In ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan named Scottie Pippen as his greatest teammate. The two Chicago Bulls legends won six NBA titles together and were undefeated in the Finals during the 1990s.
After winning the 1993 championship, Jordan retired to play baseball, leaving Pippen as the Bulls’ leading player for the 1993-94 season. Pippen had an impressive season but made a major mistake in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. Coach Phil Jackson had designed a game-winning play for Toni Kukoc, but Pippen, angered by not being the focal point, refused to enter the game.
Jordan, observing from his baseball stint, knew this moment would trouble Pippen for years. He later expressed regret over not being there to guide Pippen through it.
Pippen, who apologized and performed well in the series, still saw the Bulls lose in seven games. Despite the disappointment, Jordan believed Pippen’s experience without him was valuable and returned to the Bulls in 1995, partly because Pippen wasn’t traded as nearly happened.
The Bulls, with Jordan and Pippen back together, defied expectations by winning three consecutive titles from 1996 to 1998 and achieving a record 72 wins in the 1995-96 season. Both are now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and have their jerseys retired in Chicago. Jordan’s faith in Pippen never wavered, underscoring their legendary partnership.
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