Scottie Pippen is widely recognized as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Besides being a co-star for Jordan, he was the foundation of the Bulls in many ways, including on the defensive end.
Still, according to Charles Oakley, Scottie Pippen wasn’t necessary for the success of Michael Jordan. In light of where the two stand today, and some comments Pippen made about his former teammate, Oakley spoke about the relationship between the two and played down Pippen’s importance to Jordan’s legacy.
“For Mike and Scottie, I think it’ something else besides ‘The Last Dance’ because yeah Scottie, they didn’t give him a lot of headlines like they did Dennis Rodman or Curry but I think Mike could have won without Scottie. He has said that many times but I think Scottie, whatever you say you gotta live with it and some things he said and things he did…
I think Scottie maybe should have gotten more play in a positive way, but Mike had the remote control and he had his bottle right there. I think Scottie can’t win the argument that he’s better than Michael. He said that a lot of times that he’s better than Michael.”
From co-stars and friends to bitter rivals, the story of MJ and Scottie has taken a turn for the worst.
After winning 6 Championships in the 90s, and cementing their legacy as one of the greatest duos in basketball history, the relationship between the two took a massive hit after the release of ‘The Last Dance,’ which prompted Scottie Pippen to make some controversial and discrediting remarks towards his former teammate.
At first glance, it seems like Pippen just wants more credit for the role he played in securing those titles, which he says wouldn’t have happened without him.
Clearly, not everyone feels that his impact was the same.
