How New York Almost Lured Michael Jordan

[Roundball_Rock]

The Bulls decided not to trade Scottie Pippen.

And they rehired coach Phil Jackson and appear willing to agree to Jackson's request that they re-sign Dennis Rodman.

So it's expected that Michael Jordan re-signs with the Bulls.

But under the same conditions last season, Jordan indicated he was prepared to leave the Bulls and sign with the New York Knicks.


That led up to an infamous phone call, supposedly from Falk to Reinsdorf.

Although neither side would reveal the exact wording, the message was clear: The Bulls had one hour, maybe the rest of the day, to beat a $25 million offer from the Knicks, or Michael Jordan was going to sign with New York.


And Jordan said that with Ewing, he could win another title.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-08-13/sports/9708140002_1_bulls-free-agents-allan-houston-scottie-pippen

[JohnFreeman]

Might as well win easy rings in Chicago, MJ never liked a challenge

[SamuraiSWISH]

It's called leverage on a cheap owner to get what he was owed. MJ never would've left. Hell, he wanted to play in Chicago in '99. He gave our franchise their entire value.

Hell, the league owed it to him from a business perspective. Every player today should get a MJ tax on their paycheck. Never would've got that money if he didn't give the league it's popularity.

But if he did go to NYC, I'm sure he would've won a ring with Ewing being his Pippen replacement.

If he went to Houston in 1999, he definitely would've won a ring with Barkley, and Hakeem. If he was on Portland in 2000 would've closed out LA too.

In the new book MJ: The Life. PJ was trying to get Jordan to play for the 2000 Lakers. Instead Jordan was in favor of going to Washinton. He could've had a nother couple easy rings on his resume in LA if he wanted.

[Olacinco]

Might as well win easy rings in Chicago, MJ never liked a challenge

Nigguh youse lucky I can't neg u right now.. Ohh youse so lucky

[guy]

In the new book MJ: The Life. PJ was trying to get Jordan to play for the 2000 Lakers. Instead Jordan was in favor of going to Washinton. He could've had a nother couple easy rings on his resume in LA if he wanted.

Wow please elaborate. Still haven't read the book. I always thought that this had to have possibly happened.

[sdot_thadon]

Hey so is this considered collusion by Mj with Ewing?:facepalm

[SamuraiSWISH]

Hey so is this considered collusion by Mj with Ewing?:facepalm
Because he said he could win with him? Which is obvious ... Did MJ actually bolt while he was failing to get it done continually with the chips he was dealt? No. LeBron stans projecting their insecurities about Bron's lack of testical fortitude onto the game's biggest ALPHA ever.

[Haymaker]

Because he said he could win with him? Which is obvious ... Did MJ actually bolt while he was failing to get it done continually with the chips he was dealt? No. LeBron stans projecting their insecurities about Bron's lack of testical fortitude onto the game's biggest ALPHA ever.
:applause:

[Trollsmasher]

MJ always needed the most help out of any star player to even win a game (losing record without Pippen), much less a ring. No wonder he wanted to bolt out.

[Angel Face]

MJ always needed the most help out of any star player to even win a game (losing record without Pippen), much less a ring. No wonder he wanted to bolt out.

Oh! the irony. :oldlol:

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zv90gOfN1qhcrzjo1_1280.jpg

[VIntageNOvel]

Oh! the irony. :oldlol:

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zv90gOfN1qhcrzjo1_1280.jpg


:roll: :roll:

[DonDadda59]

It's called leverage on a cheap owner to get what he was owed. MJ never would've left. Hell, he wanted to play in Chicago in '99. He gave our franchise their entire value.

This. Just used an empty threat to put the squeeze on the front office to give him the terms he demanded (and deserved). Anyone who thinks he was on some ticking time bomb 24 shit, an hr away from going to the Knicks is gullible as hell.


In the new book MJ: The Life. PJ was trying to get Jordan to play for the 2000 Lakers. Instead Jordan was in favor of going to Washinton. He could've had a nother couple easy rings on his resume in LA if he wanted.

