Retired NBA players embark on different things once their playing careers are over. Some end up as analysts while others take on big roles with teams in need of direction. Unknown to most, Scottie Pippen was acting as a special advisor to Chicago Bulls President and COO Michael Reisdorf although he did not have a hand in tinkering with the roster.
As most know, the Bulls organization is undergoing a massive overhaul starting with top management. Gar Forman was fired as general manager but it turns out he was not the first one relieved. Pippen revealed that he was the first one fired but did not make it public until now. The 54-year-old made the revelation when he appeared on the Thuzio Live & Unfiltered podcast.
“It’s probably a good thing, right?” Pippen said. “I like to associate myself with winning.”
Pippen seemed to hardly care about the decision but that swipe on preferring to associate himself with winning sends of mixed feelers. Does this mean he agrees with the fact that the Bulls were so bad that they were heading in the wrong direction? Or does he fell that new team president Arturas Karnisovas is not the right guy for the job?
Regardless, Pippen does not appear to be the kind who will lose sleep over it. He was never recognized as someone who had a hand with the Bulls although he did do some kind of brand building for the Bulls before change set in. Moving forward, Chicago will have to do that in some other capacity.
With two confirmed fired personnel, all eyes are now on Jim Boylen. The current Bulls head coach previously said that he felt he would be staying on as the mentor for the team although he is not closing the door on possibly being dismissed. There are a lot of factors to consider regarding his tenure and one of them is the relationship he has with the players.
This season, Boylen drew heavy criticism for his extreme tactics. He did soften up but the fact remains that he is not in the clear. On the lighter side of things, the 54-year-old coach managed to keep the Bulls afloat with a depleted roster. However, this was not enough to make the playoffs.
Karnisovas has yet to get to the decision on Boylen's fate. But if the changes are any indication, his chances of staying are not looking pretty good. The case is the same for Bulls' players as the Lithuanian tries to put in pieces that can revive the glory days of the Bulls.
