Chapter 838: Chapter 36: Cheap Contract_2
But he didn’t dare to neglect going all out, because once injured and benched, his career might face a catastrophic end—because the last two years of his six-year contract with the Bulls were non-guaranteed, dependent on the team’s option.
To this end, during the off-season, Pippen purchased a disability insurance policy worth 3 million US dollars to safeguard against serious injury during the season that could leave him without coverage.
Even so, this could not 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 that if he was injured and they didn’t offer him a contract, he wouldn’t play well and would just focus on recovery.
To appease Pippen’s emotions, at the start of the season, Krause promised to sign a new contract with Pippen before Christmas.
Thus, Pippen worked diligently until Christmas. Before the All-Star game, he had already become an almost All-Star player, averaging 18 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
Yet Christmas had passed for two months, the All-Star game had ended, the Gulf War was over and still, Krause had not brought up the matter of renewal.
Being stood up left Pippen very angry but powerless, because the initiative was not in his hands. He thought about asking for a trade, but his agent, Jimmy Sexton, talked him out of it.
During the off-season, it had been Sexton who had stepped in, found Pippen in Memphis and convinced him to attend the training camp, telling him that the Bulls were the best platform for him and that being selected as an All-Star this season would benefit his contract renewal negotiations.
Sexton was half right; the Bulls indeed were a good platform for Pippen. However, unfortunately, Pippen did not make it to the All-Star team, which diminished his trade value and renewal value.
This time, Sexton hoped Pippen would be more patient and still use his performance to prove himself, asserting that enhancing his intrinsic value was the only right path.
Of course, Sexton fully understood Pippen’s predicament. The first time he visited Pippen’s hometown, he was also shocked by his family’s dire situation—the true face of poverty.
For someone like Sexton who grew up in a city, it was hard to imagine that such impoverished places still existed in 20th-century America, where over a dozen people crammed into a small wooden shack.
So, as Sexton was reassuring Pippen, he continued to pressure the Bulls management, hoping Krause would at least schedule the renewal, instead of constantly exhausting Pippen.
Of course, Sexton also knew that if reminders and hopes were effective, Pippen would have already successfully renewed his contract, so some strategies were necessary.
Therefore, around the time of the All-Star game, under Sexton’s instruction and arrangement, Pippen increased his media appearances, starting to share his grievances with the press from time to time.
This tactic undoubtedly had some effect as the Bulls management was quite concerned about the team’s image and its impact on ticket sales; fans would always side with the players.
Faced with this situation, Jerry Krause became somewhat panicky, consulting with owner Reinsdorf, who told Krause to stay calm, do nothing, don’t respond, just leave it be.
At that time, neither Jordan nor Pippen realized that their true adversary wasn’t Jerry Krause, but the big boss behind the scenes, Reinsdorf.
While continuing to vent through the media, Pippen’s performance on the court kept improving.
After the All-Star game, just before the 12th Gan Qiao showdown, the Bulls faced the Sacramento Kings on the road, where Pippen was just one assist short of a triple-double.
Next, against the Charlotte Hornets at home, Pippen had the highlight of his career, scoring his personal best of 43 points.
That night, the entire United Center in Chicago cheered for him. Previously, the fans here almost only cheered for Jordan; this time, Pippen became the focus.
He also became the first partner after Jordan’s NBA entry to score 40 points in a game.
Before facing the Trail Blazers, the Chicago Bulls battled the impressively strong Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
As a result, Jordan and Pippen both scored 33 points in three quarters, helping the Bulls to lead the Celtics by 36 points, thrashing the Celtics, and securing their position as the number one in the Eastern Conference.
Pippen’s series of strong performances was telling Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause that his value was not just 700 thousand US dollars a year; he deserved much more.
Following these performances, Sexton called Krause, warning that if they didn’t start renewal negotiations soon, Pippen would request a trade in the summer.
Krause and Reinsdorf both softened; in fact, they knew that locking in Pippen with a long-term contract was definitely worth it.
However, as qualified capitalists, they always strive to push the costs to the limit; only then they can earn maximum profits.
Now they felt the time was right, as pushing Pippen too hard could mean the Bulls would suffer great losses if he decided to leave with determination in the summer.
But just as they were getting ready to start negotiations with Pippen for renewal, Reinsdorf glanced at the schedule and calmed Krause down again.
"The next game is against the Trail Blazers, and the opponent is Ah Gan. Maybe we can let Ah Gan help us drive the price down."
"But if we win..."
"If we win, it’ll likely be thanks to Michael’s efforts. And as for Ah Gan, I trust him."
As the Bulls’ owner, Reinsdorf had faith in the destructive power of Gan Guoyang.
In the Bulls’ tactical system, Pippen often had to confront Ah Gan head-on, bearing a lot of pressure.
