Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan won 6 NBA titles together and became the greatest 1-2 punch in NBA history.

A basketball formality happened this past week–no not Vinny Del Negro botching another end of game in-bounds play. Although, that did happen too. Scottie Pippen was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and will be inducted later this year. I hadn’t realized Pip was retired for 5 years already when the announcement was made, but I felt this was the perfect time for me to pay tribute to my 2nd favorite basketball player– ever– while, at the same time, relive some of my favorite Pip memories. Scottie has always been overshadowed because he played the “2nd banana” role to Michael Jordan. Those who actually watched the man play, and understand basketball, will know that playing off of a superstar– let alone the greatest player ever– isn’t easy. As Michael once said of Scottie,…..”I love him like a brother. He pushed me to be the best basketball player everyday in practice. And, I pushed him to be the best Scottie Pippen he could be.” Scottie is often viewed as the perfect “complimentary” player, which really pisses me off. What Scottie Pippen was, was a tremendously great player who sacrificed his game for the betterment of the Bulls. How many of today’s players would be willing to do that? 2nd banana?!! I’ll take this “2nd banana” on my team any day of the week.

Drafted out of Central Arkansas in 1987, and traded for Olyden Polynice by former GM Jerry Krause, unofficially put the Bulls on a championship track. Even after the Bulls acquired Scottie and Horace Grant ,(10th overall pick in ’87) the Bulls weren’t at a title level. “The Supporting Cast”, as MJ once dubbed them, didn’t play at a high enough level to push the Bulls past the hated Pistons. The Pistons beat the Bulls 3 consecutive years from ’88-90, with the ultimate Pip low coming in game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals when he missed a good portion of the game with a migraine headache. Would Pip become the player Krause envisioned, or would he be just a supporting player?

Scottie would answer the questions of his mental toughness in the ’90-’91 season as the Bulls soared through the league with a record of 61-21 in the franchise’s 25th season. The Bulls rolled through the playoffs, sweeping the Knicks in 3, beating the Sixers in 5, and, finally– getting past the Pistons nightmare –sweeping the defending champs in 4. Looking back on all of my Bulls memories, the sweep over Detroit is at the top of the list. It’s up there because my uncle Lou went into the garage and busted out a broom signifying the sweep. Watching them lose to those Pistons teams 3 years in a row was traumatizing for me. By game 7 of the ’90 playoffs, I was convinced the Bulls would never beat them. Sure enough, it was Scottie who refused to fall into the Pistons trap in the ’91 series. The Pistons knew they could get into Scottie’s head and make the Bulls a one man team, but not anymore. Pip responded with a huge series and served notice that the Bulls had another star. Another highlight for yours truly was when those whiny little bitches walked off the court with 7.9 seconds left in game 4. Isiah Thomas led the walk-out bowing his head as he walked past the Bulls bench, unable to shake hands and congratulate the better team. This made it even sweeter.

Pippen became an all league player in the ’91 Finals. His defense on Magic Johnson in game 2, and throughout the series, was pivotal. As assistant Johnny Bach said, it was time to “Unleash The Dobermans”, and that’s what the Bulls defense with Michael and Scottie was. What stands out for me was his all around game in the series clinching game 5. His line?…..32 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals. And, with that, the point forward was introduced in the NBA. Pip could shoot, dribble like a point guard, pass like Magic, guard 4 positions, run the floor, hit the open 3, get to the rim and make big shots. He did it all in the title clincher. The Bulls celebrated their 1st championship, and Scottie Pippen was a huge part of it. The Bulls repeated in ’92 after going 67-15 in the regular season and, despite a tough playoff road, brought home the title again. It also showcased Pip’s best performance of the season. In game 6 of the Finals, the Bulls entered the 4th quarter down 15 pints to the scorching hot Blazers. Pip led 4 reserves on a 14-2 run to start the 4th quarter, and the Bulls came back to win the game and the championship 97-93.

The ’93 season was my favorite Bulls championship season. So much was working against the Bulls– ( Long playoff run in ’92, Scottie and MJ’s Dream Team run that summer, injuries to John Paxson and Bill Cartwright, and an older weaker bench)– that a 3-Peat seemed impossible. Especially, when they faced the favored Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. They didn’t have home-court advantage– a gambling book, conveniently, came out about MJ during the series, and the Bulls fell behind in the series 0-2. No problem. A blowout win in game 3 was followed by the standard MJ game in game 4 ( 54 points), but it was Scottie’s runner that clinched the win. When he blocked Charles Smith more times than I block annoying girls phone calls at the end of game 5, it made me jump out of bed. My parents made me go to bed before the game ended that night because it was a school night, but I had the TV on in my room on mute. When Pip saved the day, and the series, I jumped up, yelled obnoxiously, woke up my 5 year old brother, pissed off my parents, and knew we were going back to the Finals. Game 6 was a wrap at the Stadium, and Pip made sure. With Jordan having a tough shooting night from the field, Batman helped out Superman by pouring in 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals to send the Knicks home again ( For the 3rd year in a row, in case you forgot Knicks fans). Pip sealed the game by hitting a big 3 with just over a minute left in the 4th. Now that was NBA playoff basketball…..

