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

3. Scottie Pippen was mistreated and under-appreciated

There may not be a more under-appreciated player in the history of the league than Pippen. But, that also goes from an organizational standpoint. The Bulls, as an organization, completely under-appreciated Pippen in every facet.

That final season, Pippen decided to have surgery on his foot right before the season started. He did that in order to “stick it to the man” in essence, because Krause refused to pay him more.

Pippen signed a 7-year, $18 million deal in 1991. Just try and wrap your head around that for a minute.

Going into that ’97-’98 season, Pippen ranked 122nd in the NBA in salary. Phil Jackson called him the second-best player in all of basketball — yet his salary wasn’t even close to his worth.

Up until that point, Pippen had kept fairly humble and maintained the mentality, “my time will come.” He spoke those exact words, in fact, when referring to his salary after being asked by the media.

During that contract, Pippen ranked first on the Bulls in assists and steals. He was second in scoring and rebounds. He was one of the best defensive players in the entire league — and still, his salary was a joke.

So, Pippen decided he would take his time coming back from that foot injury. He wanted to enjoy his summer and then take care of his foot before maybe coming back during a playoff run. But, as we heard at the tail end of Part 2, Pippen’s intent was actually not to play another game in a Bulls uniform. He was done with Krause and the Bulls. He had had enough. I suppose we have plenty to look forward to next Sunday night, don’t we?