“His reply to me was, ‘Bull***t’: Jerry Reinsdorf reveals Michael Jordan denied vetoing the Scottie Pippen for Tracy McGrady epic trade
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Michael jordan and Tracy McGrady
The Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen duo was a force that won the Chicago Bulls a total of six championships. But not every good thing lasts as it was rumored that Pippen would have been shipped off to the Toronto Raptors following their fifth title win. Obviously, that situation did not break into reality and the Bulls ended up winning their sixth finals.
Two seasons earlier, the Bulls landed a sweet deal for Dennis Rodman who filled up the defensive void on the roster. All seemed well for the Bulls as they ended up making history winning 72 games eventually and winning two championships in a row. Tracy McGrady recently revealed that the Bulls intended to trade to acquire him in replacement of Pippen.
Tracy McGrady spills beans on Michael Jordan wanting to retire early
The NBA Hall of Famer had been part of many controversies that took place in the 90s. Michael Jordan has had a history of dealing with early retirement scenarios. He was also known for his firm attitude and respect towards his teammates. On an episode of the Knuckleheads podcast with none other than Quentin Richardson and Darius, another legend Tracy McGrady spoke on Jordan threatening to quit on the Bulls and Basketball if Pippen was traded away.
“Draft night, I almost got traded for Scottie Pippen. Jerry Krause called my agent and got me up at 12 0’clock at night before the draft. Had me go to a secret location to take a physical. It was about to go down, but MJ made the call, ‘Yo, if y’all do that, I’m retiring.’ So he stopped that real quick,” said T-mac.
Bulls’ owner reveals Michael Jordan denied wanting to retire if he lost Scottie Pippen
Jerry Reinsdorf, the mastermind behind the legendary Bulls franchise was questioned about the trade that never took place. The owner said that Jordan did not know much about the trade and that he did not threaten to leave the league. Reinsdorf admitted that he was the individual who vetoed the trade between Pippen and McGrady in hopes of maintaining the rhythm built within the existing roster. Turns out that the owner was right as the Bulls proceeded to defeat the Jazz in a game Jordan had his iconic game-winning jumper.
“I understand that there’s a lot of truth to the story, but the one part that’s not true is that Michael Jordan in any way communicated with the Chicago Bulls his displeasure over the trade. After the podcast, I contacted Jordan and asked if there was any truth and his reply to me was,’B.S’.
“That’s the case. I don’t even know if Michael was aware of it. He certainly never communicated to us, never threatened to retire. The only reason why that trade didn’t go through was I felt our fans wanted a sixth championship.”
Also read:“Why God? Why?”: Warriors fans in dismay as Stephen Curry injury update reveals estimate return
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Rakibul John Rodgers
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