The Last Dance: 3 things we learned from Parts 1 and 2

2. The Front Office was a catastrophe in ’97-’98

After the Bulls had won their fifth NBA championship, owner Jerry Reinsdorf said, in his own words, that he was ready for a rebuild.

Imagine that — being ready for a rebuild with Jordan still playing at the highest level, as the best player on the planet.

Reinsdorf said that, other than Jordan, his main pieces were essentially past their peak performing days. They were past their prime and their best days were behind them. So, Reinsdorf was eyeing a rebuild.

Through it all, Jordan kept the same mentality.

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“We are entitled to what we have until we lose it,” Jordan said during Part 1.

Jordan didn’t want to enter a rebuild. He wanted another title. He wanted more. So, why on earth did the front office want a rebuild?

General manager Jerry Krouse, for those who don’t know, loved himself a little more than Kanye West used to love Kanye West. Krause always tried to act as though he was the smartest guy in the room; the real man in charge and the reason for the Bulls’ success.

Krause was famously quoted saying that “players and coaches alone” are not the only reason teams win championships, but “organizations” win championships. This was his way of alluding to the notion that he was the reason the Bulls were winning — not Jordan.

The summer before that season, Phil Jackson was signed to a 1-year deal to return and coach the team. But, Krause publicly announced that after the coming season, Phil was out.

"“This will be Phil’s last season coaching the team.” -Jerry Krause"

So, you had Krause continually trying to take credit for what Jordan and his teammates were doing. Meanwhile, Reinsdorf was ready to tear it all up prior to that sixth championship run even beginning.

Scottie Pippen had a fantastic quote to describe the way they felt about going into that season: “After this year, we’re basically all relieved of our duties.”