At the Chicago Bulls headquarters, owner Jerry Reinsdorf hung up the phone in disappointment.
He hadn't been able to get ahold of Jordan all day since they met yesterday.
He knew Jordan was waiting for his final decision and if he didn't announce the firing of Jerry Krause, he could forget about getting Jordan back.
Just then, the phone on the desk rang.
"I'm Reinsdorf."
"Mr. Reinsdorf, it's Phil Knight."
"Mr. Knight, you got any news about Jordan?" Reinsdorf asked quickly.
"I'm sorry, I can't reach him either right now. Mr. Reinsdorf, you really can't hesitate anymore. I back Jordan's decision. The Bulls gotta shake up management if you wanna win Michael back. To show Nike's support, we're ready to help the Bulls rebuild a championship roster this offseason," Phil Knight said seriously.
Reinsdorf's mind was spinning fast, weighing the pros and cons, before he finally said, "That's not enough. Jerry Krause built the Bulls dynasty. His value is huge. You're gonna need to show even more sincerity."
"What do you mean?"
"If we're gonna build a championship team, it's gonna cost a lot. We'll have to spend big."
"Nike's already decided to increase its sponsorship for the Chicago Bulls."
"Mr. Knight, I still need a little more time to think about it."
"Alright, but please hurry. I'll be waiting for your answer."
After hanging up, Reinsdorf sat back, thinking hard—was Jordan more important, or Krause?
But it only took him three seconds to realize... this wasn't even a real question.
At a hotel nearby, Ernie Grunfeld hadn't flown back to New York with the Knicks.
Instead, he stayed in Chicago.
The Bulls were falling apart and about to turn into a supermarket for players.
He was ready to swoop in—he wanted to flip Jason Kidd for Danny Fortson, a player Krause had been chasing.
Right now, he was just waiting to see who the Bulls were gonna pick to run the team next.
Around noon, the Bulls called a press conference.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf officially announced the dismissal of general manager Jerry Krause.
Jerry Krause had been key to the Bulls' success, but his beef with Jordan and Phil Jackson had divided opinions on him.
His firing got a standing ovation from Bulls fans.
"Finally! We can keep Michael!"
"He should've been gone a long time ago—management finally made the right call!"
"Does this mean Phil Jackson's staying too?"
"Man, not gonna lie, I was mad at Jackson after Game 4 in the Eastern Conference Finals. We should've smoked the Knicks, but they tricked us with some trash tactics."
"Bro, Ewing and Rodman are cooked. If they hadn't been bodied by Zhao Dong, we would've been fine!"
Fans waiting outside the press conference buzzed with excitement.
Meanwhile, after hearing the news, Ernie Grunfeld immediately called Reinsdorf.
"Trade?"
Hearing Grunfeld's call, Reinsdorf, who had just stepped out of the press room, chuckled bitterly.
"Mr. Grunfeld, we haven't picked a new GM yet. Can't make moves right now."
"Mr. Reinsdorf, you know the league might shut down soon. If the Bulls are rebuilding, you gotta trade ASAP. Otherwise, if there's a lockout and your team ain't ready, Jordan might bounce and retire again over roster issues," Grunfeld warned.
Reinsdorf froze for a second, but when he thought about it, he knew Grunfeld wasn't wrong.
They agreed to meet in two hours.
After hanging up, Reinsdorf kept thinking he'd already made some preparations.
To keep Jordan and Phil Jackson happy, he was ready to hand more power to Jackson making him both the coach and the general manager.
Exactly what Phil had always wanted.
An hour later, Jordan and Phil Jackson showed up at Bulls headquarters.
"Yo, Mike's back! He's back!!"
"Man, I can't believe it—look who it is!!"
A sea of fans outside the building broke down in happy tears when they saw Jordan.
Inside the office, Jerry Reinsdorf greeted them a little helplessly, "Michael, Phil, I'm really glad you're back."
"Jerry, I'm sorry, but I had to stand my ground," Jordan said sincerely.
He added, "Honestly, last offseason, under Jerry Krause's pressure, I agreed to trading Scottie—and then agreed to trade Ewing too. Looking back, it was all a mistake. I can't make that same mistake again."
"Yeah, it's all in the past now. Time for a fresh start," Reinsdorf nodded.
Then he turned to Phil Jackson. "Phil, you're gonna be our new general manager. Build us a championship squad that'll keep Michael happy."
Phil Jackson was stunned for a second—then his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
This was the dream.
He'd always wanted the same power that guys like Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, and Popovich had.
Now, Krause was out, and it was all his.
"Congrats, Phil," Jordan said with a grin.
"Thanks, Mike."
Phil was pumped.
"Michael, Jerry, trust me—I won't let you down. I'm gonna get to work right away."
Jerry Reinsdorf added, "Nike's already reached out. They're gonna partner with us to build the roster. We'll have way more options."
"That's incredible," Phil said, full of energy.
"And here," Reinsdorf said, handing him two documents, "are the contracts—one for head coach, one for general manager. Take a look."
Phil Jackson barely glanced through them—compared to a player's contract, this was simple.
He picked up a pen and signed fast.
