CHICAGO _ The end was coming. The Bulls had known it for a long while, since the summer of 1997, when general manager Jerry Krause set coach Phil Jackson's status in stone. One more season. No matter the result.
And then? The end.
Period.
The end was coming. The Bulls were reminded of that at the first team meeting when Jackson distributed the team handbook with a laminated title page: "The Last Dance."
Collectively that talented and battle-tested Bulls team could resist the end. They could be smothered by its presence and unnerved by the discomfort. Or they could acknowledge the end's impending arrival, accept it and channel their focus toward winning another championship.
The end was coming. The Bulls saw it again in the headlines in February 1998, just before the NBA All-Star break. Michael Jordan had made it known once more he had no intent of continuing his legendary career with any coach other than Jackson. And, well, Krause essentially told his biggest star that was his own problem.
Thus, there was that attention-grabbing story in the Chicago Tribune with Krause trying to defend himself but instead increasing the friction.
"If Michael chooses to leave because there is another coach here, then it is his choice, not ours," Krause said.
The end stalked those Bulls for 5 { months and 82 regular-season games. Its presence only intensified during eight weeks of playoff series.
Nets. Hornets. Pacers.
Then the NBA Finals versus the 62-win Jazz.
But how would the saga end? With a repeat of the three-peat? With fatigue? With failure? With pure delight and understandable bitterness intertwined?
