Many believe that the Bulls dynasty had a few good years left in 1998. After completing their second three-peat of the decade, Michael Jordan’s team could’ve tried for a few more championship runs. However, due to the growing tensions and disagreements with the front office, MJ gave an ultimatum.
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He put a condition on his availability, stating that if Phil Jackson is replaced with another coach, he’ll leave the game too. During an interview with ESPN in 1998, Jordan talked about his future in the league and how it depends on the moves made by the organization.
He said, “Everybody wants to know if this is my last year. Let me say this again: I won’t play for another coach. If Reinsdorf and the other owners don’t like it, sell the team.” He was willing to see the team’s ownership change if that’s what it took to keep Jackson as the head coach. MJ had made up his mind and he wasn’t going to take a step back.
“You say it will break people’s hearts. Well, their hearts are going to break someday. They can’t expect me to play forever,” he told ESPN. MJ wasn’t bothered by the consequences of his decision or the fact that he’d be cutting his career short. His only concern was to ensure Jackson remained the head coach of his team.
Jordan knew he had a lot of basketball left in him. He could’ve played for a few more years, he could’ve made another championship run with his team. “I could play a lot more. But when I quit, I want those same people to know I could still play for two or three more years,” he added. Unfortunately, his demands weren’t met which led to him going into his second retirement.
Jordan retired due to disagreements with Jerry Krause
The blame for MJ’s departure from Chicago is pinned on Krause. To this day, Bulls fans hold anger towards the former GM of the franchise. It’s common belief that the Bulls’ legacy would’ve been even stronger if Krause wasn’t hell-bent on not listening to his players’ demands.
After the 1998 championship, MJ was done playing for the Bulls. He announced his retirement from the game in January 1999, breaking the hearts of fans. The following year, he returned to the league as an owner after purchasing minority shares in the Washington Wizards. He was also the president of basketball operations.
In September 2001, MJ announced his return to the league as an athlete. He played two seasons for the Wizards, averaging 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 142 games. In his final season, he played 82 games, averaging 37 minutes a game. Although his last run wasn’t nearly as effective, Jordan proved that he indeed had a lot more basketball left in him.
