Scottie Pippen once candidly admitted that he had no clutch genes. In an interview on The Jump, Pippen said that he knew he would never be taking the last shot. With Michael Jordan on the team, there was no question about who would have the ball for the last shot.
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The Chicago Bulls player was an instrumental part of the legendary dynasty. In the team, however, roles were clearly defined. This meant that Pippen never had the pressure of being clutch. A smiling Pippen had no qualms admitting this on national television.
The Time Pippen wanted to be the Clutch Player
Fans will remember, this was not always the case. Infamously, in 1994, coach Phil Jackson refused to let Pippen take the last shot. There was no doubt in Pippen’s mind he should have taken than shot.
It was the playoffs between the Bulls and the Knicks in 1994. Pippen had led the team all season, Jordan being absent. However, on that last play, coach Jackson asked him to let Toni Kukoc take the shot. Pippen got so angry he sat the play out.
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Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan’s Relationship
Apart from the above incident though, Pippen was fine with his role. When the Bulls had Jordan, there were no questions. Pippen would admit that playing with MJ changed him. With no pressure to be clutch, Pippen said “he took all the clutch genes.”
While Pippen is not known for being clutch, he remains a true legend. MJ famously said that when one talked about Jordan, they needed to talk about Pippen too. This underlined how important he was to the Bulls.
Pippen was fine with Jordan being the clutch player. He said that it was a relationship that he and MJ had. This understanding let them both do what they were best at. This would be key to the Bulls’ success.
Scottie Pippen might not be remembered as a clutch player. Mostly because he played with MJ. However, that hardly affects his legacy and Pippen remains an all-time great.
Read more: “Slow up, Man”: An Exasperated Scottie Pippen Once Learned Never to Challenge Michael Jordan
