NBA: Scottie Pippen: Forever in Jordan’s Shadow

One of the 50 best players in history celebrates his 50th birthday on Friday.Birthday.In Chicago these days, he is watching the planned switch from one of the league’s best defensive ranks to an offensive power.Defense has a long tradition in the Windy City: with Scottie Pippen, the Bulls had one of the best defenders in history.The forward won championships, became a superstar, played in the Dream Team – and was always in the shadow of Michael Jordan.

Karl Malone marches on the line.Probably he doesn’t have in his head what day it is (Sunday, by the way).But that doesn’t really matter at this moment.After all, we are just a few seconds away from the end of game one of the 1997 finals.It’s 82:82.When Malone hits both free throws, the signs are full of surprise, a Utah Jazz opening victory at the reigning Chicago champion.

So focus.As always, the Power Forward mumbles a little bit, but suddenly he hears Scottie Pippen’s sonorous voice from the side:”Karl, der Mailman doesn’t close on Sundays,”he says – and with it a little flea in the mailman’s ear.Whether Pippen’s words really have an effect is not clear, of course.The fact is, however, that Malone does not actually deliver.Both free throws clap on the ring.

The Bulls thus have a good seven seconds to decide the game in their favour.And since you can rely on Michael Jordan at times like this, it’s the way things have to come.His Airness shakes Bryon Russell off, as this just denied his very first NBA game, rises high – silence.Buzzer.Swish!The Bulls win.Thanks to Jordan.Again, again.MJ is in the center, Pippen paved the way.

It was always like this when one of the best duos in NBA history was on the court together.Michael Jeffrey Jordan and Scottie Maurice Pippen complemented each other during their nearly 10 years together in Chicago, close to the optimum.With the number 23 of the exceptional scorer, the personified will to win, who finally lost games after the final siren.With the 33 the Defense Specialist, who was no less eager for victories and titles, always sacrificed himself for the team and did all the little things that made the grandmaster’s great deeds possible in the first place.

However, this also meant that Pip’s career was somehow overshadowed by MJ’s, that his successes were always associated with His Airness, while Jordan liked to win a game on his own.

“Even the positive things that Pippen did were more like the little ones in the shadows that only the experienced eye can see,”wrote Jack McCallum in his book about the 1992 Dream Team:”Ever since he came to Chicago in 1987, his reality has always taken place within Jordan’s all-encompassing radiance.No matter who I spoke to, GMs or players, we couldn’t discuss the subject of Scottie Pippen without mentioning the name Jordan.”

Pippen without Jordan?Inconceivable!On the other hand, we sometimes forget that MJ also profited greatly from his wing partner.At the beginning of his career, Jordan was considered an outstanding scorer, an exceptional athlete – but not a winner.

In fact, during his first three and a half years in the league, His Airness did not win a playoff series.Not a single one.Doug Collins’ special measure was that in 1988, Chicago had to beat Cleveland Cavaliers in a round one match against Cleveland Cavaliers and thus entered the Conference Semi-Finals for the first time since 1981.

The coach put a rookie who hadn’t previously experienced a single NBA tip-off on the floor into the starting five.Scottie Pippen was allowed to prove herself under the greatest possible pressure.And he did it.Pippen attacked, played Defense and ended up with 24 strong points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Chicago has won and congratulated itself on having traded to the Seattle SuperSonics following the 1987 Draft Olden Polynice plus future draft options for the fifth-pitched Pippen.They had recognized the exceptional talent of the formerly slender, only 1.85 metre high Point Guard of the Hamburg High School.

However, if a surge in growth during his time at the small University of Central Arkansas hadn’t caused Pippen to shoot up to more than 2 meters, Chicago would probably not have been tempted – and would have denied us one of the most profitable partnerships in basketball history.

Side by side, MJ and Pip shaped a whole era.They finally put an end to their long-standing nightmare of Detroit Pistons in 1991, disassembled Magics Lakers into their parts and finally celebrated their premiere title.Five more were to follow.With Jordan as leader, Scorer and Closer and Pippen as loyal aide.

“Sometimes a player’s biggest challenge is getting used to his role in the team,”Pip once said, explaining that he understood.Understanding how best to help his team and how best to use his outstanding physical abilities to the full.

