“Michael, I love you, but I’m glad to see you go” – Scottie Pippen described getting Michael Jordan’s locker in 1993 as his greatest promotion originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When Michael Jordan retired in 1993, everyone saw Scottie Pippen as the Chicago Bulls’ new No.1 guy. But Pippen wanted more than that. Then came the ultimate validation.
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“All I know is I’m getting his locker,” said Pippen to former ESPN sportswriter Melissa Isaacson during a preseason game on October 28, 1993. “It’s the greatest promotion I’ve ever had. Michael, I love you, but I’m glad to see you go.”
The opportunity that Pippen had long waited for
The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Pippen with the No.5 overall pick in 1987 before trading him to Chicago for Olden Polynice. Still, he didn’t join the Bulls as their go-to superstar. Instead, Pip entered MJ’s shadow from day one.
Despite earning three All-Star selections, three All-Defensive First Team nods and two All-NBA team selections in his first six years in the NBA, Pippen was always known as Jordan’s sidekick. He was always in the background, and MJ got all the accolades. But with Jordan leaving in 1993, it was Pippen’s time to shine. And he relished the opportunity.
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“I enjoyed my growth and development as a player, as well as the leadership role that I had,” said the legendary forward in 2014. “It was the first time for me to be the clear-cut star. I didn’t always have a chance to rise up when Michael was there, especially in my first three years. But by him stepping away a little bit, it gave me a little room to grow. And when he came back, it gave me an opportunity to stand beside him instead of standing below him.”
The Jordan-less Bulls finished the 1993-94 season with a 55-27 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. But despite sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the season, the New York Knicks ended their season in Eastern Conference semifinals after seven games.
Pippen did a great job as the team’s go-to guy. Throughout the regular season, he averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. In 10 postseason games, the Hall of Famer put up 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
The value of lockers
The Bulls allowing Pippen to use Jordan’s old locker proved that the team valued him more than he thought they did.
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When Michael retired again in 1998 and Scottie was traded to the Houston Rockets that season, Bulls management issued a memo that prohibited anyone on the team from using them.
“No one will use the spaces this season out of respect for Jordan and Pippen, who led Chicago to six National Basketball Association titles, but a team spokesman said the Bulls have not decided exactly what will be done with the lockers. Except for a preseason game, Jordan’s and Pippen’s lockers have been off limits to the new Bulls,” per the NY Times.
Pippen did Jordan’s locker justice. But for all his greatness — even in MJ’s absence — he couldn’t lead the Bulls to the title by himself. Even when Jordan returned with 17 games left in the 1994-95 regular season, the Bulls still suffered a second-round playoff loss against the Orlando Magic.
However, they completed their revenge campaign in 1996, kicking off their second three-peat of the decade. Jordan was still the main guy. Pippen was still his sidekick. But he was arguably the greatest sidekick in NBA history. And Michael needed him just as much as he needed Michael.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.