NBA icon Michael Jordan told Phil Jackson before the 1992-93 season that Scottie Pippen “was the best all-around player” on the Chicago Bulls.
However, Jordan never said it to Pippen.
“Something else happened on the way toward the United States capturing the gold medal in Barcelona,” Pippen wrote in his book. “I gained respect from a place where it had been absent for the longest time. From Michael Jordan. He concluded that I was the best all-around player on the team — and on occasion even outplayed him. He never told me that himself. That wouldn’t be like him. He told Phil at training in the fall of 1992, and I didn’t hear about it until many years later. Either way, that is high praise from someone with three MVPs, and to this day, it means a lot to me.”
The Bulls went 514-177 in the regular season when Jordan and Pippen played.
Chicago won six championships and three-peated twice while going undefeated in the NBA Finals during the Jordan-Pippen era.
Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks alongside Pippen, while Pippen averaged 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks next to Jordan.
Pippen had two stints with the Bulls. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks.
One of the best two-way players in NBA history, Pippen made seven All-Star teams, seven All-NBA teams and 10 All-Defensive teams with Chicago.
Jordan also played for the Bulls twice. He averaged 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks and won five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, three steals titles, 10 scoring titles and one Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Jordan made 12 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams with Chicago.
Many basketball fans tend to forget that Jordan never won a postseason series until the Bulls acquired Pippen from the Seattle SuperSonics in 1987, which is why Jordan considers Pippen his best teammate of all time.
“I would never be able to find a tandem, another support system, another partner in the game of basketball like Scottie Pippen,” Jordan said in Episode 2 of The Last Dance docuseries. “He was a pleasure to play with. He helped me so much in the way that I approached the game, the way I played the game. Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen. Everybody says well I won all these championships, but I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen. And that’s why I consider him my best teammate of all time.”
Pippen and Jordan are no longer friends.
The last time Pippen and Jordan spoke was in 2020.
Jordan found out Pippen was mad at him because of how “The Last Dance” docuseries turned out and sent a text message to his ex-teammate.
“The text was from Michael,” Pippen wrote in his book. “He didn’t reach out very often. ‘What’s up dude? I’m getting word that you’re upset with me. Love to talk about it if you have time.’ My schedule was packed that evening and I knew the conversation would take a while. I hit him back an hour and a half later: ‘Let’s talk tomorrow.’”
Pippen messaged Jordan back letting him know how he felt.
“I was disappointed in the documentary,” Pippen texted Jordan. “It didn’t shine a good light on me. You were promoting The Last Dance but switched it to the Michael Jordan documentary. I don’t know what you are selling. Was I great or was I villain?”
