Tim Legler is known for his color commentary on ESPN and his many podcast appearances over the years. Still, many fail to remember that he was a 10-year NBA veteran. One of the many reasons he excels in explaining the X’s and O’s and breaking down the game on the broadcast is his rich playing history, which included matching up against the Chicago Bulls at the heart of their franchise’s most successful period.
Legler got a front-row seat to the most dominant team in modern NBA history, and it gave him the unique opportunity to experience what made them a truly special unit. While many point to their abundance of riches offensively as the key driving force to their success, Legler believes their greatness was actually born from their elite defense.
Legler breaks down Chicago defense
Of course, the “Wind City” team had the most gifted squad in the league also. When considering Michael Jordan boasted 10 scoring titles just by himself, let alone the other Hall of Famers and high-level role players, you’d forgive anyone for associating their success with their ability to put the ball in the basket.
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On the other hand, not many players-turned-analysts faced the ’90s Bulls during their golden era like “Legs” did, and he believes the Bulls were revolutionary defensively during that period.
“I don’t know the number of games in which I’ve faced them, but my career was from 1990 to 2000, and I was in the Eastern Conference for the good part of it. They’ve won six titles during that time, so I saw more than my share of those guys,” he said.
“One of the most intimidating things you’ve faced as a player is that they were the only team I played against in the NBA that pressed after free throws and got away with it. So when you got Rodman, Pippen, Jordan, and Harper picking you up in the backcourt in a 1-2-1-1 trap with that kind of length, and you got that first pass in the corner, and you turn, and you got Rodman and Pippen running to you, it was like an eclipse. And to this day, that’s the greatest defensive team that I’ve seen to this day,” Legler added.
The cream of the crop
Imagine making a free throw and inbounding the ball to Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, ready to pick you up full court. It’s daunting even to type that, let alone attempt to overcome it. In this way, you can make a case that the Bulls were just as talented defensively as they were on the offensive end.
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That begs the question – who was the Bull’s best individual defender? By sheer fandom alone, fans would say Jordan and his Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988 validate their feelings. Others would choose Rodman, who, to this day, is perhaps the best undersized interior defender in league history. However, Legler is of a different opinion and gives a nod to Scottie Pippen above anyone else — even crowning him as the best defender since the great Bill Russell.
“I think Scottie is the best defensive player outside of Bill Russell. Pippen was not only the best individual defender but the best team help defender also. The ground that he covered, his IQ, his communication, instincts, combined with his height and length, he was a nightmare. He was one of a kind,” Tim stated.
Scottie and the Bulls were different
It’s refreshing to see Pip get his due credit from a mainstream media member and not continuously put in the shadow of MJ. To this day, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves as an all-time great player, and perhaps with more respected basketball analysts educating the new generation of fans, the tide will eventually turn.
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Pippen has never received the appropriate plaudits for his all-around game. Still, he does get more love for his defensive aptitude. Legendary head coach Phil Jackson has been on the record saying Arkansas antive was one of a kind and could do things even Jordan couldn’t. Often, that was on the defensive end as a long, extremely versatile individual stopper.
While MJ was more than happy to put the ball in the basket, Pippen was issued the toughest defensive assignment night in, night out. He was tasked with slowing down the opposition’s best scorer, meaning he exerted an incredible amount of energy in helping the Bulls selflessly when he could have easily used that energy to run up his own box score.
Legler’s crowning of him as the greatest defender since Bill Russell speaks volumes. Tim has played against and covered every superstar since entering the league in 1988. His opinion holds weight, and unlike his peers, he’s freed himself from any generational bias when it comes to breaking down the league’s history.
His choices also show just how great Chicago was. When we discuss the greatest teams of all time, the ’90s Bulls are at the top of the list, and there is a reason why. They remain the measuring stick against which all champions are stacked up, and just about every time, they come out on top as the best team we have ever witnessed.