"Michael, here's yours," Reinsdorf said, passing Jordan a contract.
Jordan looked at it—thirty-four million dollars a year.
A four million bump from last year, exactly 10%, the max Bird Rights raise allowed.
He nodded.
Nike wanted him to stay.
Chicago was his city—one of the biggest basketball markets in the U.S.
And now that Krause was gone, he had no complaints.
Seeing Jordan nod, Reinsdorf finally exhaled deeply.
Then he said to Phil Jackson, "Phil, I've got a meeting lined up with Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld. We're supposed to talk about a trade Danny Fortson for Kidd. First job's on you."
"Trade Kidd?"
Phil Jackson shut that idea down in his head instantly.
Jordan immediately jumped in, "Nah, I don't agree with that. Kidd's untouchable."
Reinsdorf smiled, "It's just a conversation. You make the call."
Phil Jackson laughed and said, "Rodman's leaving for sure. Even if he stayed, he's washed. Fortson's rebounding could help us. We'll definitely negotiate, but we gotta change the trade pieces. Maybe... maybe we send Ewing back?"
Jordan and Reinsdorf burst out laughing.
Leaving Reinsdorf's office, Jordan and Phil went to the head coach's office to talk shop.
"Michael, what's your take on the lineup?"
"Inside, inside, we gotta be strong inside."
When Jordan thought about getting knocked around again and again by Zhao Dong in Game 4, his head throbbed and his eyes burned red.
That was probably the most embarrassing moment of his career. He had never been humiliated like that, not even back when he faced the Bad Boys.
Phil Jackson nodded and said, "Inside, one offense and one defense, and you can also stretch the floor — that's the kind of big we need for you.
Also, what do you think about trading Tracy McGrady at the three?"
"This rookie's got some defense, some offensive tools, and he's got playmaking like Pippen. We've been grooming him for a season. It'd be a shame to ship him off. I figure if he plays one more year, he'll be ready."
Jordan paused for a moment, then added, "He's quick, no doubt he can keep up with Zhao Dong, but he's too light. He ain't built to handle Zhao physically.
He's 98 kilograms now. If he bulks up, he'll lose his speed. Plus, his back... no way he can bang with Zhao."
"Did you forget the last rule about guarding Zhao?" Phil Jackson reminded him. "You don't have to engage in heavy contact outside. But yeah, once he crosses the free-throw line, there's no avoiding it. So, your concern is legit. That's why I'm thinking — why not trade McGrady for Danny Fortson?"
"I'm good with that," Jordan nodded quickly, then added, "But the Knicks probably traded Fortson 'cause of foul trouble and his short fuse. You sure you want that problem?"
"You made Rodman behave. You can't control a rookie?" Phil Jackson chuckled.
Jordan nodded again, but deep down, he still had doubts. He knew the Knicks locker room was rock-solid — clearly, Zhao Dong kept things in check. So maybe it really was Fortson's foul trouble that led to the trade.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Ernie Grunfeld stepped in.
"Congrats, Coach Jackson."
After hearing Phil Jackson was taking over as GM too, Grunfeld extended a hand.
"Thanks."
"Michael, does this mean you're staying with the Bulls?" Grunfeld asked.
"Yeah."
Jordan lifted up the contract in his hand.
After that, the three of them started talking trade.
The Kidd trade got shut down right away. Phil Jackson suggested using McGrady as the main chip to get Danny Fortson.
Both McGrady and Fortson were first-round picks that year — McGrady just one spot lower, so the value matched up.
"I need to check with Zhao Dong first," Grunfeld said.
"Didn't he say he doesn't interfere with management decisions?" Jordan snorted.
"He doesn't. But I respect his opinion. It's important," Grunfeld replied with a grin.
Jordan's face darkened. He snorted and leaned back, clearly not in the mood to talk anymore.
Grunfeld left the office and called Zhao Dong.
"McGrady?"
Zhao Dong started weighing the trade.
He had always been against trading future stars like McGrady or Kobe. Now that his own scoring ability kept improving, the Knicks didn't really have space to nurture another young star.
If McGrady stayed, there was an 80% chance he'd never grow into the scoring champ he was meant to be — which would be a damn shame.
Rather than trading McGrady, maybe it was better to keep Fortson and let him work through his flaws. Zhao Dong believed Fortson's rebounding habits could still be fixed.
Or maybe trade for one or two pure spot-up shooters. They needed reliable perimeter guys — dudes who could shoot, cut inside a bit, and clamp down on D.
He also remembered McGrady was with Adidas — and Adidas valued him big time.
Kobe was also under Adidas. His current deal was 6 years, $48 million. Later in 2002, after the Lakers dynasty run, Kobe asked Adidas to renew his deal. Adidas refused to offer more than what McGrady had. They ended up giving up on Kobe and signing McGrady to a lifetime deal instead.
That move was just as dumb as when they gave up on Jordan back then, letting Nike snatch him up.
If they brought McGrady in and just made him a 3&D guy — no ball, no shots, just a role player — Adidas would probably lose their minds, right?
"Ernie, from a fit standpoint, what we need right now is a 3&D role player. McGrady fits that, sure, but using the No. 10 pick just for a role player feels like a waste," Zhao Dong said.
