Jerry Krause's decision to break up the '98 Bulls team explained in unfinished memoir

The finale episodes of Michael Jordan's The Last Dance premiered on Sunday (Monday IST), highlighting Jordan's final championship run for the Chicago Bulls. Something that was touched upon in the first episode itself, general manager Jerry Krause was vocal about the 1998 team not returning for the next season. In his unfinished memoir, Jerry Krause apparently defended his decision to break up the Bulls team after their sixth NBA title. Here is what Krause said about the Bulls break up.

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Why Did Jerry Krause break up the Bulls? The Bulls break up explained by Krause

Jerry Krause's family provided an excerpt of his memoir to NBC Sports Chicago's KC Johnson, where Krause defended his decision while talking about Dennis Rodman's behaviour, Luc Longley's decline and Scottie Pippen's injury during the 1997-98 season, which might have made asking Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan to stay for one more season nearly impossible. Krause wrote that there was no chance they could ask Phil Jackson to stay with only Jackson remaining along with a new bench which would have to trust Jordan entirely. 

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While talking about the team, Jerry Krause also revealed that no one apart from a select few people were aware of the aftermath of the Bulls sixth championship. He called out people of accusing them of breaking up the team they worked so hard on due to their egos. He even spoke about the NBA Draft pick and how the last pick every year would not help them rebuild after their core team would retire.

Krause also believed that acquiring Toni Kukoc was lucky for the team. He even wrote about Jordan's finger injury, which would have made him miss out on the season if he played. Jordan, according to Krause, stuck to his word about not playing for the next season. 

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Jerry Krause, who passed away at age 77 in 2017, has face criticism after The Last Dance has been released. After the Bulls won their sixth championship, the NBA legend announced his second retirement. Jackson moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers, who he led to a three-peat along with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets, which he referred to as a favour for the Bulls forward.

While nothing can be said for sure, many fans believed that the team would have continued to win if they had not broken up. In April, Dennis Rodman added that the team would have won a fourth straight title 'easily' had it not taken place.

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