The Man Who Got Former Chicago Bulls Coach Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause Set Aside Their Dirty Feud

Through ‘The Last Dance,’ we can relive the might dynasty of the Chicago Bulls. They ruled the 90s. Michael Jordan and his team made a mark in every arena they went to. Their stylish play was awe-inspiring. Opponents struggled to counter their attack. 

All this was possible because of their coach, Phil Jackson. He implemented new training techniques after taking over as the head coach from Doug Collins in 1989. Jackson was an assistant coach to Collins and worked with a man named Tex Winter who was also with the Bulls in that period. 

How did the Chicago Bulls dominate so much?

Well, the reason is simple. They had Michael Jordan. But, on the inside, it was achieved due to the works of Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. The latter contemplated retiring when his methods were not being duly appreciated by the Bulls’ previous coach.

When Jackson stepped up as the head coach, he immediately wanted Winter to be his right-hand man. He saw the tactical genius in Winter, which could win the Bulls titles and fulfill Jordan’s destiny. 

Winter had developed a system called the triangle offense which no other team in the NBA had used. He focused it around the ball movement in the offensive area, which involved three players working together in a versatile triangle.  

Although this didn’t invite much reception at first, Jackson used it and got positive results, which impressed the former Bulls GM, Jerry Krause. Winter’s method was highly successful, which allowed the Bulls to largely dominate just outside the arc by passing the ball in mysterious ways.

As a result, the Chicago Bulls won six titles in eight years. While all credit was given to Michael Jordan, Tex Winter and Jackson’s triangle offense played an equally important part. 

A rare moment witnessed during Tex Winter’s Hall of Fame ceremony

‘The Last Dance’ has reminded us how Jerry Krause and Phil Jackson found it hard to get along. The pair had several misunderstandings, and neither wanted to compromise. This led to Krause letting Jackson go after the 1998 season-He didn’t want him back. 

On a different note, 2011 saw the induction of Tex Winter into the Basketball Hall of Fame. His much-deserved selection made everyone happy. But personally, his happiness beamed longer when Jackson and Krause put aside their feud and cordially shook hands at his HOF ceremony. 

When Krause had met Winter earlier in 2011, he stated his wish to Krause which he wanted fulfilled. Adrian Wojnarowski, who worked for Yahoo! Sports during that period, reported the event. 

“Winter wants the two men to whom he’s most indebted–Krause and Phil Jackson–to rise above years of acrimony and simply shake hands. It’s been a long time, too long, and Krause will grudgingly do it for a simple reason.”

“For Tex, I would jump off a building,” Krause told Yahoo! Sports. “I’ve seen Phil walking down the opposite side of the hallway, and I’ve kept right on going past him. I’ve never stopped. But for Tex, yeah… I’ll do it.”

Krause’s respect for Winter was so large that he agreed to set aside his long-standing feud and get along with Jackson, for once.