The Chicago Bulls ' 1991 NBA Finals win over the Los Angeles Lakers kicked off one of the greatest dynasties ever. One of the enduring images of the Bulls' epic win was an emotional Michael Jordan hugging his first Larry O'Brien trophy.
After a tedious seven-year struggle, MJ could finally call himself a champion.
However, those who watched every game and every minute of the 1991 NBA Finals know that Jordan wasn't solely responsible for the Bulls' triumph. While he was crowned NBA Finals MVP, other players, particularly Scottie Pippen , played a big part in shutting down the potent Lakers' offense.
Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals was the start of Pip's rise as a lockdown defender. And he showcased his skills against none other than ace point guard Magic Johnson .
When Jordan committed two quick fouls in the first quarter, Bulls head coach Phil Jackson told Scottie to do his best against the 6'9" point guard. Magic immediately noticed the difference between Pippen and Jordan as defenders.
"Pippen did a great job on me," Johnson said , per the New York Times. "Once Michael got into early foul trouble, you had to expect they would make that switch."
"They were trying wear me out or take the ball out of my hands, take your pick. Scottie is more physical than Michael so the matchup was a little different," the Lakers legend added.
The defensive tweak propelled the Bulls to victory, allowing them to tie the series at one game apiece.
Interestingly, the "Zen Master" revealed that putting Pippen on Johnson was in the cards that night. They were just forced to unleash their secret weapon earlier.
"We planned to do it at some point tonight, but we were forced into do it earlier when Michael got in foul trouble," Jackson said.
Whether it was a stroke of luck or pure genius was beside the point.
Johnson, used to bullying small guards, struggled against Pippen's length and defensive smarts, so much so that the Bulls point guard John Paxson believes the switch turned the tide in favor of Chicago.
"A lot of people point to [that defensive switch as] one of the turning points of the series," Paxson said .
"Michael was guarding Magic during the early part of the series, and he picked up an early second foul in that [second] game, and so Scottie ended up switching and really did a terrific job of making Magic work with his dribble up and down the floor, pressuring him, making his passing angles tough," he added.
Despite his stellar efforts against one of the greatest guards ever, Pip remained humble. He knew it was impossible to completely shut Johnson down, so he tried his very best to make things difficult.
"I just wanted to make Magic Johnson work, try to wear him down, utilize my size and my quickness, make it difficult for him," the legendary forward said.
After their Game 2 victory, the Bulls never looked back. They won three straight games to capture their first-ever NBA title.
MJ — the Finals MVP — averaged 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 11.4 assists in the series. Scottie added 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game for the Bulls.
Despite Pippen's defense, Johnson still got his, leading the Lakers with 18.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 12.4 assists.
