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 gas, 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 ga, he had already beco an almost All-Star player, averaging 18 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per ga.
Yet Christmas had passed for two months, the All-Star ga 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 mphis 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 ti, 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 predicant. The first ti he visited Pippen’s hotown, he was also shocked by his family’s dire situation—the true face of poverty.
For soone like Sexton who grew up in a city, it was hard to imagine that such impoverished places still existed in 20th-century Arica, where over a dozen people cramd into a small wooden shack.
So, as Sexton was reassuring Pippen, he continued to pressure the Bulls managent, 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 so strategies were necessary.
Therefore, around the ti of the All-Star ga, under Sexton’s instruction and arrangent, Pippen increased his dia appearances, starting to share his grievances with the press from ti to ti.
This tactic undoubtedly had so effect as the Bulls managent 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 beca sowhat panicky, consulting with owner Reinsdorf, who told Krause to stay calm, do nothing, don’t respond, just leave it be.
At that ti, 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 dia, Pippen’s performance on the court kept improving.
After the All-Star ga, just before the 12th Gan Qiao showdown, the Bulls faced the Sacranto Kings on the road, where Pippen was just one assist short of a triple-double.
Next, against the Charlotte Hornets at ho, 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 ti, Pippen beca the focus.
He also beca the first partner after Jordan’s NBA entry to score 40 points in a ga.
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 sumr.
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 ti was right, as pushing Pippen too hard could an the Bulls would suffer great losses if he decided to leave with determination in the sumr.
But just as they were getting ready to start negotiations with Pippen for renewal, Reinsdorf glanced at the schedule and cald Krause down again.
"The next ga 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.
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