“Scottie Pippen Learnt What I Had to Deal With!”: When Michael Jordan Talked About Robin’s Growth During His Time Away Playing Baseball

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are among the greatest duos in the history of the NBA. The two men won it all with the Chicago Bulls, putting the franchise on the map.

Together, they won six of the ten NBA Championships in the 90s and were a part of a dynasty that may consider to be one of the best, if not the best. With MJ as Batman and Scottie as Robin, the Bulls were unstoppable.

However, in 1993, His Airness decided to retire from basketball and make a move to baseball. This decision allowed Pippen to understand what it was like to be in MJ’s shoes.

Also Read: Where is the New Michael Jordan MVP Trophy Silhouette From?

Michael Jordan believed Scottie Pippen understood what he had to deal with when he came back in 1995

Michael Jordan made his infamous return to basketball in 1995. The six-time champion was back with the Bulls after an eighteen-month hiatus playing baseball.

Upon his return, MJ did an interview, where he went into detail about his decision to return to the NBA. He also spoke about his teammate Scottie Pippen. Jordan claimed that Scottie would be different, simply because he now understood what it was like to be like him.

“He has a better understanding in terms of the expectations that a player of his caliber should have…my caliber should have a day in and day out. I think that’s really made him better as a player. The 18 months that I was away, he had to deal with some of those things that I had to deal with when I was here. So I think mentally he’s become stronger and can deal with certain things in different ways. But yet, his competitiveness and his everyday game have to be…well you have to find different challenges every day so that he can maintain consistency.”

“I think that’s one thing about your great players and your good players. Great players do it every night, good players do it once in a while, and I think Scottie is starting to understand the difference between the two, and he certainly has the talent and the credibility to do both.”

Safe to say that Scottie understood the assignment after his year at the helm of the Bulls. After all, they would go on to dominate over the next three years.

Scottie Pippen’s versatility on both offense and defense greatly impressed MJ

It’s true that Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were a great combo. Jordan was an absolute beast who dominated the opposition with his skill. But what did Scottie bring to the table? According to MJ, it was his versatility on offense and defense.

Scottie and Mike are two of the best. It truly is great that we got to watch them play together.

Also Read: “I’d Cut LeBron James!”: Tracy McGrady Makes Shocking Pick Between the King, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant