“Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had the Mike Tyson effect”: Opponents feared the iconic Bulls duo even before they stepped on the hardwood

Arjun Julka | 09/09/2021
"Michael Jordan gifted his red Ferrari to Scottie Pippen while getting an earring with a diamond-encrusted replica of the NBA trophy in return from the latter": The former Bulls teammates set the standard when it came to gifting in the Christmas of 1997

According to former NBA player and Chicago native Kendall Gill, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would instill fear in the opposition with their presence itself.

Arguably one of the most successful duos in NBA history, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were unstoppable during their prime in Chicago. The duo won 6 NBA championships together.

Such was the aura of the MJ and Pippen that players were beat even before they got to the United Center. The legendary duo prevented superstars such as Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and Karl Malone from winning an NBA championship.

The Chicago Bulls is the only team with the current set of rules and regulations to 3-peat twice. His Airness and Pippen never lost in an NBA Finals.

Also read: “Kobe Bryant has a 5-3 record against Michael Jordan”: The Black Mamba faced MJ eight times during his career that included the latter’s stint in Washington

Former Charlotte Hornets player Kendall Gill talks about Jordan and Pippen having the Mike Tyson effect. That stated players being beat even before they entered the arena.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were an invincible duo on the court

While speaking to historian Chicago sports historian Jack M Silverstein, Kendall Gill spoke about the iconic Bulls pair having a Mike Tyson effect on the NBA.

The Bulls were just tough, but you know what I tell people all the time? During that era, I wasn’t afraid to play against Scottie and Michael. I wanted to play against them, Gill said. I wasn’t one of those guys that suffered the Mike Tyson effect, meaning that I was beat before I even got into the ring or into the arena. You got a lot of NBA players that were beat before they even got to the United Center or Chicago Stadium because they were playing against Michael and Scottie.

In the 691 games that MJ and Pippen played together, the Bulls were an incredible 514-177, having a winning percentage of almost 75%. The two Hall of Famers had immense respect for each other and always had the bigger goal in mind rather than individual stats.

Also read: “Bobby Knight really cut off Charles Barkley from joining the 1984 Olympic Team USA”:  When John Stockton wanted to team up with Karl Malone and the Philly legend to take on a Michael Jordan-led team after not getting selected

His Airness believed he couldn’t have been the GOAT if it wasn’t for Scottie Pippen.

He helped me so much in the way I approached the game, the way I played the game. Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen. When everybody says, well, I won all these championships, but I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen. That’s why I consider him my best teammate of all time.

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

Don’t miss these