Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are easily one of the NBA’s greatest duos ever. Everyone in the 90s era of the Chicago Bulls witnessed how greatly Scottie complimented Jordan. In fact, MJ has stated on numerous occasions that he would not have been a six-time NBA champion without Pip. However, when it comes to Mike, he had made a name for himself even before Scottie’s NBA debut. But one may wonder if Pippen would have been as great a player without Michael Jordan. At least Xavier McDaniel is the one to believe in Pip’s individual abilities.

Appearing on ‘No Nonsense on TV’, Xavier faced the hardest question, “If Michael pushed Scottie in the Bulls, or if he still would have been good as an individual player without Michael as his teammate?” To which he said, “I think he would have been fantastic because after Michael left, he still did well… I think he would have been a great player.”. However, Xavier McDaniel also mentioned that the NBA is about matchups. And he believes that Scottie’s matchup with Michael, as far as pairing together, worked out beautifully.

Notably, Pip played the majority of his NBA career alongside Michael Jordan. He entered the Bulls at a stage where the franchise was looking to rebuild the team. Though Michael Jordan had created his impact in the NBA within his first three seasons, he lacked certain support, which was evident from the team’s performance apart from MJ’s individual performance. Scottie Pippen’s addition to the roster was the first step toward a solution to this problem. And the support was such that the duo created history with 6 NBA championships for the Bulls.   

Although the team requirement was for Pip to provide in-game support to Mike, it does not mean that he was not an individual player in his own sense. In fact, Scottie has his own achievements that speak loud enough for himself.

Scottie Pippen without Michael Jordan?

A man with his own defensive prowess in the game would be the first answer to this question. While Mike was an offensive force, Pippen earned a name for his defensive abilities. He made it to the NBA All-Defensive Team for ten consecutive years. The 6x NBA champion also led the number of steals during the 1994–95 season, with 234 steals to his name.

It is worth mentioning that during the 1990s, Scottie played one season for the Bulls without MJ, where he averaged his highest points in a particular season. The season was 1993–94, when Mike took his first retirement from the game after his father’s demise. Pippen averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game this season.

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It is also important to highlight that, prior to his entry into the NBA as well, Pip had earned quite a name for himself in the college basketball scenario. In fact, this was what prompted the Bulls team management to get him on board. Scottie had averaged 23.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.3 assists as a college senior.

So, although it cannot be determined what Scottie Pippen’s career would have looked like without Michael Jordan, his individual excellence at the game cannot be overlooked. What is your opinion on this entire issue? What could the scenario have possibly been had MJ and Pip not landed on the same team as the Bulls? Let us know your views in the comments.

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