“Go Up and Harass Him”: Scottie Pippen’s Lockdown Defense on Magic Johnson During 1991 NBA Finals was Crucial for Michael Jordan’s First Ring

Trikansh Kher | 21/02/2024
"Go Up and Harass Him": Scottie Pippen's Lockdown Defense on Magic Johnson During 1991 NBA Finals was Crucial for Michael Jordan's First Ring

1991 was a landmark year in the NBA, as the league transitioned from the super teams of the ’80s, like the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons, to what many call the “Jordan-Bulls era“. After sweeping the Pistons in the Conference Finals, the Bulls would end up taking on the Lakers in the finals. The Bulls-Lakers series would be a highly anticipated match-up, as Jordan and Magic faced off for the first time outside the regular season. But to fans’ dismay, it was Scottie Pippen who guarded Johnson throughout the series.

Further, Pippen did a splendid job on the Lakers guard, as Magic would struggle through the series, averaging only 18.6 points, 12.4 assists, and 8 rebounds in five appearances. Pippen recalled his experience guarding Magic in the book Michael Jordan: The Life. Talking to the author Ronald Lazenby, Pippen revealed,

“We started to see that we were wearing him down from a physical standpoint…. especially myself being able to go up and harass him and trying to get him out of their offense. He wasn’t as effective as he had been in the past against some teams, being able to post up and take advantage of situations. I saw the frustration there.”

Game 2 of the 1991 NBA finals would be one of the worst performances that Magic Johnson displayed, as Pippen held the Lakers Legend to just 4 of 13 shooting from the field. Pippen, who was just 25 years old at the time, often switched with Michael while trying to guard Magic, as the duo faced the Lakers’ offense.

On the other hand, Pippen would have a splendid outing during Game 2, as the No 33 would score 20 points, dish out 10 assists, and collect 5 rebounds. After giving the Lakers a ‘gentleman’s sweep’, the Bulls were officially at the start of their dynastic run.

Magic Johnson realized that his time was ‘up’

Magic Johnson won five Championships with the Lakers during his 13 seasons with the team. Playing alongside Kareem, Magic was undoubtedly great from the start, as he won his first Championship in his rookie year itself.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by USA TODAY Sports

Magic would go on to lead the Lakers in their decade-long crusade of the league, but Magic knew his time was coming, as Jordan and the Bulls were knocking on the door. After losing to Jordan and the Bulls in the 1991 finals, Magic understood that it was time to pass the torch, as Michael had decimated the Lakers in 1991.

During an interview with the Ringer back in 2021, Magic even recalled the exact moment he realized that his time was up. Talking about the incident, Magic told his host,

” He [ Michael Jordan] came up on the right side and came up with the tongue out. We all jumped, we thought we had him. And he switched it to his left mid-air. We said, ‘You know what, passing of the torch.’ I told him, it’s your turn now, it’s your time now,”

After winning the 1991 finals, Jordan embraced Magic in the hallway while crying his eyes out. He had finally broken the curse of ‘Michael can only win scoring titles, not Championships’.

Post Edited By: Hitesh Nigam
Magic Johnson Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen

About the author

Trikansh Kher

Trikansh Kher is a writer at The Sports Rush. A lawyer by education, Trikansh has always been around sports. As a young track athlete Trikansh was introduced to basketball through 'street ball' mixtapes. He was hooked and it has been 'ball is life' ever since. Trikansh is a designer by profession, but couldn't keep away from basketball. A regular on the blacktop, his love for the game goes further than just hooping. If Trikansh isn't going through box scores for last night's game, you can find him in his studio working on his designs or playing squash at the local club.

Don’t miss these