Entitled: after defeating the Jazz in six to win the championship, the Bulls deserve to stay together and play for one more ring - Chicago Bulls basketball club - includes related information - Cover Story

After defeating the Jazz in six to win the championship, the Bulls deserve to stay together and play for one more ring

The popular saying used to be that the only man who ever stopped Michael Jordan was Dean Smith, the North Carolina coach, because Smith used to blend Jordan into the far Heel mix. No one player was allowed to deviate or digress.

Now that the Bulls have won their fifth championship in seven seasons--their 90-86 victory last Friday clinched the title in six games--the only man who can stop Jordan is Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. A successful businessman and two-team owner (the White Sox are his other toy), he is the one who will make the final decisions on who stays or who goes.

The NBA and its television confederates, NBC, TNT and TBS, are crossing fingers and toes that Reinsdorf resists the nagging temptation to start rebuilding the BuDs and allow Jordan to ride into the sunset. The rest of the league might be hoping otherwise, for Pat Riley's words following the Miami-Chicago series ring as loud and true today as they did three weeks ago: As long as Michael sticks around, everyone else is playing for second.

Why, then, is there even any talk of dismantling this team? Clearly, it is the best in the NBA and has been the past two years. Given adequate health, always a qualifier in any situation, there's every reason to assume that some other Western Conference team will be offered up as a sacrifice next June.

After clinching the series and his fifth MVP award for the Finals, Jordan finally spoke about what he saw as the sheer idiocy of breaking up this team. It was an eloquent, impassioned shot across the bow to Reinsdorf, a man few people really know or understand except that he (a) gave one unbalanced player, Albert Belle, $55 million and (b) he gave another, Dennis Rodman, $9 million. He also was in Philadelphia for the baseball meetings on the night of Game 5 in Salt Lake City.

To Jordan, it's simple. Bring back coach Phil Jackson. Jordan says he has earned the right to play for the man who has been around for the five titles. "Sad as it may be," he says, "I have choices. And I will not choose to play for another coach."

Jordan also wants Scottie Pippen to be around for a while--he's the subject of numerous trade rumors and will be a free agent after next season--and even went to bat for Rodman's return. "Sure, he's going to go wacko every now and then," Jordan says of Rodman. "We've come to live with that and accept it. But you can't find another player who works as hard as Dennis, gives 110 percent, dives for loose balls even if he can't get them. I don't have a problem with Dennis."

It shouldn't even have to come to this. In part, the reason the team's future is in jeopardy is that Jackson, Jordan and Rodman are free agents. If they were under contract, none of this would be happening. But they aren't. The Bulls are playing it one year at a time these days.

It would be one thing if the Bulls looked continually vulnerable or shaky, if their old players showed signs of winding down, or if there was some team ready to dethrone them. None of those instances is close to occurring, which says a lot about the BuDs (and even more about the sad state today of the NBA) and is a compelling reason not to break them up.

Did Chicago look vulnerable in the postseason? At times, yes. One of the most telling statistics from the Finals is that in Games 1, 5 and 6, aD Chicago victories, the Jazz led the game for an incredible 128 out of a possible 144 minutes. And the Bulls still won, pulling the games out in the fourth quarter with terrific defense and opportunistic offense.

The Bulls lost four games in the postseason and dominated the Heat in the conference final. (Let it be noted, however, that there may never be a worse 61-win team in NBA history than this year's Heat.) And the conditions and circumstances under which the Bulls worked and eventually prevailed were anything but favorable. As Jackson noted, "It was a very bumpy road through the playoffs."

Pippen, the co-MVP in Jordan's mind, had a sore left foot throughout and was basically a non-factor in Game 2 after reinjuring it blocking a shot in the opening minutes. Chicago still won that game handily, 97-85. Pippen shot 44 percent-from the field in the Finals but was a menacing presence on defense throughout. "Everybody congratulated me for the job I did on (John) Stockton," Steve Kerr says. "I didn't do anything. I waited for Scottie to leave his man and come over and help me."

"Scottie's defense was a one-man wrecking crew," Jackson says.

