Michael Jordan is the most famous basketball player in NBA history. The GOAT, as he is often referred to, is an icon who gained world fame and renown in the 1990s. A man many considered to be one of the first few celebrity NBA athletes alongside the likes of Magic Johnson.
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His Airness was and is an inspiration for many young athletes. After all, over the years, the phrase “Be like Mike” has taken a more literal meaning. However, while he is known as one of the best, not everything about MJ was squeaky clean. In particular, his gambling problem.
Jordan’s issues with gambling often made the headlines. And back in 1992, the biggest one was his $108,000 involvement in a murder case. A case that Phil Jackson believed he was pulled into because of the then-Bulls GM, Jerry Krause.
Former Bulls coach Phil Jackson believed Michael Jordan was roped into a murder case because of Jerry Krause
The animosity between Jerry Krause and the crux of the 90s Bulls dynasty was well documented. The Last Dance showcased just how much tension there was between the former Bulls GM and his team.
Krause particularly had a problem with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. The duo was always butting heads with him, due to his management style and his somewhat disrespectful understanding of who was responsible for the Bulls’ success.
Well, in 1992, when Jordan got involved with the murder case of Eddie Dow. It was revealed that MJ had paid Dow $108,000 in order to square his gambling debts. The NBA came to know of this and started investigations on MJ.
But, as revealed in Michael Jordan: The Life, Phil Jackson had his doubts that Krause had spied on the superstar and other Bulls players. Especially considering Krause’s past experience and antics.
“That was surprising, considering that Krause worked in the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office in the late 1970s. The Lakers, according to former GM Pete Newell, employed off-duty LAPD vice officers to keep track of players’ activities. Phil Jackson would later accuse Krause, aka “The Sleuth,” of spying on the off-court activities of Bulls players, which Krause also denied.”
Really love this 1991 shot of Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson and Scottie Pippen: pic.twitter.com/zQVv8Ht6
— SI Vault (@si_vault) July 26, 2012
Jerry Krause was quite the nosy character, but to think he would spy on Jordan or the Bulls was a stretch. Jackson wasn’t the most straightforward man in the league either. So, it is fair to take his accusations with a pinch of salt.
Jordan refused to play for the Bulls after Jerry Krause decided to let Phil Jackson go
Ahead of the 1998 NBA season, it was revealed that Jerry Krause had informed Phil Jackson that it would be his last season in Chicago. A decision that infuriated Michael Jordan. To the point, where MJ made it clear that he would not be playing for the Bulls if Jackson wasn’t there the next season.
Krause’s decision brought about the end of what many consider to be the greatest dynasty in basketball history. It was a decision, that many still regret and critique to this day.