“I am convinced that Pippen would have become a world-class athlete if he had concentrated on it,”said Jack McCallum describing Pippen’s athletic abilities.Now Pippen concentrated on basketball.Fortunately.For him.For the Bulls.For everyone who cares for a more or less intimate love of orange leather.If Chicago’s number 33 had decided otherwise, the basketball world would have been cheated on by one of the best perimeter defenders in history.

Because nothing else was, is and will remain Scottie Pippen.He rubbed himself up for the team, always gave up everything at the back of the court and perfected the art of taking on the offensive foul.Pip had the ability to hold his opponent in front of him, but at the same time exerted incredible pressure and annoyed with it rows of superstars and scorers.

Best known victim: Magic Johnson.L. A.’s Point Guard had confronted Michael Jordan with real problems during game one and at the beginning of game two of the 1991 finals.Against the bigger, stronger Magic MJ had to wear himself out so hard at the back that in the end the power for the offense was lacking.

So coach Phil Jackson decided to counter Johnson with a little more power and size.Pippen took over.And Pippen was successful.He got Magic under control, turning the momentum of the game and finally the entire series, which the Bulls won 4-1 after the opening defeat,”He’s a one-man demolition company,”Jackson once said about his forward.

And indeed, even before LeBron James had even thought of defending the one to five, Pippen defended everything that stood in his way on the floor.Whether it’s Guard, Forward or Big Man.Strength, athletics and his incredible wingspan of 2.18 meters made it possible.

The same trio also benefited from Pippen’s unique instinct for the Steal. 395 made him playoffs throughout his entire career.Nobody stole the ball more often in the postseason.He is also one of the illustrious circle of 200 steals and 100 blocks in one season.He was therefore in the All-Defensive First eight times, twice in the Second Team.

However, in the case of Scottie Pippen, no one would talk about one of the best all-rounders in NBA history if his ability had been limited to the rear end of the court alone.On the one hand, he knew how to use his athletics in the best possible way.To ask Patrick Ewing, who in 1994 Pippen had a dark sound so vehemently in his face that Reggie Miller later compared said play with Muhammad Alis Knockout against Joe Frazier.

On the other hand, although Pippen was not an outstanding scorer (16.1 points career cut), Jordan needed a break, but number 33 was always there.For example, when he beat Dikembe Mutombo (!) in one of the 1997 semi-finals against Atlanta Hawks with his three-winner team.

Nevertheless, it remains the same: Jordan came first, then – at some point – Pippen.Maybe that’s why Pip wasn’t even sad when MJ started his baseball intermezzo in 1993 and put the Bulls in the hands of his congenial colleague.Finally he was able to step out of the shadow.Finally, he was able to prove he was more than Batman’s Robin.

It got off to a good start.No bull scored more than Pippen (22 points), no more distributed assists (5,6), no one blocked more throws (0,8).The current champ finished the regular season with 55 victories.Without Michael Jordan, of course.

Michael Jordan: He did it again

But then came the playoffs – and with them came Game 3 of the Conference Semi-Finals against the New York Knicks.The Bulls had just successfully lost a 20-point lead, but still 1.8 seconds to win the first win of the series.And what does Phil Jackson do?He designs the last play for Toni Kukoc.Of all things Kukoc, in which Pippen saw a threat to his own status.But he was now the star, the go-to-guy, the franchise player.

Too much.Pippen refused to return to the floor.A huge affront,”I think Scottie felt the pressure to replace Michael, which of course nobody can,”remembers his team mate Steve Kerr,”but you have to consider that he had an MVP year.That’s a shame because it ruined Scotty’s reputation.People who don’t know him and think about this play might say’ The boy is selfish’.He was one of the most popular players.”

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In fact, this one game and Chicago’s subsequent off-criticist reinforce this one, to this day.Pip is not a real winner, they say every now and then.Despite 6 titles.Despite 72 wins in one season.Despite Olympic gold, three All-NBA First Team nominations and the election to one of the top 50 players of all time.The disappointing performances for the Rockets and Blazers are doing the rest.

It is often forgotten that dip was simply missing.Jordan had Pippen, LeBron had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Kobe had Shaq or Pau Gasol.Pips best player was Toni Kukoc.Even Michael Jordan’s triumphs would have been more difficult without Pippen at least once.

But questionable barking into decisive seconds, allegedly weak clutch performances, only very few doubt the player Pippen.Coach Chuck Daly even crowned him second best player of the Dream Team.Of course, once again behind Jordan, but Scottie Pippen had become accustomed to it in the meantime.

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