The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 635 Cheap Contract
Forrest Gump has haunted many players like a nightmare, and I admit that several of my mental breakdowns were related to him.

He was targeting me, but I later learned that he was targeting me because he valued me, which was actually a form of affirmation.

However, I was very frustrated about it when I was younger, and I think many of my subsequent choices were related to that free throw.

Many years later, I've always wondered if everything would have been different if I had made that free throw.

I shouldn't have been in such a hurry.

—Excerpt from Scott Pippen's autobiography, Unguarded, published in 2021.

Back in the locker room, Pippen saw Jordan sitting in his seat, radiating heat like a volcano about to erupt.

Pippen wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't. He wanted to apologize, but felt that losing the game shouldn't be solely his fault.

If Jordan hadn't double-teamed Forrest on the Trail Blazers' final possession, Petrovic wouldn't have had a chance to shoot.

If Pippen apologizes, it means he admits that the game was lost because of his free throws.

He walked silently toward his locker room, at which point Jordan suddenly raised his fist to Pippen, indicating that he wanted to bump hands.

Pippen paused for a moment, then extended his fist, and the two bumped fists, instantly easing the tension.

Then Jordan went outside to be interviewed by reporters.

Jordan and Forrest Gump both scored 50 points again, which is big news.

Sometimes the outcome doesn't matter anymore; the spotlight is on these two superstars.

Pippen silently took off his jersey, declined the reporter's interview, and went into the shower to take a bath.

The warm water splashed on him, and he tried to calm himself down, but he was still very sad.

Jordan's kind gesture made him feel better, and the two have become closer recently than before.

Aside from the fact that Pippen and Grant were drifting apart, the main reason was that Pippen's performance on the court was becoming increasingly outstanding.

The two would have one-on-one matches every training session, and Pippen's skills became better and better under Jordan's pressure.

Moreover, Pippen himself may not even realize that he is becoming more and more like Jordan.

In terms of playing style and approach, Pippen was imitating Jordan, and Jordan was influencing Pippen.

In some games, Pippen even played like Jordan in the past, taking the ball and attacking without passing it to his teammates.

The reason is simple: Pippen needs data, he craves data, and he needs data to prove himself in order to get a big contract.

Contract issues had been troubling Pippen since the summer of 1990. He had been negotiating with the Bulls' management, hoping to extend his contract with the team early and get a large, lucrative deal.

Especially when he saw more and more people around him who were not as good as him getting attractive contracts, and then looked at himself, Pippen's salary in the 1990-1991 season was $76 a year, ranking sixth in the Bulls.

Dennis Hopson, Pippen's backup, averages 4 points per game and rarely gets much playing time. His salary this year is $90.

Stacy King, the center traded to the Nets, will receive a $100 million contract, while Shaun Livingston, signed by the Bulls in the summer, will receive $75 a year.

This was with the Bulls. Looking at other teams, like Sabonis and Petrovic, these outsiders all had million-dollar salaries. Pippen thought to himself, "The Trail Blazers are really rich."

Not to mention Forrest Gump, Ewing, Olajuwon, and Lewis, who earn several million dollars a year and have long enough contracts, so they don't have to worry about money and can just focus on playing basketball.

Pippen has a large family to support, and because of the divorce, he has to pay alimony, as well as many other living expenses, so he is quite short of money.

But precisely because he is short of money and needs a new contract, the Chicago Bulls are in no hurry.

The most fatal problem is that Pippen's contract has not expired, and he has no bargaining chips to negotiate with the Bulls.

In his rookie season in 1987, he signed a six-year contract with the Bulls with an average salary of $700,000 per month.

If Gan Guoyang were Pippen's friend, he would never have advised Pippen to sign a six-year contract.

But Pippen lacked self-confidence, and his family was indeed poor, with 11 people to support and his father being disabled.

For someone who has been poor since childhood, $70 a year is an astronomical figure. He doesn't know how long he can survive in the NBA, how many years he can play, or whether he will be eliminated, since the average survival time in the NBA is very short.

As a result, Pippen misjudged his potential and was tied up by Jerry Krause with a cheap 6-year contract.

Once Pippen discovered his value and realized that the entire NBA was steadily improving and player salaries were getting higher and higher, this six-year contract with an average salary of $700,000 was no longer an exorbitant price, but a bargain.

Every game Pippen played felt like he was doing unpaid work, especially when he put on All-Star caliber performances in some games but received a salary lower than that of a bench player.

With the contract signed in black and white, Pippen had no way to breach it. He only hoped that the Bulls would extend his contract early, but he had no means of countermeasures.

The cunning Jerry Krause refused to offer Pippen an early contract extension during the offseason, stating that Pippen should earn his contract amount and duration through his performance.

Pippen was extremely anxious. He was plagued and shrouded in fear throughout the season. He had to play well in order to have a chance to get a big contract.

But he dared not disregard the consequences and give it his all, because if he got injured and was sidelined for the rest of the year, his career could be ruined—because the last two years of his six-year contract with the Bulls were not guaranteed and were team options.

