An elite defender during his time, Scottie Pippen dishes out the top 3 players he found most difficult to guard in his stint with the Bulls.
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Though he never one a DPOY in his career, Scottie Pippen is widely regarded as the backbone of the Bulls defense during their dynastic years, with Dennis Rodman joining in later. A defensive savant, Pippen has a mammoth 10-All NBA Defensive Team selections.
Pip dominated on both ends of the floor, making him the complete player. There is no denying that the Bulls wouldn’t have won six titles without the efforts of Pippen, something former teammate Michael Jordan publicly acknowledged.
During his illustrious career, Pippen played in the eras of the Bad Boy Pistons and Showtime Lakers. In a recent appearance on the TrashTalkProduction, Pippen revealed his top 3 toughest players to guard.
The Bulls veteran had Dominique Wilkins, Adrian Dantley, and Magic Johnson on his top 3 most difficult players to guard.
Scottie Pippen names his top 3 most difficult players to guard.
Currently, in the news for his constant jibes at former teammate Michael Jordan, Pippen recently revealed the 3-players he faced the most difficulty defending.
“I’d say, Dominique Wilkins, Adrian Dantley… Magic (Johnson),” said Pip.
Interestingly, during their first championship run, the Bulls faced the Lakers, who boasted the likes of Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Not many know that MJ struggled during the initial part of the Finals, while Pippen put on a defensive show having Magic on the clamps.
The six-time champion also revealed how he took advantage of Magic’s weak left hand during the 1991 Finals.
“I mean, I kinda watched Magic’s career and knew he was a right-hand dominant player.”
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Interestingly, like many kids, Pippen was a Lakers fan growing up. However, he still considers beating the purple and gold in the 1991 NBA Finals as one of the greatest moments in his career.
Unfortunately, Pippen never won a DPOY accolade, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is one of the best two-way players in NBA history.