The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 604 Goodbye

When Rheinsdorf received a call from Jerry Krause, he replied, "Jerry, have you been drinking? Or on drugs? Go wash your face and clear your head before you call me again!"

After saying that, Rheinsdorf hung up the phone. He was playing golf with American Express executives, discussing real estate bidding and development.

In 1982, he sold his real estate company to American Express and used the large sum of cash to acquire the Chicago White Sox, followed by the Chicago Bulls in 1986.

He retained his position as president of the real estate company, continued to receive a salary, and worked in the real estate industry, but he was no longer the big boss; White Socks and Bulls were his businesses.

Under his management, both the White Sox and the Bulls have flourished in recent years. The White Sox won the American League regular season division championship in 1983, and the Chicago Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years.

Reinsdorf had a premonition that his team was just one step away from the biggest stage, and that the Chicago Bulls' historic run to the NBA Finals might happen in the 1990-1991 season.

However, whether they can win the championship is uncertain for Rheinsdorf.

The Portland Trail Blazers cast a huge shadow over the entire league, and Forrest Gump's clutches have returned.

Since 1986, he has won four championships in five seasons, and Portland was dominant last season.

However, during the offseason, Jerry Krause believed that although the Trail Blazers were very strong, they had a fatal flaw in their backcourt.

No one on the Trail Blazers backcourt could even slightly contain Michael Jordan.

Even Forrest Gump's advantage against Jordan is diminishing, and the perimeter players have a natural advantage in ball possession over the interior players. He is confident for the new season.

Rheinsdorf trusted Klaus's judgment for the time being, but still demanded that the management strengthen the team in the summer to prepare for the new season.

Especially in terms of strengthening the team's interior, Bill Cartwright was effective against other interior players in the league, but he was completely helpless against Forrest Gump.

Not to mention that the Trail Blazers now also have the Lithuanian giant Sabonis, giving them a huge advantage in the paint.

Since the start of the offseason, the Bulls have lost one player, Ed Neely.

Nelly wasn't some exceptionally talented player. Standing at only 6'7", he played as a white forward and averaged just 2 points and 3 rebounds per game in the regular season, making him a relatively fringe player in the league.

Such a player played in the league for 7 years. His talent was so mediocre that people in the league would think, "If Nelly can play for 7 years, then I should be able to play until I'm 40."

But that's not the case. Nelly is very hardworking and disciplined. He doesn't go to strip clubs or casino bars at night, but instead stays home to rest and recharge.

He was always the first person to participate in training or work out in the gym, often even earlier than Jordan.

When he doesn't get a chance to play, he doesn't complain. When he does get a chance to play, he rarely shoots, but instead does the side jobs and plays his supporting role with peace of mind.

In Chicago, Neely was loved by fans, respected by teammates, and welcomed by management. Every team needs one or two players like him; they are like unassuming ballast stones, serving as role models to stabilize a team.

In the playoff game against the Washington Bullets, when Pippen had to miss the game due to his father's passing, Nelly stepped in and did his job very well, setting screens, picking and setting plays, boxing out, and grabbing rebounds.

He grabbed the rebound from Charles Barkley, contributing to the team's victory, and was named CBS's Player of the Night.

During the offseason, Nelly demanded a $70 annual salary contract from the Chicago Bulls.

Phil Jackson believes the Bulls should keep Nelly, but $70 is simply too high.

Reinsdorf specifically consulted with Suns general manager Colangelo to ask how much Nelly's annual salary was worth.

In his early years, Nelly played for the Kings. The Bulls signed Nelly in 88, then traded him to the Suns for Hodges. Nelly returned to the Bulls in 89.

Colangelo knew Nelly well, but he shook his head, indicating that it was hard to say.

Reinsdorf then asked, "Would anyone offer Ed Neely $70 a year? Jerry, who would do something so stupid?"

Colangelo gave a vague answer, saying he didn't know.

A few days later, the Suns offered Nelly a three-year contract.

The Bulls lost a player who wasn't exactly important, but also had a lot of potential value, which made Reinsdorf very unhappy.

What's even more frustrating is that in September, Charles Barkley requested a trade, and the Bulls tried to make an offer, packaging Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright, plus draft picks.

If the Bulls can acquire Barkley, the Jordan-Pippen-Barkley combination will be unstoppable.

However, on the one hand, Barkley made it clear that he didn't want to come to the Bulls to be Jordan's sidekick, and on the other hand, the Washington Bullets weren't too interested in the Bulls' offer.

As a result, the Phoenix Suns made another move, trading All-Star player Tom Chambers for Barkley, greatly increasing the Suns' strength overnight.

"Damn sun and Corangelo," Reinsdorf felt he had been fooled.

To make matters worse, Jordan was unhappy with the Bulls' lack of initiative in the Barkley trade.

He doesn't think Barkley didn't want to play in Chicago, but rather that Jerry Krause didn't want to trade Bill Cartwright and Horace Grant.