It was on to the Finals for the 3rd consecutive year, and the Bulls became the first team in 27 years to win 3 straight NBA Championships. The bulls were on top of the basketball world, but that was about to change. When Michael Jordan retired on October 6, 1993, most thought the Bulls should make a call to David Stern and say they were forfeiting their season. How could a team prepare to defend a title when the best player on the planet walks away a week before training camp? Pretty easily, actually,we came to find out.  This because they had ’94 Scottie Pippen on the team. Pip took his game to another level in the ’94 season. The Bulls shocked everyone.  55 games without MJ, and Pip captured the NBA All-Star game MVP along the way( 29 points and 11 rebounds). It remains one of my favorite sports seasons by any one team. They had Pete Meyers starting at shooting guard for Christs sake. Scottie should have won the NBA MVP Award that year. He finished 3rd in the voting. Hakeem Olajuwon won the award. Why? Well……22 ppg, .491% shooting, 8.7 rpg, 5.6 apg, and 2.9 steals per game. Not bad for the “2nd banana” huh?

Pippen's dunk over Patrick Ewing in Game 6 of the '94 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals might be the best dunk in Bulls history. That Bulls team was robbed of a trip to the NBA Finals.

What made this team so much fun to watch was how unselfish they were. They exemplified Scottie’s style of play. Scottie may have been a pain in the ass to the media, but he was an exceptional teammate, and he proved it that season. 2.1 seconds…….That’s how close those Bulls were from going to the NBA Finals for the 4th straight year. Hue Hollins called Scottie for the “Phantom Foul” in game 5 on Hubert Davis’ 3 point attempt. It is up there with the officiating nightmare that was game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals (Kings-Lakers. Please, YouTube it if you’ve forgotten). The Bulls were up one, and Hollins bailed out the Knicks on a call that was so ridiculous, even Knicks number 1 douche ,Spike Lee, knew it was a joke of a call. Davis made 2 free throws and the Knicks won by 1. The Bulls won game 6 at The Stadium before falling in game 7 in New York. If Hollins eats his whistle there and the Bulls prevail…..they win game 6, close out the Knicks again, beat the Pacers in the conference finals, and face Olajuwon and the Rockets in the Finals. It is still one of the biggest what-ifs in my NBA lifetime. What would Scottie Pippen’s legacy be if he took the Jordan-less Bulls to the Finals?

When Jordan returned from baseball in ’95, Pippen was exposed to the limelight of being a team’s Alpha Dog. Did he handle it perfectly? No, of course not ( Sitting out the 1.8 seconds at the end of game 3 vs the Knicks in ’94), but how many NBA stars do? The list isn’t long, trust me. With the addition of Dennis Rodman, Jordan and Pippen led the Bulls to an NBA record 72-10 regular season record and the franchises 4th championship. The Bulls also exercised the demons of the ’95 playoffs when the Magic beat the Bulls in 6. That series would be different, and Scottie and Michael led the way in a humiliating sweep of Orlando. The Bulls jumped to a 3-0 lead vs Seattle before finishing them in 6. These 3-Peat Bulls were different then the first 3 title teams. They weren’t as talented or athletic, but what stood out ( Besides Jordan changing his game and regaining his best player on the planet title) was how Scottie helped MJ on nights Michael didn’t have it. Scottie was the one guarding the other teams best perimeter player, playing point guard, and also scoring 20-plus a night.

Pippen played in the NBA Playoffs in 16 of his 17 seasons, was 1st team All Defense 7 times, All NBA 7 straight years, won 2 Gold Medals, and was voted one of the NBA's 50 greatest players of all-time.

Scottie erased the migraine headache talk from the few haters that remained by playing through a painful foot injury in the ’97 Finals and a back injury in game 6 of the ’98 Finals that eventually need surgery. Pippen’s defense on Mark Jackson in the ’98 playoffs vs the Pacers changed that series. The Bulls were on their last legs, and were as vulnerable as ever. Pippen took the lead and made it nearly impossible for Jackson to cross half-court and initiate the Pacers offense. The Bulls won in 7 and moved on to the Finals as prohibitive underdogs vs the Jazz. Having been pushed to 6 in ’97 by Utah, I was convinced the run would end– just as my run as a high schooler was coming to a close as well. The best duo in NBA history wouldn’t let it happen, and led by Jordan and a hobbled Pippen, the Bulls won the championship for a 6th time to close out the Bulls dynasty.

Pippen came oh so close to winning a 7th title with Portland in 2000, but Rasheed Wallace decided to choke down the stretch in game 7 vs the Lakers in the WCF to derail Portland’s chances. This was the 2nd time Scottie came close to winning that championship without Michael, but that doesn’t define his career. The man is simply the best perimeter defender in NBA history– bar none. When we sit around and name our all-time starting 5, Pip is my small forward. He may be viewed by the basketball imbeciles as “MJ’s sidekick”, but he was a beauty to watch, and a truly great player. A great player who will finally shed the “2nd banana” label when he enters the hallowed grounds of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.