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THROWBACK: Michael Jordan Liked THIS Quality About Scottie Pippen’s Game; When Phil Jackson Made Big Revelation
Phil Jackson coached the legendary Bulls and once revealed the quality of Scottie Pippen that Michael Jordan loved.
The Chicago Bulls' success stemmed from the fact that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were never truly envious of one another. Knowing that their success depended on one another, the pair was always willing to support one another in realizing their own potential.
Jordan and Pippen won all six of their championships under head coach Phil Jackson, who said that Pippen possessed a certain skill set that Jordan desperately wanted to acquire.
Jackson described to Adam Fluck of NBA.com, “They were making a reverse pivot and Scottie was going to the basket dunking with his left hand. Michael was trying to learn from Scottie how to get the steps right to finish with his left hand. That was something that Scottie could do, which Michael wanted in his repertoire.”
The "Zen Master" claims that Jordan and Pippen constantly advised the team on how to execute the offense. There were occasions when Jackson walked into the training facility and saw the two players working on their corner series right away—a crucial component of Tex Winter's triangle offense. Jackson claimed that because Pippen and Jordan had such high regard for one another, they were always willing to talk and even correct one another.
Jackson added, “They both worked incredibly hard on their game, always putting in the extra work to be better players. They had an understanding of how to get a job accomplished and there was regular collaboration between the two of them that brought an incredible amount of success to that basketball team.”
Jordan and Pippen's relationship did not click from the start. When the seven-time All-Star joined the Bulls in 1987, "His Airness" was actually a little bit distant. At first, Jordan thought of Pippen as just another one of those "Arkansas boys," but he soon came to understand that Pippen shared his desire for victory.
As for Scottie, he never bothered to step on Jordan's toes because he knew that Jordan was all about accomplishing his goals. Additionally, the forward didn't go above and beyond to make friends with Jordan because their bond grew organically out of their shared goal of making the Bulls a household name. The kind of bond between Jordan and Pippen brought out the best in each other and helped them share six championship victories.
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