During his playing days, Michael Jordan had a great rapport with his team the Chicago Bulls. Everyone in the Bulls organization loved him, seeing as he was the poster boy. But, that does not mean he didn’t butt heads with the front office on occasion. In 1988, Jordan signed a massive eight-year deal with the Bulls worth $25,000,000. A huge deal, but one that did not match the revenue his superstardom generated. So, once he hit free agency in 1996, he insisted on a bigger deal, forcing owner, Jerry Reinsdorf to pay him a whopping $30,000,000 for just one season. A deal that saw the billionaire owner pass some insensitive remarks. Remarks that, as revealed in Michael Jordan: The Life, head coach Phil Jackson justified.
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Jerry remarked to Michael that signing him to a $30,000,000 deal would be a decision he would regret. This, infuriated His Airness, who saw his relationship with the front office deteriorate soon after. However, despite his star’s obvious displeasure, Phil Jackson understood where Reinsdorf was coming from.
Phil Jackson justified Jerry Reinsdorf’s “insensitive” remarks after Michael Jordan signed a $30,000,000 deal
In 1996, Michael Jordan signed one of the biggest contracts at the time. One that netted him $30,000,000, and kept him with the Chicago Bulls. It was a groundbreaking deal, but one that did not sit well with owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
It was a deal that only spanned one season, and as such was one of high risk-high reward. And, Reinsdorf didn’t hesitate to let MJ know this. But of course, Jordan being Jordan did not take this lightly and was angry with the former tax attorney and the Bulls’ front office.
However, in a shocking turn of events, head coach Phil Jackson once justified Reinsdorf’s remarks. Jackson and MJ always had a strong bond, with Jordan making it clear in 1998 that he would not play for the Bulls if Phil wasn’t coaching. So, to hear that he justified remarks that, in a way, belittled his star player was unexpected. He claimed that it was a massive sum of money and that was perhaps a cause of concern for Reinsdorf.
“‘He’s loyal, he’s honest,’ Phil Jackson said of Reinsdorf. ‘He’s truthful. His word means something. But there’s something about going in and trying to get the best every time. Winning the deal. When it comes to money, to win the deal. ‘He has actually said those things, according to people I’ve been close to,’ Jackson said of Reinsdorf’s comments, ‘and those things really hurt. Because most everybody really likes Jerry Reinsdorf. ‘But,’ Jackson added with a laugh, ‘Jerry is Jerry. Jerry is… Jerry doesn’t spend money freely, even with himself. He wants value for money. Who doesn’t? The salaries that have happened in the past ten years have been real difficult for owners to swallow. Large money. It’s an amazing amount of money.'”
Michael Jordan & Jerry Reinsdorf#HOF2021 pic.twitter.com/4YI5p4aTdq
— Socrates (@SocratesDergi) September 12, 2021
To some extent, what Jackson says makes sense. At the time, $30,000,000 was no joke. But, perhaps one of the reasons why he justified Reinsdorf’s stance was because the Bulls owner was the first one to take a chance on him.
Phil Jackson defended Jerry Reinsdorf as he had got him his first head coaching job
Phil Jackson’s time with the Chicago Bulls is undoubtedly legendary. He won six championships creating a dynasty alongside Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls. However, he may have never had the opportunity if it weren’t for Jerry Reinsdorf. After all, Reinsdorf took a huge risk much like he did with Jordan when he promoted Jackson to the head coaching job in 1989.
In fact, Jackson had gone on record, ahead of his Hall of Fame enshrinement, crediting Reindsorf for giving him a chance, claiming he was integral in the development of the league.
At the end of the day, with all said and done, Jerry Reinsdorf is one of the most successful owners the NBA has ever seen. And, like Phil Jackson stated, it is safe to say his ownership revolutionized the NBA.
