3 takeaways from episodes 1 and 2 of The Last Dance
3. Jerry Krause’s ego killed the dynasty
When you are in control of the two-time defending champions who house the greatest player of all time, the greatest coach of all time and two other Hall of Famers, conventional wisdom suggests you milk that core for all its worth.
But Bulls general manager Jerry Krause didn’t believe in conventional wisdom, not with the way he believed championships were won, having infamously stated, “players and coaches alone don’t win championships. Organizations do.”
It was a bold statement few if any agreed with, but it made a lot more sense upon uncovering the psyche of a man always looking for his dues.
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“I don’t care if you win 82 games this is your last year coaching the Chicago Bulls” pic.twitter.com/OKepGm8Kpj
— @TJay (@TJay) April 20, 2020
Krause’s ego wasn’t aided given his stature as a short overweight man or that the world was infatuated with the stardom of Jordan.
But Krause still felt every piece, including Jordan and Jackson, could be replaced. It’s why he seemed a bit too hasty to put a definitive end to the dynasty by making sure Jackson wouldn’t return following the 1997-98 season, where Jordan would follow closely behind.
He wanted to win, but he wanted to win it his way by getting a head start on a rebuild he felt was inevitable. Easier said than done as Chicago would miss the following six postseasons with just one conference finals appearance in more than 20 years since.