Out of nowhere, Draymond Green stirred the pot when he claimed the 2017 Golden State Warriors would have taken care of both the 1998 Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. Draymond has stated that it is pointless to compare eras, yet he made a bold claim regarding two of the most memorable teams of all time.
He would double down on those comments days later, saying that the final score of Game 5 of the 1998 Finals was the perfect example of why the Golden State Warriors would easily handle those two teams.
“Everyone is talking about your tweet about how you could beat the 98′ Bulls by a dub, you really believe that? Draymond Green: By 40! Interviewer: 40? Who is locking up Jordan? Draymond: It ain’t about that, it ain’t about locking nobody up. See the part that people miss is there’s a difference in era. See those guys playing from the free-throw line in, see I was watching Game 5 of the 98′ Finals against the Jazz, the final score was 82-81. That is a halftime score. My whole point is comparing the eras, it just doesn’t make sense. No one is scoring 82 points in a game today. I don’t know if we’re sweeping the Bulls but I know we’re winning and I’d have my fifth ring.”
These comments obviously didn’t sit well with plenty of people around the league, and many fans attacked Draymond for them. Richard Jefferson also trolled him over these comments, but he’s not the last former player to send a message to Green. In fact, one member of those Chicago Bulls fired back at the 4x NBA champion recently.
Scottie Pippen heard these comments, too, and he wasn’t pleased by them. The Chicago Bulls legend sent a series of messages to Dray, showing his confidence in the mighty Bulls.
Via Yahoo Sports:
“Put this out there: The best team to win a championship is the ’96 Bulls,” he told NBC Sports Chicago while promoting a partnership with DICK’s Sporting Goods to give back to Chicago through a basketball camp and gear giveaway.
Yes, Pippen opted against a direct comparison between the 2017 Warriors and 1998 Bulls. But his larger point regarding the greatness of those dynasty Bulls squads stands.
“Tell Draymond, I yell back,” Pippen chided.
What made that 1996 team, specifically, so great, in Pippen’s memory?
“Our record,” he said flatly.
These debates always get heated, and the people involved often want to have the last word and laugh. Pippen has been very outspoken recently, even going against the people that helped him win six championships in the 90s. Still, Scottie is ready to defend the things he achieved during those years, showing that he still respects those who made the Chicago Bulls one of the biggest dynasties in NBA history.
