"He'd be going down court late in a game and looking to find someone" - Doug Collins claimed Pippen never learned to play without MJ

“He’d be going down court late in a game and looking to find someone” – Doug Collins claimed Pippen never learned to play without MJ originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Chicago Bulls small forward Scottie Pippen was pushed into the spotlight when Michael Jordan retired in October 1993. Without their best offensive player and leader, Pippen had to improve his offense and become more assertive with his teammates.

The Bulls had just won three straight NBA Championships then. There was a mounting pressure to keep the legacy alive, and all eyes were on Pippen — the lanky and stellar defensive ace, regarded as MJ’s trusty sidekick.

Tough adjustment

Understandably, Pip had a difficult time adjusting to his new role. The gap that MJ left was too big and just impossible to fill. Former Bulls head coach Doug Collins saw how Pippen struggled to run the Bulls’ offense without his buddy.

He was so used to feeding the ball to Jordan that he looked confused upon noticing the shooting guard was no longer his teammate.

“I’ll watch Scottie even today, and even before Michael came back, he’d be going down court late in a game and looking to find someone,” says former coach Collins. “Scottie is not the kind of player to make winning shots, game-winning plays, but he was always more unselfish than Michael.”

This wasn’t a dig at the Arkansas native. Collins preferred Pippen’s playstyle over Jordan‘s. However, not many people understood how good the small forward was. He was more than just a defender and Jordan’s sidekick.

“If I were on the floor, I’d want to play with a guy like Pippen more than Jordan, but the perception always runs ahead of the reality, and Michael was the guy always perceived as hitting that winning shot and Scottie not doing it,” he added.

The best in the world

Dennis Rodman was one of those players who saw Pip’s incredible value. The Bulls had a 55-27 record in the Jordan-less 1993-94 season. And while they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, the two-time DPOY regarded the 6’8″ forward as the best baller on the planet for three years.

“When Michael Jordan left in ’93, ’94, ’95, Scottie Pippen was the best player in the world. And people didn’t know that. He led the team in every category, every category,” Rodman said, per ESPN.

“Scottie got his wings in 1991 when they beat the Detroit Pistons,” Rodman added. “He got his wings then, and he started on that trend from winning three championships. When Michael left, Scottie took over – and next thing you know, he was the best player in the world. And people don’t know that!”

Pip averaged career highs in points (22.0), rebounds (8.7), and steals (2.9) in the lone season without MJ. He was crowned All-Star Game MVP, finished third in MVP voting, and fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Scottie didn’t win as many individual accolades as he should have. Mr. Air got most of the glory, being the Bulls’ number one scorer and overall leader. But this never really bothered Pippen. He understood basketball was a team sport, and he was more than happy just to perfect his role. The real ones know that without Pippen, Chicago and Jordan never would’ve won those championships.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.

“He’d be going down court late in a game and looking to find someone” – Doug Collins claimed Pippen never learned to play without MJ

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