From the beginning of his career, Michael Jordan was always a phenomenal player. He was an amazing individual talent, but to win NBA championships, even the best of the best need to have great players around them.
For MJ, Scottie Pippen fulfilled that role. After the Chicago Bulls added Scottie to the mix, the franchise went on to dominate the 1990s. The MJ-Pippen duo won six NBA titles and went undefeated in the NBA Finals.
On top of that, the two superstars never even saw a game 7 in the finals, which is simply sensational considering the level of the league at the time. But even the formidable duo was once almost on the verge of letting a series go to a game 7.
We are talking about the 1998 NBA Finals, where the Bulls faced off against the Utah Jazz in an epic series. There was too much on the line for the Bulls as it was the last time fans saw the amazing Bulls team that featured, Mike, Pippen, and Dennis Rodman play together.
In a pivotal Game 6 of the series, Jordan hit his sensational game-winner during the dying seconds of the game. But what if Mike had missed that shot? The Bulls would have had to play a game 7 without Scottie Pippen.
In an interview, Pippen revealed that he was too exhausted and injured during Game 6 and that if Jordan hadn’t made that shot over Bryon Russell, the Bulls would have to enter game 7 without him.
“No. No, I was done pretty much. I mean I struggled to pull it through in that game (game 6).”
1998 Finals game 6, MJ scores 45 of the Bulls 87 points. MJ scores all the Bulls points in the last minute including the game winner. If he had missed that shot, the Bulls would’ve had to play game 7 without Scottie. pic.twitter.com/ZqXCTGNx18
— Marl Kalone (@KaloneMarl) January 27, 2022
The revelation further increased the value of Jordan’s game-winner over Bryon Russell in Game 6. If that shot hadn’t gone in, it could have meant that the Bulls might have lost the series. After all, Jordan was exhausted as well.
Fortunately, the Bulls won the series and the iconic duo of MJ and Pippen ended their stint on a high note. That was definitely the high point of the relationship between the two superstars as well.
Recently, the two have apparently drifted apart. Pippen even said that he wishes he and Jordan were closer. Will the two Chicago Bulls legends ever be able to fix their relationship? No one will be able to answer that that apart from them.
