Of his six titles, it’s the first that left the deepest mark on Scottie Pippen. For the long-limbed forward, nothing tops the grind of reaching the summit for the first time, especially with the Los Angeles Lakers standing in the way.
“(The first championship) was what I set out for when I came into the league,” the Chicago Bulls All-Star forward said on Stacey King’s Gimme the Hot Sauce podcast. “It took five years to get there, and it was the first. It was obviously more gratifying to me; obviously, playing against the Lakers made it even that much more special because I felt we’re playing against the best team, the best franchise that we could play against to win a title.”
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“I just feel that we just had a great journey. We had beat all the good teams to advance, whether they were crippled, blind, or crazy when we got to the Finals, that don’t matter. We won,” stated the Hall of Famer.
Playing a crucial role
Nobody could fault “Pip” for feeling the way he does. The 1991 NBA Finals was arguably the only Bulls championship run where it felt like he was just as important to the outcome of the series as Michael Jordan was. After all, Chicago was charting unfamiliar waters as Finals neophytes.
Still, Pippen’s calling card was defense, and that was where he hung his hat. After MJ caught two quick fouls in Game 2, Scottie took over the Magic Johnson defensive assignment the rest of the way and did an admirable job. Magic shot four-for-13 from the floor in that game, which was his worst shooting performance in the series. The Bulls dismantled everything the Lakers wanted to do and won via blowout, 107-86.
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Contrary to popular belief, Jordan still drew the primary task of guarding Magic for the rest of the next three games. However, the seeds had already been sown, and Phil Jackson needed Pippen to check L.A.’s other All-Star, James Worthy, anyway. Even though “Big Game” wasn’t able to play in Game 5 because of a bum ankle, he still led the Purple and Gold in scoring, averaging 19.3 points on 48 percent shooting. Pippen held him to 12 points on a 38 percent clip in a 97-82 Game 4 win by the Bulls.
When the dust settled, Scottie averaged his personal Finals-best in rebounds (9.4) and steals (2.4) per game, on top of 20.8 points, 6.6 dimes, and a block a night.
Setting the Standard
Beating the Lakers gave that first title extra weight. For Pippen, going through a traditional powerhouse like L.A. made the win feel earned. Moreover, matching up with Magic and Worthy, both multi-titled All-Stars with Finals MVPs under their belts, on the biggest stage proved he belonged among the league’s best.
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His numbers were strong, but his impact went beyond the box score. That run marked a turning point in his career and in the Bulls’ rise, giving him the confidence to be the next-biggest contributor to Windy City’s five more titles. He was underpaid for most of that run, but Pip earned himself a legendary status despite of it.