Michael Jordan Stopped Pippen For McGrady Trade

[BostonBob]

First time I've heard this story. I'm not a fan of either team but as an NBA fan it does make me wonder how this trade would have changed NBA history.


from cbssports.com:

In Jonathan Abrams' book "Boys Among Men," it was revealed that Tracy McGrady was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen on draft night in 1997, but Michael Jordan vetoed it. On Thursday on ESPN's "The Jump," McGrady confirmed that story.

It's a shocking revelation that could have drastically altered the entirety of NBA history. If Pippen is traded, the Bulls likely don't win the 1998 title, as Michael Jordan would finish with five rings and the Raptors might have wound up with a future Hall of Famer in his prime. McGrady with the Bulls might have also changed things dramatically as McGrady would learn under Jordan, but how McGrady would handle the pressure of being traded for Pippen and Jordan's reaction to that might have been rough.

McGrady went on to be an All-Star player whose career was cruelly cut short by injury, but if things had worked for the Bulls, who knows? Maybe Jordan comes back for an extra year and they win even more titles. Maybe McGrady winds up thriving and carrying the Bulls forward, avoiding the entire Baby Bulls era, which means that Tyson Chandler never winds up in New Orleans, which vaults Chris Paul to superstardom and eventually results in Chandler winding up on the Mavericks and helping them to secure a title. If McGrady isn't there, how does the Vince Carter era go in Toronto? Does he never wind up on the Nets?

All of NBA history shifts if that trade goes through.

But in the end, the only word that mattered was "No," from the lips of Michael Jordan. And that's that.

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[Blackhawkswincup]

Just goes to show that Krause wasn't to blame for blowup of dynasty despite what some fans and media continue to push

It was doomed in summer of 98 and most of that blame falls on #23

Jordan's absurd interference in front office and demands for control and ownership stake were absurd at time and are even more clear now that we have seen how awful Jordan the executive and owner has been

 

[GKJ]

Hard to blame Jordan really, the Bulls won 2 more titles.

Not like McGrady ever did anything

 

[x Tame Impala]

If Jordan was able/wanted to play another year or two and win more titles he would have. I don't think having T Mac would've changed that

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Hard to blame Jordan really, the Bulls won 2 more titles.

Not like McGrady ever did anything

Only won one more title

This was draft night of 97. So this was going into 97-98 final year of Bulls dynasty

 

[Halladay]

If Jordan was able/wanted to play another year or two and win more titles he would have. I don't think having T Mac would've changed that

Im not so sure he was beating Tim Duncan or those Shaq lead Lakers.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Im not so sure he was beating Tim Duncan or those Shaq lead Lakers.

If we're talking mid 90s then yeah

 

[Halladay]

If we're talking mid 90s then yeah

We're not taking about the mid 90's,

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Im not so sure he was beating Tim Duncan or those Shaq lead Lakers.

Probably could have beat the 99 Spurs. Not sure about the 2000 Lakers and probably the years after that no.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Phil Jackson sure wasn't gonna be coaching against himself, either.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Phil Jackson sure wasn't gonna be coaching against himself, either.

But would he have left if Jordan didn't meddle? Smart move by him to leave for something better.

 

[MarkStone]

But would he have left if Jordan didn't meddle? Smart move by him to leave for something better.

Wasn't his deteriorating and eventually toxic relationship with Jerry Krause the (main) reason Jackson left anyway?

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Wasn't his deteriorating and eventually toxic relationship with Jerry Krause the (main) reason Jackson left anyway?

I'm sure Jordan was involves a bit. Lots of ego in that group. I wonder though what would have happened had Kobe been in Charlotte at the time. Yeah they had Shaq but those teams weren't loaded outside of the two. Ironically LA never should have had either player.

 

[HisIceness]

There's a book I read that covers the last season of the dynasty Bulls. Pippen I believe sat out the first 30 games due to surgery that summer. The Bulls started off the season barely with a winning record and during a road trip Pippen demanded a trade after an argument with management. Then Jordan took the team on his back and started winning and everything was back to normal. There was a lot of drama surrounding the Bulls that year.

Who knows for sure what would have happened but man, had that happened we never would have gotten to witness Jordans last shot at Utah, which is still I believe the most watched game in NBA history. We very well may have had a Pacers-Jazz finals that year.

 

[Power Man]

Jordan didn't take the team on his back

Kukoc started and Rodman was fantastic.
They contributions were as important as Mike's during Pippen's absence

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Just goes to show that Krause wasn't to blame for blowup of dynasty despite what some fans and media continue to push

It was doomed in summer of 98 and most of that blame falls on #23

Jordan's absurd interference in front office and demands for control and ownership stake were absurd at time and are even more clear now that we have seen how awful Jordan the executive and owner has been

Jordan's to blame for keeping Pippen over McGrady?

I don't think anybody takes McG over Pippen in 98. Krause ruined the Bulls and Krause only. You don't go boasting about can't waiting til Jordan leaves so you can start a new era, the Krause era, brag about your hand picked new coach who turned out to be a gigantic flop, flex your ego in the face of the best player in the game who had NO REASON to listen to a hack gm who was gifted the best player in the game and was proven to be a hack when his complete failure as a gm had an entire world craving for the Jordan Bulls and instead were given scraps who didn't reach potential because they were thrown to the wolves right out of high school.

