"I think it was all brought from us being successful": Scottie Pippen backs Michael Jordan's GOAT argument with backhanded take
Since they won six championships together with the Chicago Bulls, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan's relationship has been rocky at best. Recently, the Hall of Fame forward crowned his running mate the G.O.A.T. However, he did it with a backhanded compliment.
While appearing on the "Today" show, Pippen discussed an array of topics. Among the things to come up is the endless greatest of all time debate in the NBA. While Pippen agreed that Jordan should be viewed as the G.O.A.T, he also feels their overall team success played a part in his accolades.
"You look at the MVPs he was able to achieve but I think it was all brought from us being successful as a team obviously someone's gonna bring those accolades home but he was the greatest player in basketball," Pippen said.
As far as the Bull's success in the 1990s goes, Scottie Pippen did play a big part in their success. He was the No. 2 behind Jordan, and was a foundational piece in the dynasty. During his time with the franchise, he was a multiple time All-Star and All-NBA player. Pippen also made numerous defensive teams and once led the league in steals.
Also read: "He's embarrassing himself" - Stephen A. Smith slams Scottie Pippen for joining 'No Bull Tour' to impair Michael Jordan's legacy
Scottie Pippen has constantly flipped sides on the G.O.A.T debate
While Scottie Pippen might have sided with Michael Jordan now, that has not always been the case. Over the years, he's consistently flipped sides between his former teammate and LeBron James.
There have been numerous occasions where Pippen was on record saying that LeBron has passed Jordan. Years ago, he sent Stephen A. Smith into a tailspin on "First Take" when giving his thoughts on the topic.
"The numbers don't like, he's right there. [LeBron] will probably never catch [Jordan] in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there," Pippen said. "When you look across the board, not just scoring, check his assists, check his rebounds, he's probably ahead of Jordan."
This interview is from six years ago, which changes things. Pippen brought up scoring, but LeBron has passed Jordan in this regard since then. Last year, the LA Lakers star broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record.
As mentioned before, Pippen and Jordan have a rocky relationship. Because of this, it's hard to take anything Pippen says on the topic at face value. Shown here, there are countless interviews where he argues for both sides. Knowing this, it takes away his credibility.
Given all this evidence, it might be time for Pippen to retire from trying to weigh in on the G.O.A.T debate.