Kobe Bryant Called Scottie Pippen The Greatest Defender He Had Ever Seen

Scottie Pippen may have been one of the most underappreciated stars in the history of the NBA, but he was put on a pedestal by one of the best to ever play in the league as well. Kobe Bryant tried to emulate and surpass Michael Jordan as much as he could, MJ was his idol. So it stands to reason that one of the players Kobe admired the most was none other than Scottie Pippen, MJ’s partner in crime, who helped him a lot to win those 6 championships that the Chicago Bulls won during the 1990s.

The admiration was mutual; Pippen has also spoken in the past about how he would have loved to play alongside Kobe Bryant. And there was a part of the game that both of them excelled at, which would have made them as great a combo as MJ and Pip. Both Kobe and Scottie were incredible defenders, with Bryant making 12 All-Defensive teams in his career and Pippen racking up 10 All-Defensive nods in his. And the Mamba was a big fan of Scottie’s game on the defensive end too.

Kobe Bryant Referred To Scottie Pippen As The Greatest Defender He Had Ever Seen

Defense is a skill that often goes underappreciated in the NBA, but it can make all the difference between winning and losing when it matters the most. Both Kobe and Pippen won many titles, so they knew that. And Kobe thought Scottie was a class apart, calling him the greatest defender he had ever seen.

“I think to be an exceptional defender, you can get away with not having those physical attributes, as long as you mentally understand what your matchup is. But when you have the physical talent to go along with it in that department, then you wind up having something special. Scottie Pippen, to me, is the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen and he obviously had the physical tools and the mental intelligence to go out there and lock people down.”

The Mamba made some excellent points, defense is about understanding the game and then combining that with elite athletic ability. It’s also about the hustle, of course, the greatest defenders have always been extremely hard workers. It’s nice to hear what Kobe had to say about Scottie, the respect he had for him is evident. And it truly would have been a treat to watch the two play together.