“The Bulls proved they weren’t a one-man team” – James Worthy emphasized the Chicago Bulls’ depth beyond MJ originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Most believe the Chicago Bulls heavily relied on Michael Jordan in the 90s. Given MJ’s talent, it was understandable. However, it took more than one man to help a team win games and championships.
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When the Bulls made it to the 1991 NBA Finals, some knew it was because the team had the right mix of players. Jordan was his usual explosive self but needed support from guys like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. For Los Angeles Lakers forward James Worthy, this had already been proven early in the 1990-91 regular season.
“The Bulls proved they weren’t a one-man team back in December,” Worthy said via the New York Times. “If they were, they wouldn’t have gotten this far.”
Worthy’s comments came after the Bulls leveled the 1991 NBA Finals against the Lakers, 107-86. Jordan had his usual numbers (33 points and 13 assists). However, the win was a result of Chicago’s team effort.
Bulls defense was key to Game 2 win
Chicago was under pressure to win Game 2 after losing Game 1 to the Lakers in Chicago. Jordan was expected to lead the team but early foul trouble hounded the 6’6″ guard.
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With MJ’s defense on Magic Johnson hardly effective, Phil Jackson turned to Scottie Pippen to contain the Lakers guard. That ploy worked with Johnson, who admitted that Pip did a good job on him in that game.
“Pippen did a great job on me,” Johnson quipped. “They were trying wear me out or take the ball out of my hands, take your pick. Scottie is more physical than Michael so the matchup was a little different.”
Bulls’ defensive switch delivered 1991 title
Pippen admitted that the Game 2 defensive switch changed the complexion of that series. Scottie admitted he matched up better against Magic. He had the size and length, which is why he was a more effective defender than Jordan at the time.
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“We knew that Magic was a little too big, a little too strong. And that, you know, MJ was not going to be as effective on him as we needed him to be to win the series,” Pippen admitted when he spoke on Stacey Kings “Gimme The Hot Sauce” podcast.
Although Magic was still able to get away with decent averages of 18.6 points, 12.4 assists and 8.0 rebounds in that series, the effort was lacking. Vlade Divac and Sam Perkins helped out, but their contributions were not consistent.
Worthy also struggled in that series due to an ankle injury. Although he tried to back up Johnson, it was evident that Big Game James was not his usual self.
Things only worsened when the top pick of the 1982 Draft could not play in Game 5 because of his injury, according to Lakers center Mychal Thompson, that gave the Bulls a huge edge.
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“James goes down for the series …and we were done without him,” Thompson pointed out.
Without a doubt, a healthy Worthy could have swayed the series differently. Aside from his offense, James was supposed to be the one to guard Jordan. Lakers coach Mike Dunleavy felt the 1988 NBA Finals MVP was perfect since he was familiar with MJ’s game and would not be intimidated by him.
Dunleavy had a point although it would be hard to imagine Jordan not getting away with his numbers. Moreover, there were other players like Pippen, Horace Grant and John Paxson to worry about. Hence, it was not just about one man but an entire team that LA had to worry about.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.