Toni Kukoc, last year's Sixth Man award winner, also was hobbled by a foot ailment. A healthy Kukoc likes to cut and slash to the hoop and spot up for 3-pointers. This Kukoc rarely did anything but spot up, though he made three killer 3s in the big 90 88 victory in Game 5 and came up with giant tips in Games 5 and 6.

Jordan struggled with his shooting, making 45 percent of his shots. Chicago's offense was a joke for most of the Finals, clicking only sporadically as the team relied on its defense to stay in games. There was never any cohesiveness or consistency; at times the famed triangle looked more like a straight line to No. 23. This team scored the third-fewest points in league history for a six-game series in the Finals. Alas, in the six games combined, the Jazz scored four fewer points.

But, of course, none of this matters because the Bulls are the Bulls and, unlike any other team in today's watered-down NBA, they know what it takes to win. They have dominated for so long they have made second place almost an acceptable alternative. "Well, we didn't win the title," a coach can say. "But we lost to the Bulls." No team has had the success Chicago has had in the Finals. Even Red Auerbach's Celtics lost in their second trip to the big dance.

Is there any evidence the players are slowing down? None. Jordan has not missed a game since returning from baseball. And who will ever forget his effort in Game 5 when he scored 38 points while barely being able to walk because of a stomach ailment? Yes, he's 34, an age at which most guards start to break down or lose something. What has Jordan lost, other than his hair? (And that's by design.) Numbers and milestones and actuarial figures mean nothing when Michael Jordan is the subject. Maybe the baseball break was bad for his batting average, but it was just what his basketball-weary mind and body needed.

Was there any evidence that Jordan is even descending to the realm of the mortal? The people who voted for Karl Malone as the league's most valuable player cited Jordan's declining shooting percentage as one reason. That's about the most ridiculous and fallacious argument one can make. Jordan led his team to 69 wins in a tougher conference--only five teams in the West had winning records, while nine in the East were over .500. And let's not forget It was, as Jackson noted, a bumpy road. All season. "Last year was fun," Kerr says. "This year was a grind."

Although Jordan suited up for all 82 games, he didn't have much company. There was the absence of Luc Longley, who missed 23 games. Longley can be infuriatingly ineffective, as was the case in Game 6, when everything he did with the ball resulted in a turnover or a blocked shot. Or he can be a key contributor, as he was in Game 5, when he connected on 6-of-7 shots. Kukoc missed 25 games, and his value to the team is huge. In December, he was the one who exploded against the Lakers and brought the Bulls back from a 19-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Lest we forget, he is still 28. (He turns 29 in September.) Then there's Rodman, who was a distracting presence all season and whose reprehensible behavior should preclude Reinsdorf from even considering bringing him back, Jordan's pleas notwithstanding. (We're not sure, but we think Michael might be flexible on that issue.) Rodman missed 27 games for various reasons, including a club-ordered suspension.

With all these sideshows and absences, the Bulls still won 69 games, or three fewer than their historic '95-96 season. Until last year, only one team had ever won as many as 69 games. The Bulls have now done it two consecutive seasons. And that leads us to yet another reason breaking up the Bulls would be a foolish proposition: No team can legitimately say it's ready to take over.

We saw that this was the case in the Eastern Conference in the 1980s. The Pistons fought and fought and finally brought down the Celtics. The Bulls fought and fought and finally brought down the Pistons. But there is no team that has consistently challenged the Bulls to the point where it is ready to even think of supplanting them, although the Knicks like to think this is their lot.

In the conference finals this year, the Bulls defeated the Heat. In the conference finals the year before, the Bulls defeated the Magic. In 1993, the victim was the Knicks, in 1992 the Cavaliers and, in 1991, the Pistons. You sense a trend here? Next year it could again be the Knicks. Or just about anyone one else. But no team is out there to make a legitimate claim to the Eastern title. Orlando appeared to be ready to make that jump, until center Shaquille O'Neal left for Los Angeles.

Even in the two years Jordan was out of the Finals, two teams from the East represented the conference in the Finals, New York and Orlando. In this decade, Chicago has been the only constant winner.

