The Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s is rightfully credited first to Michael Jordan 's greatness, and with sound reasoning. Six Finals MVPs in the same number of appearances is no shabby feat, as that run immortalized him as the greatest of all time in the eyes of many.
However, no matter how spectacular MJ was, even he couldn't do it alone. Behind him, there was a formidable squad headlined by perhaps the best sidekick of all time, Scottie Pippen . While Jordan performed most of the scoring and clutch plays, Pippen did everything in between: defense, rebounding, playmaking, and getting buckets himself.
While he didn't get as much respect from the outside, guys in the Bulls locker room knew how vital Scottie was to their success. When Pip retired in 2004, his former teammate Bill Wennington shared a simple notion that best described just how valuable Pippen was for Chicago.
"Michael was here seven years before they started winning championships," said Wennington.
While everybody raves about Jordan's perfect Finals record, the fact of the matter is that he didn't win from 1984 to 1990. Additionally, before Pippen arrived in 1987, he wasn't even going to deep playoff runs. However, when Pip formed into himself, the Bulls would finally get over the hump and dismantle the Detroit Pistons "Bad Boys."
While Michael getting stronger and better led to the Bulls breaking through, Scottie's greatness played just as big a part in their first way to the throne back in 1991. Pippen settled in the background role and did whatever was needed for Chicago to win, while Jordan stared in the spotlight and took in all the compliments.
"What was the problem? He needed someone who agreed that you needed to go up the court and work your backside off to get it done. And Scottie was that guy who came in and said, 'Yeah, I will do that, and you know what? If I'm the second man, that's OK,'" Bill added.
While Jordan received all the love from the media and fans, he wasn't nearly as popular inside the locker room. A tyrant leader with no remorse on the tongue, MJ often verbally abused his teammates while demanding greatness. It was not easy to handle, but Pippen presented the other side that balanced things.
The laid-back and friendly demeanor made Pip much more approachable to the rest of the team. Wennington, as well as many other role players from those Bulls teams, also shared on a previous occasion that Pippen was the favourite individual in the locker room .
"As a teammate, you could not ask for anyone better than Scottie," Wennington wrote in his memoir. "And that includes Michael."
During their careers, he seemed just fine with the background role, but we are all witnesses to Scottie demanding his respect in the last couple of years, even at the cost of his relationship with Michael. The legendary duo fell out, mainly due to Pippen's statements, which is unfortunate, but it's hard to fault him when you consider just how overlooked his greatness has been for many years.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
