The new ten-part Chicago Bulls documentary, “The Last Dance,” debuted last night on ESPN. I was pumped to watch it and after two episodes, I’m hooked.
NBA basketball from the ‘90s is my favorite, so hearing the behind-the-scenes stories about Michael Jordan and the Bulls, along with never before seen footage, is captivating.
As incredible and successful as the Bulls were, the big takeaway from the first night of the documentary is just how much tension there was between management and head coach Phil Jackson, and the players (especially Scottie Pippen).
Heading into the 1997-1998 season, the Bulls were going for their sixth NBA Championship, but there were layers of issues and fractured relationships that threatened to derail them.
GM, Jerry Krause, appeared to be at the center of the conflict. He played a key role in the construction of the Bulls' roster (ultimately winning six championships) by trading for Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Luc Longley.
He also drafted Horace Grant and Toni Kukoc and brought in Phil Jackson as an assistant coach who was eventually promoted to head coach.
Despite all the great moves he made, and the championships they won, he had a tough time getting along with everyone. It seems the documentary will explore this further in the coming weeks, but this quote from Steve Kerr seems to sum it up:
"He deserves a lot of credit , but he couldn't get out of his own way."
We can conclude that Krause wanted more credit and respect for his role in the Bulls dynasty, but Jordan, Jackson, and Pippen seemed to garner more attention.
Something else made clear was that Krause wanted to move on from this era of the Bulls and start rebuilding with Tim Floyd as the head coach.
This seemed crazy then and still does now when you consider Michael Jordan wanted to keep playing (eventually with the Wizards) and Phil Jackson wanted to keep coaching (winning with the Lakers).
Why would Krause allow his agenda and personal issues get in the way of continuing the success? But even though he deserves plenty of the blame, he wasn't the only one that contributed to the breaking up of the Bulls.
I look forward to more details unfolding and more context being added to the story, but there is no question that pride, ego, self-interests, and unfortunate decisions infiltrated the Bulls' dynasty.
As unique as this story is, so much of it is also relatable and commonplace. Most dynasties, businesses, marriages, and friendships end because of pride, ego, self-interests, and unfortunate decisions. How often have we experienced conflict or fractures in relationships because we or someone else "couldn't get out of his own way?"
However, as followers of Jesus, our perspective on pride and selfishness is much different than the world's and the Bible calls us to a higher standard.
In Philippians 2:3 (AMP), we're challenged to "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit , but with humility , regard others as more important than yourselves."
If we put our self-interests ahead of the "team," then our personal agenda will get in the way of continuing the "success" and experiencing fruitful relationships.
We also have to be cautious about a lack of respect and credit leading us to make unfortunate decisions because we're comparing our contributions to other people.
Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT) encourages us to "Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct."
Today, as we reflect on the incredible run the Bulls made while also thinking about what could have been if pride didn't end it, let's learn from them and ask God to remove our own selfish desires as we seek to do His will.
In other words, let's get out of our own way!
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that my ego leads me to make poor decisions and my pride creates tension in relationships. Help me to be filled with humility and put the interests of others ahead of my own. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What relationships have ended in your life because of pride?
Why is self-seeking so detrimental as followers of Jesus?
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