Yeah, if Bean could win his first ring that season putting up 15.6 on 37% no doubt MJ could've racked up a couple of easy rings doing there. But that'd be more of a LeHairline move. He wanted the challenge.

[bluechox2]

mj could have easily won a 7th ring on his 3rd comback trip by going to a stacked team but he decided he didnt want to pull a future lebron

[uber]

Just imagine MJ + Ewing against Duncan + Robinson :bowdown: :bowdown:

Would have been a great series

[sportjames23]

Roundball_Rock showing his fakkitude. Bitch, just admit you're a Lebron fan and be done with it. Stop pretending you're a Bulls fan.

[russwest0]

damn, the GOAT dodged a bullet :lol

[AnaheimLakers24]

an just like bran he didnt go :lol. also i doubt he ever had a thought aoit going to that shit hole, same with bran

[East_Stone_Ya]

Jordan believed the Bulls were not showing the proper appreciation and respect by making him go out and get a better offer to push his deal higher.

damn bulls

[NuggetsFan]

Crazy how much a situation plays into a players legacy. Where you get drafted, the coaching/GM etc. Gotta wonder what happens to guys like Jordan/Magic/Bird /Duncan etc. without everything aligning for them. Even LeBron, woulda been nice to see him play things out in Cleveland instead of turning his choice into a gross media spectacle. Which for the record you already know the Jordan camp was going damn wish we thought of that :lol

On the subject of superstar team up didn't Duncan almost go to the Magic way back to play with T-Mac/G.Hill? Could you imagine if he inked that deal. Either Duncan doesn't win as much, or him and T-Mac tear up the league and change other players legacies.

[Lebron23]

Jordan "looks good" in a Knicks uniform.

http://ballislife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/michael_jordan_ny_knicks-e1350356884597.jpg

[niko]

It was never close. In a few years i guarantee we'll have "Lebron was so close to joining Knicks" stories too. Just rewriting history.

[smoovegittar]

He was never going to N.Y. I'll add that Knicks came very close to signing Reggie Miller and Barkley. They opted for Childs, L.J. and Houston. We know how that turned out. While filming a commercial together, Jordan told Spike Lee that if the Knicks went with Miller and Barkley, they would have brought it home.

[3ball]

shows how everyone really thought about pippen AT THE TIME (not revisionist history)...

the Bulls were offering him in trades all the time.

[sdot_thadon]

shows how everyone really thought about pippen AT THE TIME (not revisionist history)...

the Bulls were offering him in trades all the time.
I could have sworn it was due to a testy relationship with the front office over his pay, but whatever floats your boat. It's crazy how much Jordan fans strive to undervalue pippen when the man you worship wouldn't play without him.:coleman:

[Roundball_Rock]

I could have sworn it was due to a testy relationship with the front office over his pay, but whatever floats your boat. It's crazy how much Jordan fans strive to undervalue pippen when the man you worship wouldn't play without him.:coleman:

Exactly. :oldlol: Yet 3ball is attempting to give younger fans an entirely different impression. The fact is Jordan himself was the biggest opponent of trading Pippen--among other things it was a condition of him returning in 95'. The Bulls when they contemplated trading Pippen were considering trading a disgruntled superstar (a top 5 player) in the middle of his career for a young all-star type (i.e Kemp, Vin Baker). They were trying to get value while building for the future. No one thought trading Pippen for those players would improve or even keep the team at the same level in the short to medium term. Hell, then-retired MJ advised his friend George Karl to trade Kemp for Pippen in 95' because MJ thought adding Pippen (who MJ rated as the best player in the league at the time) would guarantee Seattle a championship.

[Poetry]

Jordan "looks good" in a Knicks uniform.

http://ballislife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/michael_jordan_ny_knicks-e1350356884597.jpg

When he first came to the Bulls he wasn't a fan of the team colors. He said red was the color of evil :lol