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Scottie Pippen on Him and Michael Jordan Facing Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant: “I’ve Said This to Shaq, the Bulls Win in That. The Bulls Win That Easily”

Published 11/15/2021, 10:30 PM EST

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Scottie Pippen has been under the hammer for his recent comments. He hasn’t had good words for his former teammate, Michael Jordan. While the two won everything they did together, it seems they have many unburned issues. For Pippen, he took it out in his book, ‘Unguarded’. But while he hasn’t spoken well of MJ, it seems he still trusts him and the Chicago Bulls as the best team.

Pippen and Jordan are amongst the most legendary duos in basketball history. They led the Bulls dynasty in the 90s and were a perfect fit on the court. Their only rivals as a duo could be Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. While the two didn’t win as many championships, their dominance is what ranks them so high.

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When he was old, Pippen competed against the duo and lost in the playoffs. Pippen gave his praise to the ‘Mamba’ but who would he pick in a Lakers-Bulls clash?

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Pippen picks Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls over Kobe-Shaq and the Lakers

There is no doubt that both dynasties were great. However, when it came to picking a winner, Scottie stuck with his own team. Pippen said, “I’ve Said This to Shaq, the Bulls Win in That. The Bulls Win That Easily”. He and Shaq even had beef over the matter of winning. But before picking sides and choosing Jordan and his Bulls, he had a lot of praise for the Lakers as well.

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Pippen said, “He was definitely prime Kobe, a very tough player to guard, reminded me a lot of competing against Michael day in and day out, but I was older and he was younger, so it was a lot different. He was definitely one of the toughest players that I’ve ever played against, especially once Phil [Jackson] got a hold to him and Shaq and got that team really to playing together, and playing with some chemistry. They were a very special team; we talk about Golden State and what they did, but the Shaq-and-Kobe era was to me, a lot more scarier of what they could have done had they stayed together than the Golden State era.”

Pippen admitted that they were a special team and with good reason. The Kobe-Shaq duo won three championships in four years and remains the last team to complete a three-peat. For the Bulls, Michael Jordan and Pippen won six titles in an eight-year span. While it is debatable who would come out on top, it would sure be a contest everyone would love to watch.

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Who would win?

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Both the Bulls and Lakers were solid teams in their time. MJ and Pippen were the leaders of the Bulls, but they had players who could deliver. Players like Steve Kerr and John Paxson were reliable options when they needed a bucket. Moreover, they were one of the best defensive teams as well.

With the Lakers, it isn’t much different. While they may not be as good defensively, their dominance was off the charts. With prime Shaq muscling his way through anyone, Bryant dominated the game from outside the paint, becoming almost perfect compliments.

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Both these teams had solid strengths, and it is tough to pick a clear winner. Who do you guys think would win in this showdown? Let us know your views 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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