Chapter 747: Chapter 5 Goodbye
Reinsdorf received a call from Jerry Krause, and replied: "Jerry, have you been drinking? Or are you on drugs? Go wash your face and sort your thoughts out before you call me again!"
After that, Reinsdorf hung up the mobile phone. He was on the golf course playing with executives from American Express, discussing real estate tenders and development.
In 1982, he sold his real estate company to American Express, acquiring a large sum of cash, and then purchased the Chicago White Sox, followed by the Chicago Bulls in 1986.
He retained the position of president of the real estate company, continued to draw a salary, and worked in the real estate industry, no longer as the big boss, the White Sox and Bulls were now his assets.
Under his management, the White Sox and Bulls flourished; the White Sox won the American League’s division championship in 1983, and the Chicago Bulls made it to the Eastern finals two years in a row.
Reinsdorf had a premonition that his teams were just one step away from the highest stage, a historic breakthrough into the NBA finals for the Chicago Bulls might just be in the 1990-1991 season.
But could they win the championship? Reinsdorf was not sure.
The looming shadow of the Portland Trail Blazers cast over the entire league, Ah Gan’s magic grip descending once again.
Since 1986, in five seasons, he had clinched four championships, and last season Portland was dominant.
However, during the off-season, Jerry Krause believed that although the Trail Blazers were strong, they had a fatal flaw in their backcourt.
There was not a single backcourt player on the Trail Blazers who could even slightly control Michael Jordan.
Even Ah Gan, when facing Jordan, was diminishing in advantage, and with the natural superiority of outside positions over inside, he was confident about the new season.
Reinsdorf tentatively trusted Krause’s judgment but still requested the management to reinforce the team urgently in the summer to prepare for the new season.
Especially strengthening the team’s inside positions, Bill Cartwright could cope quite well against other centers in the league, but against Ah Gan, he was completely powerless.
Not to mention now the Trail Blazers also had the Lithuanian giant Sabonis, their inside strength was vast.
After the off-season started, the Bulls had already lost a player, Ed Nili.
Nili wasn’t remarkably talented, only 6 feet 7 inches tall, a white forward. In regular seasons, he barely scored 2 points and 3 rebounds per game, a rather marginal player in the league.
Yet such a player had been in the league for 7 years, his talents quite mediocre, so much so that people in the league thought, "If Nili can play for seven years, then I should be able to play until I’m 40."
But the reality was different; Nili was very hardworking and self-disciplined. He wouldn’t be seen at strip clubs or casino bars at night, instead, he was at home resting up and gathering strength.
He was always the first to attend training or work out in the gym, many times even earlier than Jordan.
When he didn’t get the chance to play, he didn’t complain, when he did play, he seldom shot, but did the bits and pieces work, contently playing his supporting role.
In Chicago, Nili was liked by fans, respected by teammates, and welcomed by management. Every team needed one or two such players, inconspicuous ballasts that could stabilize a team by setting an example.
During the playoffs against the Washington Bullets, when Pippen had to miss games due to his father’s death, Nili played very well, providing cover, setting screens, holding positions, and grabbing rebounds.
He snatched a rebound from Charles Barkley, helping the team win, and was selected as the best player of the game by CBS’ live broadcast.
During the off-season, Nili demanded a contract from the Chicago Bulls worth 700,000 US dollars per year.
Phil Jackson thought the Bulls should keep Nili, but 700,000 dollars was indeed too high.
Reinsdorf specifically consulted the Suns’ general manager Colangelo, asking how much Nili’s annual salary was worth.
Nili had been playing for King earlier, Bulls signed Nili in ’88, later traded him to the Suns for Hodges, and in ’89, Nili returned to the Bulls.
Colangelo knew Nili well, but he shook his head, indicating it was hard to say.
Reinsdorf then asked: "Would anyone give Ed Nili 700,000 US dollars a year? Jerry, who would do such a stupid thing?"
Colangelo ambiguously said he didn’t know.
A few days later, the Suns gave Nili a three-year contract.
Thus, the Bulls lost a player who wasn’t crucial but had a lot of potential utility, which greatly irked Reinsdorf.
What was more frustrating, in September, Charles Barkley requested a trade, and the Bulls tried making an offer, packing Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright, along with draft rights.
If the Bulls could acquire Barkley, then a combination of Jordan-Pippen-Barkley would be unstoppable.
But on one hand, Barkley clearly didn’t want to come to the Bulls to be Jordan’s sidekick, and on the other, the Washington Bullets weren’t too interested in the Bulls’ chips.
In the end, it was the Phoenix Suns again, trading all-star player Tom Chambers for Barkley, which significantly boosted their strength overnight.
That damned Suns and Colangelo, Reinsdorf felt he was being mocked.
Even worse, Jordan was dissatisfied with the Bulls not being proactive in the Barkley trade.
He didn’t think Barkley didn’t want to come to Chicago to play, rather he felt that Jerry Krause didn’t want to trade Bill Cartwright and Horace Grant.
