1998-99 Chicago Bulls season

NBA season
team = Chicago Bulls
misc = Michael Jordan retires
end_year = 1999
wins = 13
losses = 37
division = Central
division_place = 8
conf_place = 15
coach = Tim Floyd
arena = Chicago Stadium
owners = Jerry Reinsdorf
television =
radio =
playoffs = Did not qualify
bbr_team = CHI

Offseason

Jordan Retires

Michael Jordan's Game 6 performance seemed to be a perfect ending to his career. With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen (who stated his desire to be traded during the season) and Dennis Rodman (who would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.

On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. [Sandomir, Richard. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E4D9153DF933A15752C0A9669C8B63 Jordan Sheds Uniform for Suit as a Wizards Owner] , January 20, 2000, accessed March 23, 2008. ] His responsibilities with the club were to be comprehensive, as he was in charge of all aspects of the team, including personnel decisions. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. [http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0507/1550445.html Pollin's decision to cut ties leaves Jordan livid] , espn.com, May 7, 2003, accessed January 16, 2007. ] Brady, Erik. [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/wizards/2003-05-07-jordan-out_x.htm "Wizards show Jordan the door"] , usatoday.com, May 7, 2003, accessed February 23, 2007. ] He managed to purge the team of several highly-paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland), [Associated Press. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/news/2001/02/22/mavs_wizards_trade/ Making his move] , sportsillustrated.cnn.com, February 22, 2001, accessed February 23, 2007. ] [Matthews, Marcus. [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/wizards/2001-03-01-strickland2.htm Losing never looked so good for Wizards] , usatoday.com, March 1, 2001, accessed February 23, 2007. ] but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after several years.Wilbon, Michael. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071501705.html "So Long, Kwame, Thanks for Nothing+] , "The Washington Post", July 16, 2005, accessed February 23, 2007. ]

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, [Schwartz, Larry. [http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Jordan_Michael.html Michael Jordan transcends hoops] , espn.com, accessed January 16, 2007. ] in summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the comeback of NHL star (and Jordan's friend) Mario Lemieux the previous winter, [Associated Press. [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1258469&type=news Jordan watched Lemieux's comeback very closely] , espn.go.com, October 2, 2001, accessed March 7, 2007 ] Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.

NBA Draft

Regular season

eason standings

Player stats

"Note: GP= Games played; MPG= Minutes per Game; SPG= Steals per Game; RPG = Rebounds per Game; APG. = Assists per Game; BPG = Blocks per Game; PPG = Points per Game"

NBA Finals

Award Winners

References

* [http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?yr=1991&tm=Chi&lg=N Bulls on Database Basketball]
* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1992.html Bulls on Basketball Reference]