Krause resented the fact the Bulls were considered Jordan's team and not his. History proved Krause to be nothing but a idiot who had greatness thrown in his fat lap and even then, his selfish pride ruined an era in the NBA.

Think about that. Krause ruined the golden age of the NBA when it was at its peak in popularity. Nobody wanted to see Jordan on another team. He has to live with that albatross and wear it like a dunce cap.

McGrady who?

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Im not so sure he was beating Tim Duncan or those Shaq lead Lakers.

Mos def the Spurs if they kept Rodman on a short leash.

Shaq, no.

 

[Megahab]

If McGrady isn't there, how does the Vince Carter era go in Toronto? Does he never wind up on the Nets?

If the trade went through, there likely wouldn't have been a Vince Carter era in Toronto. With Pippen on their roster, the Raptors likely wouldn't have been as bad as they were in the 1997-98 season. Which means they wouldn't be able to draft Jamison, and thus, not able to trade for Carter.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Jordan's to blame for keeping Pippen over McGrady?

I don't think anybody takes McG over Pippen in 98. Krause ruined the Bulls and Krause only. You don't go boasting about can't waiting til Jordan leaves so you can start a new era, the Krause era, brag about your hand picked new coach who turned out to be a gigantic flop, flex your ego in the face of the best player in the game who had NO REASON to listen to a hack gm who was gifted the best player in the game and was proven to be a hack when his complete failure as a gm had an entire world craving for the Jordan Bulls and instead were given scraps who didn't reach potential because they were thrown to the wolves right out of high school.

Krause resented the fact the Bulls were considered Jordan's team and not his. History proved Krause to be nothing but a idiot who had greatness thrown in his fat lap and even then, his selfish pride ruined an era in the NBA.

Think about that. Krause ruined the golden age of the NBA when it was at its peak in popularity. Nobody wanted to see Jordan on another team. He has to live with that albatross and wear it like a dunce cap.

McGrady who?

Oh BS

Jordan's demands for say in franchise and part ownership was a joke at time and is even more a joke now

And Jordan claiming Krause had nothing to do with championship teams is the most absurd aspect

Jordan quit on Bulls twice ,, Not Krause

To say Krause ruined golden age of NBA is laughable. And team would have been torn apart by salary cap anyway another aspect forgotten

 

[frontsfan2005]

Would Pippen even report to Toronto had this deal been made? They weren't exactly a prime destination in the late 90's.

I remember Kenny Anderson refused to report to Toronto during the 97-98 season in the Damon Stoudemire trade. He was quickly shipped to Boston for Chauncey Billups.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

There's a book I read that covers the last season of the dynasty Bulls. Pippen I believe sat out the first 30 games due to surgery that summer. The Bulls started off the season barely with a winning record and during a road trip Pippen demanded a trade after an argument with management. Then Jordan took the team on his back and started winning and everything was back to normal. There was a lot of drama surrounding the Bulls that year.

Who knows for sure what would have happened but man, had that happened we never would have gotten to witness Jordans last shot at Utah, which is still I believe the most watched game in NBA history. We very well may have had a Pacers-Jazz finals that year.

That final would have been great.

I saw a meme talking how Jordan was 6-0 and never played a game 7, basically taking a shot at LBJ. I feel like the Jazz kind of gave that series away. They had home court advantage for it. They just played the bulls the year before so they knew them well.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

That final would have been great.

I saw a meme talking how Jordan was 6-0 and never played a game 7, basically taking a shot at LBJ. I feel like the Jazz kind of gave that series away. They had home court advantage for it. They just played the bulls the year before so they knew them well.

That is false

Jordan played in one game 7 and lost (1990 Conference finals vs Pistons)

 

[Ivan13]

That is false

Jordan played in one game 7 and lost (1990 Conference finals vs Pistons)

He played in more than one game 7 (beat Indiana in '98 in an epic series), the point was that he didn't play a full 7 game series in the Finals.

I had to agree/back SE on a topic, and it's because of you. For shame!

 

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Oh BS

Um, no.

Pointless pot shots at Jordan for the sake of taking a pot shot are laughable at best.

If anybody doesn't think Jordan didn't have a say in player decisions during his run, they are doing nothing but fooling themselves. And Jordan's failures as an owner is irrelevent during his time on the Bulls. It was his team, is reguarded as his team even now, and nothings changed that opinion.

Krause was nothing but a puppet. A buffer between Reinsdorf and Jordan. A guy who threw out a different opinion. Krause, if I recall, didn't want Rodman and Jordan's approval was needed to get him. Who's team was it, again?

Jordan retired once right after his father was murdered. Not died, murdered. Anybody who holds that over him is petty. When did Jordan quit a second time?

And lastly, when has the NBA salary cap ever effected a team? Seriously

 

[HisIceness]

Would Pippen even report to Toronto had this deal been made? They weren't exactly a prime destination in the late 90's.

I remember Kenny Anderson refused to report to Toronto during the 97-98 season in the Damon Stoudemire trade. He was quickly shipped to Boston for Chauncey Billups.

Probably not. Besides Anderson there was at least one other player prior to Carter who did not want to play there, think it might have been BJ Armstrong. Times are different now though, makes me wonder what the Grizzlies would be like today had they not left Vancouver. Didn't Steve Francis demand they not draft him and yet they did anyway?