Michael Jordan interview - 1998 Finals

When this series started, the two things they said about the Bulls were they were old and they were tired, which obviously had nothing to do with what was going to happen in the future. Well, I mean, that's true. We are old and sure, we're tired. It's been a long season. But mentally, we have a we have a vision. We have a finish that we have to attain, you know, and sometimes you have to do it when you're old and you're tired, you know, and I think it's the test of your will to succeed when you have to deal with some of these negatives. And I'm pretty sure, you know, by the end of this playoffs, you'll see the old and the tired people were very, very young and strong mentally. Your confidence as a team really didn't wane going into Utah. A lot of people thought they had a tough time with Indiana. They'll never get by Utah. Their confidence or their overconfidence was our biggest, you know, positive, our biggest strength going into this series. They were expected to dominate us because of many games in the minutes that I played and Scottie's played and whatever. And I felt it was still in our favor, you know, and we had a rhythm. We were gaining, improving as we move deeper into the playoffs. Sure, we went to a seven-game series with Indiana, but I think that was a plus instead of a minus. Now, going in, you say the pressure's on Utah. Here it is about a week later. You guys are up 3-1. The pressure's squarely on the Bulls to win this thing. As Utah, they have nothing to lose at this point. Well, I disagree with you. I think, you know, no one anticipated us beating this scenario, 3-1, an opportunity to close it out in Chicago. They're looking at trying to get it back to Utah, so the pressure's still on them. You know, they haven't lived up to the expectations of Salt Lake City or Utah and most of the people who predicted them to beat us. You know, so they have to contend with those thoughts. I don't think that, in their mind, they haven't been able to solve our defense, you know, which is a big key. You know, our defense has always been able to hold them, you know, whenever it's a necessary need for that. In some of their minds, I'm pretty sure that, you know, they think they should be as swept by now, you know, four games to zero. You have so much respect for people who have gone in the trenches with you, you know, who have come, you know, from the bottom with you to the top. You know, a lot of these guys that I'm playing with now never really experienced when Chicago Stadium was only 6,500 people watching the game. That builds camaraderie between friends and players and coaches and stuff like that, that to rebuild or to start over or to have that with someone else, you basically have to go through the same processes. You know, you can't skip steps to earn that type of respect. You got to go through all the disappointments that a relationship must go through. Have a sense of respect for the people who have laid the groundwork so that you can be a profitable organization. And I'm not trying to twist Jerry Reinsdorf's arm. This particular year, you are as happy, as comfortable as I've seen you in a playoff situation, in a championship run situation. What's the reason for that? Enjoying the moment, you know, enjoying the moment when you really view this as the moment. People are speculating it's the last day, so it could be one more year, it could be two more years. But with those thoughts wavering and hovering around you, you look at the moment and say, let's enjoy the next step. You don't take it for granted, you know. In previous years, you probably have taken it for granted, but don't take it for granted this time. Cause it's a bittersweet symphony that's life. One five on the verge of maybe winning six. Do you feel yourself getting full? You know what I mean? You're hungry or you're full yet? No, you feel yourself getting full. Because each time that you win, it takes away a little bit of that hunger. You know, which is a challenge within itself. You know, it's a battle within your mind to find a challenge, to go to that same place that you've been five times before. You know, and that's hard. You know, when people say, well, the first one was the hardest. No, the last one was the hardest because you're battling with yourself. Are you starting to feel satisfied at least? You know, as an athlete, are you feeling satisfied? Because I know at times that we've talked, you say you're still searching for that perfect game. Still searching for, to find in your mind, greatness as you describe it. I'm getting better. I'm getting at my peak. I'm getting at my limit. Physically, I think I am at my limit. Mentally, it's a lot of empty space that I don't know much about. But I keep forcing myself to learn more about the game. I am getting to the point where I'm maxing out my education about the game of basketball. And when you get to that point, it's a necessity to pass it. So the way Dr. J was when I came in the game, I feel like I'm in a mirror. And the face has changed from Dr. J to me. You talk about the change. You talk about the passing on. Your decision as to what you're going to do, what kind of timetable do you have on that? It's not really a timetable. I don't want to put a timetable on it. I think it would hit me. It would come to me and say, well, evaluating all the things that have been done and all the decisions that have been made, and my feeling would tell me, hey, maybe this is a good time just to say, hey, I'm done. Even as we watch Michael Jordan and I try to lead the Bulls to their sixth NBA title, the question remains, is this Jordan's last game here in Chicago?