After all, these two were brought to the Bulls by Krause; they were Krause's men, and Jordan's relationship with them had never been good.

In particular, Bill Cartwright's arrival led to the departure of Jordan's close friend Charles Oakley, causing Jordan to ask others not to pass the ball to Cartwright in the fourth quarter for a period of time.

Bill Cartwright was tough and old-school, earning the respect of the other Bulls players, but Jordan didn't want to respect him.

Jordan also disrespected Jerry Krause. Whenever Krause entered the Bulls' locker room, Jordan would make a mooing sound like a cow through his nose to mock Krause's obesity.

After the Bulls lost Nelly and gained nothing in the Barkley trade, Jordan expressed his dissatisfaction with the management.

Jordan believed that teams lacking veterans would have a hard time winning championships, especially against the powerful Portland Trail Blazers.

The Bulls need to bring in some experienced players who can perform in crucial moments of the playoffs, rather than rookies like BJ Armstrong or a white backup center like Will Perdue who is destined to be a Forrest Gump toy.

Jordan's dissatisfaction was the boss's dissatisfaction.

Reinsdorf urged Jerry Krause to do something, to grab something useful in the increasingly dry free agency market, or to make a lucrative deal.

Besides Barkley, Jordan also set his sights on former Suns star Walter Davis, who had fallen into drug addiction.

As a former All-Star player, Jordan greatly admired Davis's ability to score with the ball, believing that acquiring Davis would significantly reduce the pressure on his own offense.

And then there's Dantley of the Mavericks. After his contract with the Mavericks expires, this former one-on-one king also has the opportunity to come to the Bulls and continue his career.

However, Jerry Krause disagreed, believing that the players Jordan wanted were all nonsense and wishful thinking.

Established veterans like Davis and Dantley need the ball and need to slow down and play their tactics.

They couldn't keep up with the Bulls' fast breaks and flexible triangle offense, especially their defense.

Krause believes the team has a good roster, and they drafted Petrovic's teammate and friend Toni Kukoc, although he is not able to play in Chicago for the time being.

After losing Nellie, Krause set his sights on Atlanta Hawks player Cliff Livingston.

A 6-foot-8, strong, and versatile forward, whose best season saw him average 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block per game.

Because he was always with Dominique Wilkins, he didn't get a real chance to shine.

Krause wanted to find a strong backup for Pippen, as well as a backup plan—because Pippen was facing contract renewal issues and wanted a long-term deal. In short, Krause had his own ideas and pace, and he wasn't influenced by Jordan.

However, the trade between the Trail Blazers and the Celtics disrupted Krause's rhythm.

Reggie Lewis's move to Portland significantly strengthened the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense.

In the 1990 season, the Trail Blazers' one-on-one defense on the wing and guard positions was consistently lacking in the playoffs.

Whether it was allowing English to score high points in the first round against the Nuggets, or having Isaiah Thomas play better in the Finals than in the Eastern Conference Finals while wearing a mask, both revealed the Trail Blazers' weakness on the wings and backcourt defense.

However, the Trail Blazers' interior defense was too strong, and Agan's ability to sweep the wings and help defend the perimeter made the weaknesses in the backcourt and wings less obvious.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers' four guards possess strong long-range firepower, using offense to cover up their defensive shortcomings.

But what if the Trail Blazers face the Bulls? The Bulls have the best backcourt and wing defense in the entire league.

Meanwhile, the Bulls had Michael Jordan, arguably the sharpest shooting guard in NBA history.

Hornacek, Porter, Curry, or Petrovic—none of them could even slightly limit Jordan.

As for Forrest Gump?

If the series really goes to the Finals, Forrest Gump will be directly exposed to Jordan's offensive firepower. If he commits too many fouls, the Trail Blazers' offense and defense will collapse by half.

Regular season games don't count; Jerry Krause spent the offseason dreaming of defeating Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers this season.

The arrival of Reggie Lewis shattered Krause's dream. This 6-foot-7 player was outstanding in height, wingspan, and explosiveness. In terms of size and physical attributes, he was not at a disadvantage against Jordan, and even had a slight advantage in some aspects.

In numerous matchups against the Celtics, Lewis consistently defended Jordan one-on-one, with considerable success.

The thought of such a player becoming a member of the Trail Blazers and integrating into their defensive system, becoming Forrest Gump's right-hand man, is quite devastating for Jerry Krause.

That's why he called Rheinsdorf and said something nonsensical like, "I want to trade for Akim Olajuwon."

The Bulls want Hakeem Olajuwon, but they either need to trade him for Jordan or use Pippen as the core asset, which the Rockets will almost certainly not agree to.

Trading Jordan for him was insane. When Reinsdorf heard Krause's crazy talk, he told him to wash his face and calm down, and that they would talk about it later.

After hanging up the phone, Jerry Krause calmed down for a moment and realized that trading for Olajuwon was unrealistic.

There was also Philadelphia 76ers forward Sam Perkins on the free agent market, but he did not re-sign with the 76ers after his contract expired.

