Michael Jordan Credits Scottie Pippen for Every Bulls Championship
michael-jordan-credits-scottie-pippen-for-every-bulls-championship
CHICAGO — Michael Jordan says his six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls would not exist without longtime teammate Scottie Pippen.
Speaking in archival comments revisited during ESPN’s documentary “The Last Dance,” Jordan insisted Pippen’s name belongs beside his whenever their era is discussed. “I would never be able to find another partner in the game of basketball like Scottie Pippen,” he said. “Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen.”
Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 but did not win a playoff series until Chicago acquired Pippen on draft night in 1987. Together, the pair went 6-0 in the NBA Finals, producing two separate three-peats from 1991-93 and 1996-98.
The Numbers Behind the Partnership
With both stars in uniform, Chicago posted a 514-177 regular-season record and went 117-51 in the postseason. Along the way, the Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz (twice) in the Finals.
Jordan, a 14-time All-Star and five-time MVP, still owns the league’s highest career scoring average. Pippen, celebrated for his two-way play, was selected to seven All-Star Games, earned 10 All-Defensive Team nods and captured one steals title. Both were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
The dynasty ended in 1998 when Jordan retired for a second time and Pippen departed to the Houston Rockets in a sign-and-trade, but Jordan maintains the legacy is shared. “That’s exactly how it should be,” he said.
Source: Hoops Wire
