"The Lakers were way cheaper" - John Salley on the difference between playing for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls are among the most successful franchises in NBA history, with six and seventeen championships, respectively. However, the teams took different routes to the top. According to NBA veteran John Salley, the Purple and Gold resorted to cost-effective measures, while the Bulls went all in and treated their players like royalty.

The retired power forward is one of the few people with a first-hand perspective on how each franchise operates. Salley won a title with Chicago in 1996 and did the same as a reserve for the Lakers in 2000. In an appearance at the Gil's Arena podcast, the four-time NBA champion shared his insights on the differences between the two franchises based on his experience.

"The Lakers were way cheaper than the Bulls, which is almost impossible," claimed Salley. "Like, the Bulls had three massage therapists, a swimming pool to train, four trainers, strength coach… in the 90s. They fired the massage therapist I brought into the Lakers."

Salley said he brought the issue to Phil Jackson's attention. He used an "F1 car versus stock NASCAR" analogy to illustrate how the players were not fine-tuned because of the lack of employed trainers and nutritionists.

Of course, this was very different from what they did in Chicago, at least during the Michael Jordan era in the mid-90s.

'They Fed You To Win'

As Salley reiterated, the Bulls were way ahead of their time when it came to calibrating their athletes. Besides a fleet of massage therapists and trainers, the retired power forward claimed the team fed them food fit for kings.

"When I got to Chicago, it was like gourmet," added Salley. "We pulled in the back of the Plaza, Gil, I didn't even know there was a back in the plaza, and I'm from New York. I never even saw this street. When we pulled in and there were people holding stuff. I'm an NBA player so I started grabbin' (food and drinks)... I was like, "Wow!" It was completely treat you like you're royalty, and you'll play like royalty."

True enough, the Bulls won it all in 1996 and added two more rings in 1997 and 1998 to complete their second three-peat.

Not Much Has Changed

The Lakers is a marquee franchise, but the fact is, the Busses simply could not keep up with the wave of billionaire owners in the league. The team is a family-operated business, and the Buss clan doesn't have many business interests outside of the Purple and Gold.

That said, this is where the sheer magnitude of the Lakers brand comes in. Because of their name recognition and marketability, the players do not solely rely on the Lakers' ownership to introduce funds from their own wallets. Since the Buss family took over the reins in 1979, the Lakers won 11 championships, the most in the NBA, and that is undeniable proof that deep pockets are not a guarantee for reaching the promised land.

Related: "When you gonna let these people know you're a black guy from Indiana?" - John Salley on Larry Bird's trash-talking prowess