In the postgame presser, after winning the 1997 NBA championship, Michael Jordan admitted that Scottie Pippen didn’t get the recognition he truly deserved.
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Scottie Pippen is one of the greatest two-way superstars in league history. The 7-time All-Star averaged a solid 16.1/6.4/5.2 in his 17-year career and played a huge role in helping Michael Jordan and the Bulls win 6 championships.
Despite being one of the best players of his time, Scottie never really got the respect he should’ve as he was always in the shadows of His Airness.
However, after winning the 1997 NBA championship, MJ made sure everyone gave Pip the recognition the 6-foot-8 forward truly deserved. In the postgame presser, Jordan spoke about his teammate:
“You know, when I was here before I retired, I overshadowed Scottie a lot, you know, and he didn’t get the recognition that he truly, truly deserved.”
“He’s matured since I’ve been around and when I stepped away, he matured even more because he understood what I was shielding him from. You know, the pressure and the press and the expectations.”
Also Read: Charles Barkley takes a dig at Scottie Pippen’s claims of being severely underpaid
“Scottie Pippen puts forth the effort every single night”: Michael Jordan
Scottie is possibly one of the most underpaid athletes for someone of his caliber. In 1991, after his rookie contract expired, Pippen signed a measly 7-year $18 million contract. During the postgame interview, Jordan even highlighted that the then-31-year-old deserved the same contract he was getting.
“And when I’m back, he shouldn’t get any less of attention than if I was gone. And when I won the MVP, and I will hold true to my word, I will take the trophy, he can have the car. I’m gonna make sure he gets the car I mean because he’s like a little brother to me. And he’s prospered and moved along.
From a financial standpoint, from a contract standpoint, he’s locked in. And he is very deserving of the same $30 million, 30 whatever I get in the next coming year. He’s very deserving of the same contract, I mean because he put forth the effort every single night.
He goes through the pain and we work out every day. He’s joining me and working out every day to stay healthy, to get out here and provide for this organization and this city so that we can be healthy and we can continue to be champions. So, I mean, that’s what brothers do – we share our success and that’s what I’m doing to him. I just want the trophy, I got enough cars, he can have the Nissan.”
Only a season later, Pippen received the fruits of his labor. In the 1999 offseason, Scottie signed a massive 5-year $67.2 million contract with Chicago as part of a Sign-and-Trade with the Houston Rockets.
