Michael Jordan once made his feelings clear on Phil Jackson's hire as Bulls coach: "He was coming in to take the ball out of my hands"
Legendary coach Phil Jackson and Bulls legend Michael Jordan assembled one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Between 1991 and 1998, the duo won six titles together, creating one of the most iconic dynasties. Despite their success, Jordan once revealed that he wasn't a big fan of Jackson when he was first hired by the Chicago Bulls.
Joining the Bulls in 1987, the 11-time NBA-winning coach was known for his triangle offense. However, during Netflix's documentary 'The Last Dance', Jordan made his initial feelings about Jackson known, revealing that he despised the system at first (April 2020):
"I wasn’t a Phil Jackson fan when he first came in because he was coming in to take the ball out of my hands. Doug put the ball in my hands. Everybody has the opportunity to touch the ball, but I didn’t want Bill Cartwright to have the ball with five seconds left. That’s not an equal opportunity offence," he explained .
Doug Collins, the coach before Jackson's arrival, was more reliant on isolation and ran most of his plays through Michael Jordan. Although it helped the Bulls legend develop and become one of the most dominant players in the league, the system failed in the playoffs.
A team like the Bad Boys Pistons was able to shut down the six-time NBA champion, which resulted in Jordan never reaching the NBA Finals under Collins's tenure.
However, that changed when Phil Jackson arrived, as he believed in creating triangles and using every player on the court. While the GOAT had his doubts initially, he soon relinquished them, as he and Jackson went on to win two three-peats in eight years.
Michael Jordan once rejected the chance to earn six times his salary to play under Phil Jackson
Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson are known for building a lasting legacy in Chicago and winning six championships together. Their stint together, though, could have been shorter, as Jordan reportedly almost left the Bulls for the Knicks during the 1996 season.
Despite being one of the most dominant and recognizable athletes of that era, Jordan was never the highest-paid player in the league. The largest contract he had signed then was worth $4 million, which made him the 32nd highest-paid player. That left a sour taste in Air Jordan's mouth who believed he should be the highest paid player in the league.
According to an article by talksport.com, Jordan reportedly considered joining the Knicks, who were willing to offer him a "balloon payment" of $18 million per year. However, Jordan refused to join the Knicks, as he believed Phil Jackson brought the best out of him and thought that Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy couldn't do the same.
Michael Jordan's trust in Jackson eventually paid off, as the duo won two more NBA titles together while he also signed a one-year $30 million contract with the Bulls, making it the largest contract at the time.