Michael Jordan is widely viewed as the best player in history, winning 6 championships with the Chicago Bulls during the 90s. His scoring and athleticism were otherworldly, and there is no doubt that Michael Jordan was able to entice a full generation of basketball fans.
The Chicago Bulls haven’t tasted championship success since Michael Jordan retired. However, at the time of Metta World Peace’s short tenure with the Chicago Bulls, he revealed that GM Jerry Krause had championship aspirations and that he wanted to “wipe out” Michael Jordan’s 6 titles by winning the 7th title for the Bulls. Jerry Krause and Michael Jordan notably didn’t have the best relationship and there were instances where Jordan would trash talk Krause in front of the entire team. (0:50)
Metta Sandiford-Artest: I remember Jerry Krause, RIP Jerry Krause. He was saying “Ron, we’re gonna get number seven, and we’re gonna wipe out the other six. Now, I didn’t want to wipe out the other six, I just wanted to get number 7.
Shannon Sharpe: So Jerry Krause, because MJ and all the guys had shaded him, he didn’t feel he get the credit that he deserved. He felt that one title with someone other than Jordan would mean more than those 6.
Metta Sandiford-Artest: Yeah, for sure.
One thing is generally true in the NBA: without a superstar, there are no championships. Superstars are the most crucial factor in the equation. Obviously, Michael Jordan was more important to the Bulls’ success than Jerry Krause. However, there is no question that front office moves do play a part in how far a team goes, and we’ve seen many instances where superstars stuck on bad teams didn’t go far in the playoffs. Jordan’s teammate Toni Kukoc notably claimed that while Michael Jordan is the best player ever, Jerry Krause deserved some credit.
There is no question that the Chicago Bulls dynasty is one of the most successful not just in basketball, but also in the wider sports world. However, every dynasty must end. While a lot of people may think that Jerry Krause is the reason for the dynasty ending, there are people who offered other explanations. Charles Barkley blamed the owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, for ending the dynasty, as he didn’t want to pay anybody, and stated Reinsdorf blaming Krause was “disingenuous”.
While Krause had a part to play in the dynasty, it is clear that winning a 7th title wouldn’t have erased Michael Jordan’s accomplishments. The fact that no one has been able to win two three-peats as the lead superstar except for Michael Jordan still holds true today, and the man is a legend in the NBA world. No modern superstar has an unblemished Finals record either.
The fact that many people still view Michael with reverence today shows just how much his career has stuck out to the masses. While it is possible that a 7th title would have shown that the Bulls could have won without Michael Jordan, that didn’t end up happening. As of now, Michael Jordan is still the most important figure in Bulls history, and it is quite possible it will stay this way for a long time.
