Scottie Pippen wrote in his book, “Unguarded,” that he was delighted when Michael Jordan said, “Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen” in The Last Dance documentary series, which came out in 2020. 

Pippen and Jordan guided the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the ’90s. The basketball icons went undefeated in the NBA Finals and three-peated two times. 

“I deeply appreciated what he said and the similar kind words I received in the spring of 2020 from friends, ex-teammates and fans,” Pippen wrote in his book. 

Considered by many to be the greatest player in NBA history, Jordan didn’t win a postseason series until the Bulls acquired Pippen from the Seattle SuperSonics on draft night in 1987.

In Episode 2 of The Last Dance documentary, Jordan called Pippen his best teammate of all time. 

“I would never be able to find a tandem, another support system, another partner in the game of basketball like Scottie Pippen,” Jordan said. “He was a pleasure to play with. He helped me so much in the way that I approached the game, the way I played the game. Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen.

“Everybody says well I won all these championships, but I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen. And that’s why I consider him my best teammate of all time.”

The Bulls went 514-177 in the regular season when Pippen and Jordan were in the lineup. That’s good for a winning percentage of 74.38%. 

Pippen put up 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game next to Jordan, while Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks alongside Pippen. The two legends had terrific chemistry on the basketball floor. 

However, Pippen admitted in his book that he and Jordan were not close friends during their playing days and are not tight now either. 

“Michael and I aren’t close and never have been,” Pippen wrote. “Whenever I call or text him, he usually gets back to me in a timely fashion, but I don’t check in just to see how he’s doing. Nor does he do the same. Many people might find that hard to believe given how smoothly we connected on the court. 

“Away from the court, we are two very different people who have led two very different lives. I was from the country: Hamburg, Arkansas, population about 3,000; he was from the city: Wilmington, North Carolina.”

Pippen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He thought about asking Julius Erving to present him into the Hall of Fame, but the Arkansas native went with Jordan. 

“For the Hall of Fame ceremony, I needed to choose an official presenter, a person to stand on the stage with me as I delivered my remarks,” Pippen wrote. That individual is required to be a member of the Hall. I thought about asking Dr. J since he was the player I idolized growing up. Except I barely knew him. Instead I picked someone I knew quite well, whose greatness I observed up close, day after day, year after year.

“There really was no other choice. So what if Michael and I weren’t best friends? The two of us will forever be linked together, the best duo in NBA history. He helped make my dreams come true, as I helped make his. He said yes right away and I was extremely grateful.”