Rodman credited Pippen for being the original point forward: “Scottie has made these young kids today look good”
Today’s basketball is positionless, with all five players on the court being able to do virtually anything and switch one through five. It has created hybrids and unique player models, with the point forward becoming the most frequent and popular.
However, once upon a time, NBA basketball was strictly organized by positions, from point guard to center, with players adhering to their designated roles and doing their job. One of the first and most notable individuals to demonstrate how a player could excel in multiple areas and display exceptional versatility was Scottie Pippen.
At 6’9”, Pip might have been a prototypical small forward. Still, his role on the Chicago Bulls demanded everything, from initiating the offense to guarding point guards and big men depending on the matchups. His teammate on the Bulls, Dennis Rodman, praised Pippen in 2021 for being ahead of his time and setting the blueprint for all the point forwards in today’s game.
“I love Scottie. Scottie revolutionized that position. You know, point forward. Even though Michael Jordan was the point forward, Scottie was that lanky 6’9″ guy that could come down and just beat you off the dribble: one, two, dunk. A lot of guys couldn’t do that back then,” Rodman explained.
Ahead of his time
While Michael Jordan’s greatness spearheaded the Bulls to their six championships, aside from scoring, he didn’t lead the team in any other major statistical category — it was Pippen who did. Aside from being a secondary scoring option, Chicago relied on Scottie to defend the best players, rebound the ball, set up his teammates, and be the connecting link between Michael and the rest of the team.
Many of the role players loved Pip and looked to him as their friend, while MJ was viewed more as a tyrant demanding greatness night in and night out. While it may seem trivial, that kind of influence played a significant role in the supporting players doing their job and providing help when the star duo needed them the most.
Additionally, Rodman praised Pippen for his style of play, which influenced so many forwards after him, as modern point forwards like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Ben Simmons (during his best days), and many more, wouldn’t have been able to display their talent if Scottie hadn’t paved the way.
“Scottie has made these young kids today look good. ‘Cause you got these 6’9″, 6’10” guys playing point guard…people like that that can dribble the ball, can shoot, and do all that fastbreak stuff. Scottie was the one of the main guys that created that position,” Dennis added.
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Unique relationship
While Rodman and Pippen started off as foes, matching during infamous Bulls-Detroit Pistons battles, even engaging in some altercations and flagrant fouls, the duo’s relationship took a sharp turn once they joined forces. Nowadays, Dennis often praises Scottie, even once claiming that Pip was the best in the world, after MJ took a brief break to play baseball.
“When Michael Jordan left in ’93, ’94, ’95, Scottie Pippen was the best player in the world. And people didn’t know that. He led the team in every category, every category,” Rodman said, per ESPN.
While the Bulls didn’t go all the way in the 1993-1994 season, Pippen’s averages of 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per night showed he could lead a team on his own. While he may never receive the recognition he deserves and be in Michael’s shadow, the ones who saw Scottie up close knew just how good he was during his heyday.
Related: The Bulls’ genius architect reveals why MJ needed Scottie Pippen more: “Jordan always felt Pippen was something special”
