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"Maybe I could have been a Scottie Pippen" – Rashard Lewis on what if he played with Michael Jordan
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- "Maybe I could have been a Scottie Pippen" – Rashard Lewis on what if he played with Michael Jordan
A player's NBA career can sometimes come down to timing. That's exactly what two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis reflected on when asked about a "what if" scenario regarding his draft year.
Drafted in 1998 by the Seattle SuperSonics straight out of high school, Lewis entered the league just as the '90s Chicago Bulls dynasty was in the process of dissolving. This left him thinking about what his career might have looked like had he been drafted by the Bulls one year earlier to play alongside Michael Jordan .
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"I would have loved it," Lewis said in a Q&A via Magic.com. "I'm the type of guy that just wants to win and MJ is a winner. He's a competitor. He wants to win championships. Maybe I could have been a Scottie Pippen. He's everybody's hero, but at the same time, he's the ultimate competitor, and I can deal with things like that."
Lewis and Jordan?
Lewis was ahead of his time, with a skill set of the modern NBA stretch four. Standing at 6'10" with a soft touch and exceptional athleticism, he was a matchup nightmare who could also guard multiple positions and shoot over smaller defenders.
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Though he would eventually become a lethal 20-point-per-game scorer and an All-Star, Lewis' journey started slowly. As a newcomer for the SuperSonics during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, he appeared in just 20 games and averaged a modest 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes.
Even though, in Lewis' eyes, his ability to stretch the floor would have alleviated pressure on Jordan, the latter's maiden NBA season did not support that notion. What could have been closer to reality was that Lewis would have been a third-stringer in Chicago .
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Lewis on Jordan vs. LeBron GOAT debate
While Lewis' hypothetical pairing with Jordan never came close to happening, it led him to reflect on the player he believes remains at the center of the greatest debate in basketball history.
Lewis offered a perspective rooted in his firsthand experience. To him, it is inherently unfair to make definitive comparisons between Jordan and LeBron James while the latter is still actively playing and even performing at such a high level.
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Lewis' argument emphasized that a player's legacy cannot be fully measured against history until their final chapters have been written and their careers are in the rearview mirror.
In addition to preaching patience on the GOAT discussions, Lewis strongly advocated for another legend who often gets overlooked: Kobe Bryant . He argued that Bryant's five championships, relentless work ethic and competitiveness absolutely warrant his inclusion in the same breath as Jordan and James.
Lewis' take on Jordan, James and Bryant is backed by firsthand experience. He played against all three legends during his 16-year career, though his matchups against Jordan took place during the six-time champion's final NBA stint in the early 2000s.
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Unfortunately for Lewis, he never had the opportunity to play alongside Jordan. Had it happened, he believes it could have been something special — and it remains one of the great "what ifs" of his career.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
