The one and only Michael Jordan told Phil Jackson before the 1992-93 NBA season that Scottie Pippen “was the best all-around player” on the Chicago Bulls.
However, Jordan never said it to Pippen.
“Something else happened on the way toward the United States capturing the gold medal in Barcelona,” Pippen wrote in his book. “I gained respect from a place where it had been absent for the longest time. From Michael Jordan. He came to the conclusion that I was the best all-around player on the team — and on occasion even outplayed him. He never told me that himself. That wouldn’t be like him. He told Phil at training in the fall of 1992, and I didn’t hear about it until many years later. Either way, that is high praise from someone with three MVPs, and to this day, it means a lot to me.”
When Jordan and Pippen played, the Bulls were 514-177 in the regular season.
Chicago won six championships, three-peated twice and went undefeated in the NBA Finals.
Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks alongside Pippen, while Pippen averaged 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks next to Jordan.
Pippen had two stints with the Bulls. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks.
One of the best two-way players in NBA history, Pippen made seven All-Star teams, seven All-NBA teams and 10 All-Defensive teams with Chicago.
Jordan also played for the Bulls twice. He averaged 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks and won five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, three steals titles, 10 scoring titles and one Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Arguably the greatest basketball player ever, Jordan made 12 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams with Chicago.
Most NBA fans thought Jordan and Pippen were close friends since they were extraordinary teammates.
However, Pippen wrote in his book that he and Jordan were never close.
“Michael and I aren’t close and never have been,” Pippen wrote. “Whenever I call or text him, he usually gets back to me in a timely fashion, but I don’t check in just to see how he’s doing. Nor does he do the same. Many people might find that hard to believe given how smoothly we connected on the court. Away from the court, we are two very different people who have led two very different lives. I was from the country: Hamburg, Arkansas, population about 3,000; he was from the city: Wilmington, North Carolina.”
Jordan and Pippen are no longer on speaking terms. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who is friends with Jordan, said in 2021 that Jordan will never speak to Pippen again after what Pippen wrote in his book about not offering Jordan condolences for the murder of his father.
“His father passed away after the first three-peat,” Smith said. “So you had year one without Michael Jordan, year two. You had the three years you were with him for the second three-peat to express your condolences. You never did it. Michael Jordan never even thought about that until he saw it, and then he realized, ‘Wait a minute, you didn’t give me condolences on purpose. I didn’t even think about this.’ He’s (Pippen) crossed the line. Him and Jordan, it’s over. Take it from me. It’s over.”