SUMMARY
- After the Bulls won their fifth title during the 1996-97 season, there were discussions a possible rebuild around Michael Jordan.
- Michael Jordan was completely against the idea and challenged the front office that they would win a sixth title.
We all remember how dominant Michael Jordan was during the 90s. The Chicago Bulls became the team to beat and a group that remained undefeated in the NBA Finals while Jordan was on the roster. Their entire run toward the end of the dynasty was documented and it resulted in “The Last Dance”. This documentary series showcased the Bulls’ journey through the 1997-98 season. While MJ received a bit of criticism for the documentary, there was one part of the pilot episode that showed he loved his teammates.
After the Bulls won their fifth title during the 1996-97 season, there were discussions regarding the board contemplating a potential rebuild solely around Mike. However, the 5x NBA Most Valuable Player was completely against the idea. He did not want the Bulls organization to make roster changes as that team won five titles, two of them in 1996 and 1997. To him, changing the roster all meant something deeper.
During the press conference after the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan said, “We are entitled to defend what we have until we lose it. If we lose it, then you look at it and say, ‘Okay, let’s change. Let’s just go through a rebuilding.’ No one’s guaranteeing rebuilding is gonna be two or three, four, five years… If you want to look at this from a business thing, have a sense of respect for the people who have laid the groundwork. So, that you could be a profitable organization.”
These quotes were taken from episode one of the documentary series. Jordan was determined to make the best use of what he had and stand by the teammates who stood by him throughout those years. After the series came out, Scottie Pippen criticized Jordan claiming that it was a publicity stunt. However, this particular comment may have revealed what Jordan truly wanted for himself and his teammates at the time.
Why did the Bulls want to rebuild around only Michael Jordan?
For starters, teams do not necessarily prefer having aging athletes on the roster as it could affect the team’s performance. Even then, older players like Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen had a lot of worth in their contributions. Rodman was still averaging nearly 15 rebounds per game while Pippen was still a defensive juggernaut. Additionally, Pippen averaged 20.2 points while being a 32-year-old after the fifth title.
However, the league was evolving, and the Bulls felt the need to revamp the roster. But after Michael Jordan defended his best teammates, the front office decided to leave the championship-caliber core team as is. Except that they had to make a few deep rotational changes. Robert Parish retired in 1997 after their third title. And the Bulls made a few trades involving the Golden State Warriors.