Jordan was eager to team up with his former North Carolina teammate, but the Bulls didn't have enough salary cap space.

Sam Perkins was ultimately signed by the Los Angeles Lakers, with a first-year salary of $197 million, which the Bulls simply couldn't afford.

Furthermore, Perkins is strong offensively but weak defensively, has a rather lazy playing style, and his position overlaps with Grant's, making him a poor choice for reinforcement. The Lakers are indeed a better fit for him.

Jerry Krause thought about it again and came up with the Nets' power forward, Buck Williams.

During the 1989 offseason, rumors circulated that the Nets were going to trade Buck Williams. At the time, Jordan hoped that Jerry Krause would find a way to acquire Williams, even at the cost of Horace Grant.

Ultimately, the deal fell through because Jerry Krause valued Grant's potential more and was unwilling to give up his first-round draft pick.

Williams was not traded, the Nets did not receive satisfactory offers in the market, and Barker played another year in New Jersey.

However, Williams was determined to leave. At 30 years old, he wanted to go to a team with championship aspirations to compete for the title, rather than stay with the Nets and waste his already limited career.

When the Trail Blazers acquired Reggie Lewis, Jerry Krause couldn't possibly not want to strengthen their frontcourt and interior defense, otherwise who would stop Forrest Gump?
After clearing his head and regrouping, Jerry Krause dialed his boss Reinsdorf's number again and said, "Boss, I have a trade idea. We need Buck Williams."

"Okay, tell me your plans, and I will fully support you."
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The Trail Blazers' trades shook the league, acting like a catfish to entice teams aspiring to win the championship to take action.

The formidable Portland Trail Blazers may become even more balanced and stronger in the new season.

Trail Blazers fans were overjoyed, and Oregon media outlets considered Jerry West to be one of the greatest professional managers.

However, within the Portland Trail Blazers organization, a somber atmosphere pervaded due to the trade.

Gan Guoyang didn't expect that it wasn't just Divac who was leaving, but also Jeff Hornacek.

Hornacek arrived in Portland in 1986 and has already won three championships with Gan Guoyang.

He worked, settled down, got married, and had children here, rising from an unremarkable second-round pick to become one of the league's best shooting guards.

Hornacek is low-key, tough, has excellent shooting skills, and is a well-rounded player. Together with Porter, they form a formidable backcourt duo with virtually no weaknesses in attack.

He and Porter can take turns controlling the ball and organizing the offense, and in turn they can run pick-and-rolls with Agam and Sabonis. The two of them take turns holding the ball and combining with the inside to launch attacks. They can be said to be the defensive nightmare of other teams. Their scoring ability is very strong and their variations are very numerous.

With Hornacek gone, half the changes have been lost. That ordinary-looking guy who liked to touch his face while shooting free throws, the team's most reliable mid-range shooter besides Forrest Gump, will no longer be a member of the Trail Blazers next season.

Jerry West personally called Hornacek to inform him of the trade. Hornacek remained calm, accepted the result, and then called his teammates to say goodbye.

Once a trade occurs, to the fans, it's simply a matter of a player changing jerseys and playing for a different team.

For the players, however, it means working in a different environment and living in a different city.

For players like Hornacek, who are married and have children, moving is not an easy task.

Divac's situation is much simpler. He only stayed in Portland for one season, didn't own any property, and was just about to have a child. He could go to Boston with his wife.

But Divac was equally saddened; he knew why he had to leave—either he or Petrovich had to go.

The Trail Blazers chose Petrovic, and Divac had to be sacrificed.

After the trade, Gan Guoyang treated Hornacek, Divac, and several teammates to a farewell dinner. After the meal, Hornacek and Divac will board a plane to Boston, where the Celtics' new season training camp will begin soon.

But Petrovich didn't come; he couldn't come, he couldn't face Divac.

Forrest wished Hornacek and Divac well, reminding Hornacek not to forget to practice his three-point shot and telling Divac to play tough in Boston, or he would be looked down upon by the fans there.

“If Larry trash-talks you during practice, you have to give him a good beating! Just say, ‘Even Sonny wouldn’t talk to me like that, who do you think you are!’”

Divac nodded seriously when he heard Gan Guoyang say that, but in his heart he was shaking his head, thinking, "Brother, do you even want me to have a good time in the new team?"

Finally, Gan Guoyang said, "Wishing you both the best of luck in Boston, cheers, you two Celtics!"

Divac and Hornacek both felt a sinking feeling, thinking that they would have to face Forrest Gump next season, which was a real headache.

Fortunately, the Celtics and Trail Blazers only have two games to play each season; it would be troublesome if they were in the same division.

Even as he boarded the plane, Divac kept looking for Petrovic, hoping to spot his friend in the crowd.

However, Petrovich never appeared. As the plane took off and flew towards Boston, Petrovich stood by his car on the side of the road near the airport, looking up at the plane that was getting smaller and smaller in the sky, and silently said in his heart, "Goodbye, Vlad."

(End of this chapter)