Just look at the East and try to make a convincing argument for any other team. The Knicks? They probably have the best chance, but Patrick Ewing is getting older, and their offseason reloading act wasn't even enough to get them to the conference Finals (Yeah, the suspensions hurt. But how in the world can they justify losing the division title, and homecourt, to Miami?) The Heat? Maybe, if Alonzo Mourning decides to show up for a big game. What they did this season is remarkable, but also understandable given the dilution of talent in the league. Tim Hardaway a first-team, All-NBA player? Ahead of Gary Payton or Stockton? The Bulls exposed the Heat as total frauds in the conference final; Miami was fortunate to have won one game, and that was only because Michael may have decided to play too much golf.

Orlando? No inside game. Ditto for Detroit. Atlanta? Lenny Wilkens will always get the most out of what he has which, the last time we checked, was four players. Washington? Bernie Bickerstaff wrecked a potentially terrific team in Denver and now oversees another up and-coming team in the, um, Wizards. Watch out. If this Bulls team stays intact and stays even remotely healthy, everyone in the East will have to be playing for two years down the road. Or more.

"I don't know why people are even talking about breaking this team up," Pippen says. "We're the best team in the league. There's no one out there that can beat us."

He's right. Let's take a look at the West. The Jazz gave their best shot and still won only twice. They were determined, focused experienced. They had paid their dues. They played well enough to beat almost anyone else. But when the time came to win the game or lose it, the Bulls made the big plays. You don't win titles by missing free throws or layups, all of which the Jazz did at critical junctures in close games.

The Lakers may present the biggest threat to Chicago. It's hard to make a rational judgment on regular-season games, but the Lakers almost won in Chicago, and they beat the Bulls in L.A. without Shaq. And they won 56 games with O'Neal missing a considerable stretch. Still, there's something missing with the Lakers, whether it's experience, dedication, depth or the knowledge to win. Do the Lakers really want it? Shaq says he does, but his playoff resume is covered with unfulfilled expectations. Until he steps up and earns his money, he will be remembered for two remarks: "I just want to drink Pepsi, wear Reeboks and have fun," and "I've won at every level except college and pro."

Houston? It may have blown its beat chance this season. Seattle? As far as talent and depth goes, the Sonics still have the best roster in the conference. What they lack is well known by now: enough pacifiers. George Karl should merit a degree in childhood education. Minnesota is headed in the right direction, but the T-Wolves don't figure to be a factor until Michael is ready for the Senior PGA Tour.

So, there you have it. There is no valid, convincing or logical reason to start dismantling the Bulls. None whatsoever. As long as they have Jordan and Pippen and willing role players, everyone is playing for the silver medal. They might as well order the rings for 1998. It is a slam-dunk argument in a basketball sense. But Reinsdorf is a businessman. He's looking Down The Road.

If he looks at the NBA landscape and decides it's time to dig up the yard and replant, then he will be doing a disservice to the city he calls home (he's actually from Brooklyn) and to the fans he says he cares about. The fans, the city, the NBA, everyone deserves another year of Michael Jordan and the Bulls as they now exist. Reinsdorf is measuring his team not solely against the league, but against history. That should take precedence over everything, but it's his call and we'll have to wait for his decision. We know what Jordan wants. That should be enough.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE LAST WORDS

"Give me the ball."

That's usually what Michael Jordan says when the Bulls need a game-winning score. In Game 6, however, it was Steve Kerr who uttered that phrase.

It came during a timeout with 28 seconds remaining and the score tied at 86. "Everybody in the gym, everybody on TV knew (the ball) was coming to me," Jordan says. "I looked at Steve and said, `This is your chance, because I know (John) Stockton is going to come to you.'" That's when Kerr told Jordan he wanted the shot.

As predicted, Stockton did leave Kerr to double on Jordan, who had the ball on the left wing. And with five seconds left, after receiving a pass just behind the free-throw line, Kerr sank his 17-foot, title-winning jumper.

The shot was sweet redemption for Kerr. In Game 4, he missed a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter that would have given the Bulls the lead, and he was the guard responsible for rotating back when Karl Malone broke free downcourt for his game-winning layup. Bulls coach Phil Jackson also criticized Kerr for letting Stockton, one of the game's most physical guards, push him around.

"He's getting run over by Stockton out there on the floor," Jackson said before Game 5, "and he better step up because he's not giving fair play for fair play out there."

