He was a Piston. They were Bulls. Wasn’t there going to be a problem here?
But John Salley was available, and experienced. He was near the end of his 10th professional season, several years removed from the championship times in Detroit. He had been unhappy in Toronto, sitting on the bench, before he was released. He was at his brother’s condominium in Miami when a conversation started.
“Jerry Krause, being Jerry Krause, found out where I was hiding out,” Salley remembered.
Dennis Rodman had been acquired the previous October. James Edwards was signed later the same month. Now another former Piston, a part of the daunting old obstacle, was being considered. Could this work? It was early March 1996, the beginning of the end of Michael Jordan’s first full season after the end of his baseball career. Before the Bulls were to become Bad Boys West, they would have to proceed carefully.
“They could have just signed me,” Salley remembered, “but they thought the best thing was the 10-day. They wanted to make sure. I was nice to everybody. They respected what I could and couldn’t do.”
He was signed to one 10-day contract, then another. Finally, on March 23, 67 games into the 72-10 regular season, Salley signed a contract for the rest of the way. Who could have known how much fun an old Piston could have with these guys.
His experience, and his contribution, had nothing to do with the numbers. Salley averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in 16 games. After a practice, Salley remembered telling his mother that Jordan had made the greatest play he had ever seen. “I sat on the bench,” he said. “I played 15 minutes in the Finals. But I saw Michael Jordan twice a day. You can’t get better than that, unless you go to see `Chicago,’ the show, in a matinee and then at night.”
Salley mentioned the chance to watch Jordan before he recalled the championship ring to go with the two he earned in Detroit. Oh, yeah. There was a ring too.
“And I got some jewelry,” Salley said.
There were the friendships he made, and the others that were renewed. He was surprised that Jordan, given the option of flying in his own jet, chose to remain with the team. “He said, `This is where I want to be, with you guys. This is the fun,’ ” Salley remembered, and laughed. “If I had a jet . . .”
Soon, he understood. “I remember being on that plane, and Dennis Rodman being in charge of the video recorder,” Salley said. “I don’t think I saw `Pulp Fiction’ so many times in my life. Then Luc (Longley) took over one day, and I had to watch Australian-style football. I said, `Luc, now I know why you foul so much.’ “
Salley, a personable New Yorker who went to college at Georgia Teach, can build upon those relationships in his role as a commentator for “NBA Showtime” on NBC.
On Jordan’s future: “Michael’s going to play golf every day, and he deserves it. He deserves his privacy. I want him to retire. I told Michael, `Start being a person.’
“That’s so selfish of people who want him to keep playing,” Salley said. “It’s never enough. So he does it one more year, and then he loses a step. He came in on his own accord, and he should go out on his own accord.”
Salley’s Chicago stay ended quickly, and not well. “Jerry Krause lied to me,” he said. “He told me there was no money, then he signed Robert Parish for two years for $2.5 million.’ I said, `Oh, that must have come from your other wallet.’ “
