Michael Jordan is often regarded as the greatest player of all time because of the 6 championships he won with the Chicago Bulls in a span of 8 seasons. Championships are associated with individual players quite often, but people often forget that there is a team behind the players that enable winning championships.
Not only did the ’90s Bulls have Jordan on their team, but they also had Phil Jackson coaching the squad. They also had Scottie Pippen, who became arguably the greatest second option in NBA history. Jackson believed the same about Pippen after Jordan’s retirement meant that the forward would be the leader of the team.
In an old interview, Jackson compared the abilities of Pippen and MJ, referring to Pippen as a complete package on an NBA court due to his ability to pass, score, and defend in a way nobody else in the league could.
“Scottie is such an unselfish player. He is the greatest all-around player in the NBA right now. He is absolutely terrific. Michael is a terrific player and I am not trying to take anything away from him, but Scottie as a rebounder, as a passer, as a defender, you know, the whole complete package. The greater energy he can have on the court, he does a lot of things on the basketball court. He can lead a team as well, he can get 10-12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists and be the determining factor in a game. Nobody can score on Michael and scoring is a wonderful thing to do, but it is not the be-all end-all.”
Scottie Pippen’s contributions to the Chicago Bulls can never be forgotten because of his incredible contributions to the team. His presence on the court allowed Jordan to focus on winning games, as Pippen was the anchor ensuring the team had a solid foundation.
Pippen has fallen out with many of his old Bulls teammates in recent years, like Jordan and even coach Jackson. However, none of that will ever overshadow what Pip achieved on the NBA court alongside them.
