From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Dominique Wilkins and Scottie Pippen were arguably the best forwards in the NBA. They had several heated battles on the court, but despite their rivalry, they always had mutual respect. However, that admiration did not translate into friendship, as was the norm at the time.
Advertisement
During an appearance on the Jaxxson Podcast, Wilkins was asked if he was ever friends with Pippen. He replied that they held each other in high esteem but never built any camaraderie. He cited the attitude of the stars towards their rivals in that era as the reason why he and the Bulls icon never became friends. Wilkins said,
“We were competitors and I have a lot of respect for Scottie. Scottie was a super player. So we have a lot of respect for each other. Now, we ever hung out or stuff like that? We didn’t do that kind of stuff cuz we didn’t want another great player to get that close to us.”
Many superstars from the bygone era have attested to Wilkins’ claim that superstars back then didn’t mingle much nor discussed teaming up and forming superteams to win titles. However, Pistons legend Isiah Thomas once claimed it was a myth.
Isiah claims superstars from previous eras were friendly with each other
During the Hawks’ A Night with Legends event in 2020, the Hall of Famer debunked the notion that yesteryear superstars didn’t see eye-to-eye off the court. He recalled hanging out with superstars Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, and Magic Johnson during the offseason.
Thomas revealed that the claim has always been a myth. He cited several examples of some of the biggest names in NBA history and claimed they all shared a great rapport. He said,
“You know, this narrative about players not being friends and hating each other. I really don’t remember that time in the NBA. I was with Nique every summer, and I was with Magic and George Gervin. We all travelled around and we played. I remember when I first came in, Kareem telling me stories about how Bill Russell used to invite Wilt Chamberlain.”
To add to Thomas’ point, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were also vocal about their friendship and often played golf together. While some superstars, like Wilkins, maintained distance from their rivals, others were able to switch off their competitive streak and hang out with their peers.