To this end, Pippen purchased $300 million in disability insurance during the offseason in case he suffered a serious injury during the season and was left without coverage.

Even so, it couldn't eliminate Pippen's anxiety. He often wore a thermal vest during training and games, partly to protect his aching back, and partly to signal to the Bulls, "I'm injured, and if you don't give me a contract, I won't play well to recover."

To appease Pippen, Krause promised at the start of the season that he would sign a new contract with Pippen before Christmas.

So Pippen worked diligently until Christmas, and before the All-Star Game he was already a near-All-Star player averaging 18 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

Two months have passed since Christmas, the All-Star Game is over, and the Gulf War is over, but Krause still hasn't mentioned renewing his contract.

Being stood up made Pippen furious but helpless, as he had no control over the situation. He considered making a trade, but his agent, Jimmy Sexton, dissuaded him.

During the offseason, Sexton approached Pippen in Memphis, persuaded him to attend training camp, told him that the Bulls were the best platform for him, and that being selected for the All-Star game this season would be beneficial for his contract renewal negotiations.

Sexton was half right; the Bulls were indeed a good platform for Pippen. However, it's a pity that Pippen wasn't selected for the All-Star game, which diminished his trade value and contract renewal value.

Sexton hopes Pippen will be more patient this time, and that he should prove himself through his performance. Improving his intrinsic value is the only right way.

Of course, Sexton understood Pippen's predicament very well. When he first visited Pippen's hometown, he was shocked by the terrible situation his family was in; it was true poverty.

For someone like Sexton, who grew up in an urban family, it's hard to imagine that in 20th-century America, there were still places so poor that a dozen or so people were crammed into a small wooden shack.

Therefore, Sexton tried to appease Pippen while continuing to put pressure on the Bulls, hoping that Krause would at least put the contract extension on the agenda instead of constantly wearing down Pippen.

Of course, Sexton also knew that if reminders and hopes were useful, Pippen would have already successfully renewed his contract, so he had to resort to some tactics.

So, around the time of the All-Star Game, under Sexton's instruction and arrangement, Pippen increased his contact with the media and began to complain to them from time to time.

This tactic undoubtedly had some effect. The Bulls' management still pays great attention to the team's image management, as it is related to ticket sales, and fans will always stand on the side of the players.

Faced with this situation, Jerry Krause panicked and consulted his boss, Reinsdorf. Reinsdorf told Krause to stay calm, do nothing, not to respond, and just ignore him.

At that time, neither Jordan nor Pippen realized that their real opponent was not Jerry Krause, but the big boss behind him, Reinsdorf.

While Pippen continued to complain through the media, his performance on the court became increasingly outstanding.

After the All-Star Game, before the 12th Gan & Joe battle, the Bulls played the Sacramento Kings on the road, and Pippen was just one assist away from a triple-double.

Next up against the Charlotte Hornets, at home, Pippen had a career-high night, scoring a career-high 43 points.

That night, the entire United Center in Chicago cheered for him. In the past, the fans here would almost always cheer for Jordan, but this night Pippen became the star.

He also became the first teammate of Jordan to score 40 points in a game after Jordan entered the NBA.

Before facing the Trail Blazers, the Chicago Bulls took on the formidable Boston Celtics, vying for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. In the end, Jordan and Pippen both scored 33 points in three quarters, helping the Bulls to a 36-point lead over the Celtics and secure their hold on the top spot in the East.

Pippen's series of strong performances is telling Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause that his value is not just $70 a year, but much more.

Following these performances, Sexton called Jerry Krause to inform him that Pippen would request a trade this summer if they did not begin contract extension negotiations soon.

Klaus and Reinsdorf were both softening their stance; in fact, they knew that securing Pippen with a long-term contract was definitely a worthwhile deal.

However, a qualified capitalist must strive to reduce costs to the limit in order to maximize profits.

They now believe the time has come, and if they push Pippen too far, and he's determined to leave in the summer, the Bulls will suffer a huge loss.

However, just as they were about to begin contract renewal negotiations with Pippen, Reinsdorf glanced at the schedule and calmed Jerry Krause down.

"Our next game is against the Trail Blazers, and our opponent is Forrest Gump. Maybe we can get Forrest Gump to help us lower the price."

"But if we win..."

"The win was most likely due to Michael's efforts. And Forrest Gump, I believe in him."

As the owner of the Bulls, Rheinstein believed in Gan Guoyang's destructive potential.

In the Bulls' tactical system, Pippen often had to go head-to-head with Forrest Gump, which put him under a lot of pressure.

Therefore, Rheinsdorf wants to apply maximum pressure and see if they can put more pressure on Pippen's performance in this game.

Unexpectedly, this game completely overwhelmed Pippen.

In fact, Pippen had a chance to save the world at the last moment.

It doesn't matter if he performs poorly before, as long as he hits a game-winning three-pointer, he will be the absolute protagonist of tonight's battle between Gan and Joe.

The Bulls swept the Trail Blazers in the regular season, and Pippen will be making headlines. That three-pointer will become a classic moment in his career, replayed repeatedly.

