Longtime NBA writer Sam Smith is formally calling out Michael Jordan on the 10-part documentary that chronicled the Chicago Bulls 1997-1998 season.
One of the biggest revelations from the documentary came at the end of the final episode, when Jordan said that he wanted to return to the Chicago Bulls after winning the 1998 title. He said the organization decided to commit to a full rebuild.
Jordan added that Pippen, Dennis Rodman and coach Phil Jackson would have returned on one-year contracts if owner Jerry Reinsdorf would have offered them.
Former Chicago Tribune writer and author of “The Jordan Rules,” Sam Smith, is calling bullcrap and what Jordan had to say.
During a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game’s “Bonta, Steiny & Guru,” Smith said Jordan being forced into retirement is a “blatant lie,” adding that Jordan also “made up” or “lied about” multiple stories in the documentary.
“That was a complete and blatant lie by Michael,” Smith said of Jordan wanting to return for the 1998-99 season. “There were several things in the documentary that I saw, I would know, that he made up or he lied about. They weren’t major things, but it was like when a TV movie comes on and they say, ‘this is based on a true story.’ That’s what that was. It was based on a true story.”
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Smith also questioned Jordan’s story about getting food poisoning from bad pizza.
“The pizza thing — the poison — that was complete nonsense,” Smith said. “There were a couple of other things like that I won’t go into. They weren’t major, but the thing at the end [about Jordan wanting to return for the 1998-99 season] was a complete, blatant lie. I know what happened.”
Smith then brought up a conversation between Reinsdorf and Jordan that took place during July of 1998.
“Jerry says, ‘You know, it’s a lockout. It might last a while. Just wait, maybe Phil changes his mind. Who knows what’s going on, there’s no hurry,’ ” Smith said. “[Jordan says] ‘No, I’m done, I’m done. I don’t wanna be around these guys anymore. I had to carry us down the stretch. Pippen couldn’t play in Game 6 [of the 1998 Finals] because his back was hurt, he’s limping around. Dennis is crazy.’ If Michael wanted to stay, there was enough team to stay with.”
He then brought up the team still having pieces on the squad in Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, and the team signing Brent Barry in free agency. Not to mention, the entire coaching staff was coming back aside from Phil Jackson.
“To come back in ’98 and do what he did and basically walk away when he didn’t have to, and then to pretend that he was the one that wanted to play and they forced him out? Who ever forces Michael Jordan out to do anything? Anyway, such a blatant lie, but hey, that’s part of the mystique of Michael Jordan.”