"3&D?"
"Yeah — threes and defense. A guy who can hit shots and guard on the perimeter."
"Yeah... you got a point. We really do need outside shooting and defense right now," Grunfeld said.
"That's just my opinion. Final call's yours," Zhao Dong said.
Grunfeld nodded and ended the call.
After hanging up, he sat back and thought it over.
His thinking was different from Zhao Dong. Zhao worried about McGrady's future, but Grunfeld was focused on the now: McGrady did fit what they needed... but man, using a No. 10 pick just for a 3&D role was kinda crazy. Especially when trading for a rebounding beast like Fortson.
Thinking about it carefully, Grunfeld decided to scrap the deal.
"Not trading McGrady?" Phil Jackson was a little surprised but didn't push it.
He also knew McGrady's ceiling was high. The big rookie contract McGrady had with the Heat proved that Pat Riley believed in his talent. Now that the Bulls had Nike's full backing, keeping McGrady and developing him sounded like a smart move anyway.
"Mr. Grunfeld, are you still interested in Ewing?" he asked tentatively.
Jordan glanced at Grunfeld, then saw him pull a face.
"NO," Grunfeld replied gruffly.
"Look, apart from Kidd and Michael, you can take your pick from anyone else on our team. We only want Fordson," Phil Jackson said directly, laying it out.
He was ready to start the cleansing plan. Only Kidd and Jordan were off-limits. McGrady and the others were all trade chips. With Nike and Adidas backing him up, he believed he could rebuild a championship roster.
"Sorry, besides Kidd, you ain't got anyone I'm interested in," Grunfeld said, looking down on the Bulls' role players.
Later that evening, Zhao Dong gave Liu Yumin a call.
"Hey, Zhao Dong, congrats on making the Finals!"
"Thanks, Director Liu."
Liu Yumin chuckled and said, "Zhao Dong, the training base you set up has been a huge help. The General Administration is extremely satisfied and fully recognizes your contribution.
Those training methods, concepts, and equipment — they're all really advanced. We never had this stuff in China before. Our training was way behind. Without them, a lot of our top athletes kept getting hurt. On behalf of the General Administration, I just wanna say, thank you!"
"It's still a little small and can't fit too many people. I'm planning to expand it and scale up," Zhao Dong replied with a smile.
"Good. The General Administration is thinking about that too," Liu Yumin said.
"By the way, Director Liu, how's Dazhi's situation? I've already registered him. If everything's settled, it's time for him to come over. The tryouts are at the end of next month," Zhao Dong said.
"Oh, I was just about to tell you. The center talked it out with the army, the CBA, and the others. The issue's finally sorted," Liu Yumin said happily.
"That's awesome," Zhao Dong laughed.
That night, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off.
Shaq went crazy, dropping 39 points on the Jazz, and tied the series 3-3, pushing it to Game 7.
That evening, Zhao Dong also hit up Dazhi.
"Brother Dong?"
"Dazhi, get ready. Once you're set, come on over."
"Thank you, Brother Dong."
"No need for thanks. Just come here and ball out."
"Um, Brother Dong, about the draft..."
"Relax, the Knicks pick at the end of the round. If nobody grabs you earlier, we got that pick saved for you," Zhao Dong said with a laugh.
"Thank you, Brother Dong!" Dazhi said, his voice filled with excitement.
At noon back in Beijing, Liu Yudong, Li Nan, and the rest of the national team guys threw a farewell party for Dazhi.
"Dazhi, when you get there, you gotta grind hard," Sun Jun said. "Hu's already a key sub for the Knicks. You gotta push and try to lock down a starting spot."
"Yeah, you really could. In Game 4 and Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks' regular season starters barely got minutes. They can't score. They might get phased out," Shan Tao added.
"Let's also try to take a step forward in this year's World Championships," Liu Yudong said seriously.
Everyone paused. Taking a step forward would mean at least making it to seventh place — winning the first round of the knockout stage. Even with Zhao Dong on the squad, it would still depend heavily on luck. If they ran into a powerhouse team, it would be nearly impossible.
It was June now.
On the 1st, the NBA's labor talks broke down again. The lockout threat was getting real.
Negotiations had started back in March after the All-Star Game, but both sides refused to budge, and now things were deadlocked.
At five that evening, Zhao Dong, Yao Ming, and Hu Weidong headed to the airport.
At 1:30 AM, they touched down at New York International Airport.
After a full year of pro-level training and nutrition, Dazhi was a completely different player from last year. He was way stronger — not bulky, just solid.
Zhao Dong's plan for Dazhi was the same as for Yao Ming. Both of them were technical big men. He wanted them to be like Dream — Hakeem Olajuwon types.
So Dazhi didn't really bulk up; he stayed at 115 kilograms. Like Zhao Dong, his strength training focused on cutting fat and building muscle, boosting his physicality without killing his mobility.
He also did a lot of speed work, especially lateral movement drills, to improve his help defense.
On offense, they worked on stabilizing his shot even under heavy contact.
This year, Dazhi made massive progress.
He snagged the CBA MVP and led Bayi to a CBA championship.
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