According to Dr .J, Pippen was, in many ways, more valuable for the Bulls than MJ.
The modern NBA is full of versatile forwards, but before it was commonplace in the league, Chicago Bulls wingman Scottie Pippen engineered the blueprint for what it meant to be a Swiss army knife out on the floor.
Before the Association transitioned to positionless basketball, Pippen was the ultimate differentiator for the Bulls and a matchup nightmare for every team trying to knock the dynasty off their perch. The greatest nod to Pippen’s greatest was the recognition he received from his peers, and Julius Erving was especially vocal during Scottie’s career.
The Philadelphia 76ers icon saw his fair share of legends during his career but was particularly fond of Pippen, who, in his estimation, did things on the court that even the great Michael Jordan couldn’t do.
“There are certain things that Pippen does for that team that Michael doesn’t do. Definitely defensively. I think offensively; he’s always conscious of getting the other guys involved. Not to take anything away from Michael, but I think Scottie is just more cognizant of the total package, and that makes them complement each other real well,” he said.
Doing it all
Erving was spot on with his assessment, and Pippen embodied what being an all-around contributor meant. From guarding the opposing team’s best player, to pulling down rebounds, running the Bulls offense and scoring when needed, there wasn’t anything Scottie couldn’t do when it came to helping the Bulls win.
Chicago’s Hall of Fame head coach, Phil Jackson, knew it, too, and has been on record echoing what Erving said about Pippen’s versatility.
“Scottie is such an unselfish player; he’s the greatest all-around player in the NBA right now. He’s absolutely terrific…Michael’s a terrific player. I’m not taking anything away from Michael, but Scottie’s as a rebounder, as a passer, as a defender, and the whole complete package. And the great energy that he can have on the court does a lot of things out there in the basketball court, and he can lead a team very well. He can get 10,12 points and 10 assists, and 10 rebounds and really be the determining factor,” the legendary coach said.
“Now, no one can score like Michael, and scoring is a wonderful thing to do, but it’s not the end all-end all. It takes a lot of guys, and the combination of Pippen-Jordan is the amazing combination of the Bulls,” he added.
Underappreciated
For all his greatness, Pippen is still criminally underrated in the grand scheme of NBA history due to a combination of the era he played in and being overshadowed by Jordan. That said, some have recognized how invaluable he was for Chicago’s success—most notably, Scottie himself, as he publicly acknowledged he was the best all-around player on those Bulls squads.
When you think of the likes of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and some of the other all-time all-rounders, just remember Pippen was the first to show them how it’s done, and every player thereafter is an iteration of who he was on the court.