantling. As a result, he was booed during the 2024 Ring of Honour Ceremony that was conducted. While Krause, who passed away in 2017 wasn’t present, it left his family and wife upset.
After the former general manager of the team reasoned out why he decided to go into rebuild mode following the 1997 NBA Finals run. Jerry triggered Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson by making this decision. While Jordan didn’t like the idea of a rebuild, Krause still tried to meddle with Jackson and ultimately drove him away. The Bulls mastermind explained why this happened in an interview from many years ago.
Jerry Krause listed out a couple of reasons why he chose to opt in for a rebuild. One of them was the salary cap rules that Commissioner David Stern had implemented during that period. Krause claimed that it going to be hard to figure out a way to pay his superstars big money and bring back other players who ran the team besides them. It seemed like Krause blamed Stern while there was obvious tension between him and everybody else on the team.
Jerry Krause considered a Bulls rebuild due to an aging roster
While the salary cap was a big reason why Jerry Krause chose to try to rebuild, an aging roster was also a part of it. Krause claimed there was a board meeting that nobody else knew about that involved, Jerry Reinsdorf, Jim Stack, Al Vermeil and his medical team, Financial VP Irwin Mandel, and his assistant Karen Stack.
“Vermeil knew more about the condition of the players’ bodies than even the medical people. He had continually tested them in and out of season during the entire championship run. We had asked then-trainer Chip Schaefer to submit a written report on the team’s health,” he said. Krause first stated that they spoke about aging future free agents on the team, like Luc Longley.
Jerry Krause also brought up the fact that Scottie Pippen had gone through two surgeries not too long before 1998. He addressed the fact that Dennis Rodman’s life outside the basketball court for slowly becoming a hinderance, as it did by the end of the 1997-98 season. And lastly, he brought up Jordan who also would’ve missed a season due to a freak incident.
Krause claimed that Pippen went against the Bulls’ wishes for him to have surgery much before the next season. However, Scottie still went ahead and had his surgery done nearing the upcoming season. Krause claimed that these were factors that were considered before they re-signed anybody. Ultimately, it was the during 1998 NBA Finals that the world last witnessed the dynasty play.