Even if they don't shoot a three-pointer, a drive to the basket and a layup is still a classic game-tying shot, and the Bulls, playing at home, have a better chance of winning in overtime.

It's okay if you don't dare to break through; the referee gave you a chance. Two free throws were crucial shots, and Pippen deserves credit for winning the game.

Unfortunately, he missed the free throw, and unfortunately, Forrest Gump grabbed the last rebound. And it's said that Forrest Gump trash-talked Pippen.

It's over, everything's over, Pippen's contract extension plan has collapsed.

Water washed over Pippen's body again and again, and he felt some pain in his back.

He underwent lumbar spine surgery during the offseason, and it turned out that the team doctor's judgment was completely wrong; his problem was not with his back muscles at all.

His back feels good this season, but he occasionally wears a thermal vest to make himself look like he's recovering from an injury or is uncomfortable.

However, he does feel somewhat unwell now. Could it be psychological? Or has his old injury really flared up again?

Oh no, absolutely awful.

Pippen came out of the bathroom, dried himself off, and changed into clean clothes.

He declined the reporter's interview and hurriedly left the United Center to return home.

The next day, when the Bulls were practicing at the training facility, Phil Jackson noticed that Pippen was not there.

He called Pippen's house, and Pippen said he was sick and resting at home.

Jackson thought Pippen was talking complete nonsense. He was perfectly healthy yesterday, and now he's sick?
What kind of international joke is he making?
Phil Jackson reported the situation to General Manager Jerry Krause.

Krause didn't rush to communicate with Pippen; he waited another day, but Pippen still didn't come to the team's practice the next day.

Klaus first reported the situation to Rheinsdorf, and then called Pippen to inquire about the situation.

"I'm sick. My back hurts so much that I can't even stand up. I have to wait until I get better before I can compete."

"If you are really sick, you should go to the team for a check-up and let the team doctor determine whether you are able to play."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jerry. The team doctor couldn't even diagnose my problem. I told them I had back pain during my rookie season, but they didn't care. I had to see a doctor myself! I don't feel safe on this team. Nobody cares about me."

Klaus sensed the underlying resentment in Pippen's words. He first comforted Pippen, and then communicated with Reinsdorf.

Reinsdorf told Klaus that Pippen just wanted to renew his contract; it wasn't his back that hurt, it was his heart.

"How are the negotiations with Kukoc going?"

"Uh... no progress. Tony doesn't want to come to the NBA so soon."

"Why? Doesn't he want to compete with his friend Petrovich?"

"He hesitated because he felt the Bulls didn't have the same relaxed environment as the Trail Blazers; we already had Jordan and Pippen."

“Fuck, if that’s the case, then negotiations with Pippen can indeed begin.”

"He played terribly against the Trail Blazers."

"So we can also give him a worse contract."

Another reason the Bulls didn't renew Pippen's contract was that they wanted to leave $160 million in salary cap space for Toni Kukoc.

If Pippen knew, he'd be in pain again. This salary is more than double his own, and this is just a Croatian rookie.

Krause and Reinsdorf discussed and studied the matter in detail, and found that the Bulls now had a total of $160 million in salary cap space remaining.

Once the next season starts, the Bulls won't have that cap space anymore, because several players' salaries will increase, filling up the cap. Re-signing Pippen will require a lot of maneuvering, making it more difficult.

Therefore, Klaus quickly drafted a new contract.

This season, they re-signed Pippen and used up that $160 million in cap space.

That means Pippen's salary this season is $75 + $160 million from his previous contract.

For the next two seasons, Pippen continued to exercise the contract he signed during his rookie season, earning more than $70 each year.

After the 1992-1993 season, Pippen began to exercise his new contract, which was for 5 years and totaled $1800 million.

In other words, Pippen would play for the Chicago Bulls until the 1997-1998 season, during which time his average salary would be around $3 million.

After the contract was drafted, Klaus sent it to Pippen, who was "recovering from an injury" at home. As soon as Pippen saw the contract, his back injury immediately healed.

Pippen immediately called Sexton and told him about the Bulls' offer. After listening, Sexton said, "Don't sign Scott! This contract is too long. It seems like a good deal now, but you need to think long-term!"

Even Rheinsdorf personally called Pippen, perhaps out of guilt or a pang of conscience, to tell him, "This contract is for a long term, you'll definitely regret it later."

After returning to the team for training, Pippen consulted with Jordan, who also told him not to sign a contract that was too long, as there would be many opportunities in the future, especially as he was about to enter his prime.

But Pippen said, "Peak...but Forrest Gump was also in his prime..."

Upon hearing this, Jordan was speechless. He said, "Sign me if you want, but let me tell you, you won't play like Forrest Gump every game, and you won't always be that bad!"

Ultimately, Pippen accepted the contract because his family needed the money, and he was unwilling to risk losing this relatively lucrative contract due to injury.

He wants to play well and strive for his first championship with the Bulls, overcoming the formidable obstacles of the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump.

(End of this chapter)