The Last Dance: 6 Things we learned from episodes 1 & 2

The Last Dance JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images

2. Scottie Pippen’s contract was an absolute travesty

7 years and $18 million were the terms of the contract Scottie Pippen inked with the Bulls back in 1991, which as revealed by Pippen himself, afforded him the comfortability and longevity to not only support himself but members of his family – including his 11 siblings.

And so, Pippen bought his mother a house, put some of his earnings away, and began taking the necessary steps to secure a prosperous financial future for himself.

And at the moment, that total seemed like a ton of money. As time wore on though, it became clear that Pippen’s value was eons higher than the amount he was actually being paid.

$2.5 million was the annual number to be exact – a total that was usurped by of course Jordan, but shockingly, four other Bulls teammate whose contributions to the team’s legacy pale in comparison to those of Pippen’s.

Now granted, the NBA money of the 1990s is minute when considering some of the seven, and sometimes eight and nine-figure contract total sums that have been agreed upon today, and 295 players made an upwards of that number in 2019-20, per ESPN.

But to relegate Pippen – a top-50 All-time talent and eventual Hall of Famer to the sixth-highest paying contract on the roster is a total disservice to the man that was so instrumental to the good fortunes of the Windy City’s home team. It’s a wonder he put up with Krause’s treatment as long as he did, which included engaging in numerous trade talks with other teams for the beloved All-Star forward, and publicizing those conversations to the press.

What the documentary brought to an illuminating forefront though, is that players were not in control of their destinies at the time Pippen put pen to paper in his initial long-term deal.

Just take Jordan’s load management escapades during the late 80’s after succumbing to a devastating foot injury that kept him out for a surplus of 60 games. After being slowly coaxed back into substantial playing time by ownership, Jordan was forced to take several bench roles despite re-gaining his traction and conditioning, including infamously being kept out of a game’s final 30 seconds after bringing his team back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the fourth quarter.

Jordan said that instance effectively soured his relationship with the front office, just as their overall handling of Pippen’s situation did the same with him.

It’s a shame their great runs have that type of asterisk looming over them, but for all of their battles with executives off the court, it’s still thankfully their on-court heroics that ultimately shine through.