Michael Jordan is widely recognized as the greatest player of all time in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Much of this is due to his six championships in eight seasons. However, he did not do it alone. Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson were also important.
Pippen was relegated to being a second option, and he ended up fulfilling that role perfectly. Jackson, on the other hand, is considered one of the greatest coaches in history, both for what he achieved with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s and with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000s.
In an old interview with the coach after Jordan's first retirement, Jackson compared the two stars, but he highlighted Pippen more for his ability to do everything on the court like no other player did at that time.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to Phil Jackson
"Scottie is as generous as a player. He is the best all-around player in the NBA right now. It's incredible. Michael is a tremendous player and I'm not trying to take credit away from him, but Scottie as a rebounder, passer, defender, is the complete package", he explained, via basketballwithinborders on Instagram.
"The energy he brings to the court, he does so many things on it. He can lead a team too, he can score 10-12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists and be the determining factor in a game. Now, Michael. No one can score like him. And it's something wonderful to witness. But it's not everything", he commented.