The one-sided matchup brought back memories of Kerr's first encounter with Stockton, in 1983. That spring, Kerr, a high school senior, made a visit to Gonzaga, hoping he would be offered a scholarship. After he arrived, he would up playing in a pickup game. "It turned out I had to guard Stockton and vice versa," Kerr says. "It was before his senior year, and he proceeded to kick my (butt), kill me." After the workout, Kerr was told there would be no scholarship.

For one night, however, the biggest night of the season, Kerr was able to get the best of the matchup. "I had a bad series, I didn't play well," he says. "But the thing I kept telling myself the last few days was there's still more games to be played. We were up, 3-2, coming in here and I had every reason to be upbeat.

"I wasn't about to let some missed shots in Utah get me down."

RELATED ARTICLE: DREAM MATCHUP

There will be a team from the Western Conference make it to the Finals next year. And it's time we were rewarded with the one showcase event we haven't seen yet: Michael vs. Hakeem.

The two best basketball players of the decade have won every championship since 1991 and have yet to meet for the title. It's the one matchup that hoop fans everywhere would like to see, even if they technically wouldn't play against each other.

We almost got it this year. But the Jazz stepped in the way and may be primed to do it again. The Jazz are a veteran team whose veterans, unlike those on the Rockets, stay in shape and don't get hurt or miss games. Age and infirmity are the Rockets' biggest obstacles, but Houston will remain a factor if its Big Three return and stay reasonably healthy. A Houston-Chicago final would be a perfect way for Michael and the Bulls to go out, assuming, of course, they prevail.

The Knicks probably represent the biggest hindrance to Chicago in the East. They will still be strong next year, but their inherent troubles are well known, be they Patrick Ewing's age or the combustibility factor that exists as long as John Starks and Larry Johnson are on the roster. The Knicks also have never beaten a Jordan-led team in a playoff series and needed official Hue Hollins to beat the Jordan-less Bulls in 1994.

Don't be surprised if the Pacers vault back into the picture, especially if new coach Larry Bird gets a scoring small forward. The Pacers may have been the greatest 39-win team in NBA history last season.

In the end, however, let's hope for Chicago-Houston, and enjoy it.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT ABOUT UTAH?

Everyone is wondering about the future of the Bulls. But what will happen to the Jazz?

It won't be an easy summer for director of basketball operations Scott Layden and owner Larry Miller. The Jazz have six free agents. Two are starters (Jeff Hornacek and Bryon Russell) and three are valued reserves (Antoine Carr, Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley). Only Stephen Howard, who did not play a single second against the Bulls, is presumably expendable.

"We have been able to keep our players," Miller says, sounding like a proud father. "We want to keep this team intact, but it has to work economically, too. That's the overriding thing."

Under the league's complicated salary-cap rules, all of the main free agents except Anderson can be re-signed at any price. Unless Utah finds some room under the cap--and that's highly doubtful if it wants to keep its players--Anderson will be able to receive only a 20 percent raise over his 1996-97 salary, which was approximately $220,000.

Hornacek, who makes around $2.4 million, is comfortable in Utah. And at 34, he's not going to command the type of open-market money he would get from the Jazz Carr, who turns 36 next month, is in the same boat. They should stay where they are and enjoy it while it lasts.

Russell and Eisley will be harder calls. Russell, 26, who just finished his fourth year, finally surfaced as the long-awaited small forward in the starting lineup. He made $385,000 and will be looking for a big hit. Put it this way: The average NBA salary is close to $2 million, and rising. But no one other than Utah will want to pay him anything close to that.

Eisley, 24, had a terrific Finals and may be harder to keep. Point guards are at a premium in the league, and there are teams with money to spend (Vancouver, Denver). He says he's happy in Utah, but does he want to continue to play 10-15 minutes a game as John Stockton's understudy? And will the Jazz recognize that the may be the heir apparent and reward him with the requisite time and money?

"Everybody has decisions to make," Karl Malone says. "I'm not management. I'm a player. But I would like to have the guys back." Layden says Stockton and Malone will play a role in the process. "They've earned that right," he says. "This their team."

Peter May covers the NBA for the Boston Globe and the Celtics for The Sporting News.

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