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‘All About Michael’: Metta Sandiford-Artest Explains How Scottie Pippen Was Overlooked While Playing Alongside Michael Jordan

Published 08/20/2021, 12:49 AM EDT

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The NBA has seen many iconic duos over the years. However, few could achieve what Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan did together. The Chicago duo won 6 rings together, including 2 three-peats. However, what makes it better is that they could not win without each other.

But, during their time together, the star of the show was always Jordan. Pippen got acknowledged as a great player, but never got the credit that MJ did.

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In a recent interview, Metta World Peace discussed where Pippen would be without Michael Jordan.

Metta World Peace says it was all about Michael Jordan

In a chat with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Metta discussed how Scottie Pippen was one of the most overlooked NBA superstars. Robinson even said that Pippen put up Jordan-like numbers when MJ retired.

He then asked Metta about Scottie Pippen and admitted how he admired the Chicago superstar. Moreover, he spoke about how he did not realize how good Scottie really was until everyone talked about it.

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He commented: “I didn’t realize how good Scottie was honestly. I don’t know if it’s just me, but when Scottie was with  Michael, it was all about Michael…I didn’t respect Scottie’s offensive greatness until everyone kept talking about it.”

While Michael was the focal point of the offense, Pippen was still putting up impressive all-round numbers. However, after MJ’s first retirement was when Pippen’s true potential really came to the surface.

1993-94 Scottie Pippen

After Jordan’s first retirement, Chicago was left with a vast hole in their offense. However, Scottie stepped up big time and kept the Bulls as a contending team. He went on to have an MVP caliber season without Jordan.

via Imago

Pippen averaged 22 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists. 2.9 steals and nearly a block per game. While his points may not be as impressive as Jordan’s, he improved significantly from the previous season.

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Pippen elevated from 18 points per game to 22 while shooting better, and having more impact on defense. He carried the Bulls to a 55-27 record, but failed to guide them to a championship. Pippen continued his momentum into the next season, proving his true value.

via Imago

Scottie had his offensive game overlooked because he played with Jordan. There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is the better offensive player, but Pippen was an elite two-way player who did not get the credit for his offense.

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Do you think Pippen is under appreciated? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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