The first night of “The Last Dance” ended with the cliffhanger of Scottie Pippen demanding a trade at the start of the 1997-98 NBA season, after he had put off a necessary surgery on his injured foot so as not to mess up his summer break. The second episode of the series focuses largely on Pippen, who struggled to deal with the consequences of signing an awful long-term contract in 1991 that even team owner Jerry Reinsdorf advised him to turn down.
In 1991, Pippen agreed to a seven-year deal worth just $18 million, which would turn out to be one of the most team-friendly deals in NBA history. Entering the final year of his contract, Pippen wanted Bulls management to change the deal, but GM Jerry Krause had already made it clear that 97-98 would be the last year of the Bulls’ dynasty, with Phil Jackson sure to leave, and Michael Jordan likely to follow, after the season concluded. Pippen admitted that he began to openly disrespect Krause toward the end of his deal, and eventually requested a trade.
Former Bulls star Dennis Rodman joined ESPN’s First Take on Monday to discuss the first two episodes of “The Last Dance,” and gave his perspective on Pippen’s situation. Rodman said he never asked Jordan or Pippen directly about their issues with the front office, but said Pippen felt unappreciated after taking over the team when Jordan left to pursue a baseball career. According to Rodman, Pippen emerged as the “best player in the world” when Jordan left.
“I don’t know what the tension was between [Scottie] and the management, because I never asked for that information, but I think it was just more where Scottie was unappreciated. Because if you know this about Scottie Pippen… when Michael Jordan left in ’93, ’94, ’95, Scottie Pippen was the best player in the world. And people didn’t know that. He led the team in every category, every category.
Scottie got his wings in 1991 when they beat the Detroit Pistons. He got his wings then, and he started on that trend from winning three championships. When Michael left, Scottie took over – and next thing you know, he was the best player in the world. And people don’t know that!”
