The dominance of the Chicago Bulls during their golden era under Phil Jackson remains one of the most unforgettable periods in NBA history. Yet, fans rarely know what happens behind the scenes—especially when it involves stars like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan.
Scottie Pippen’s relationship with his superstar teammate Michael Jordan and former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson has always been complicated. Pippen once admitted he was never particularly close with either of them, a revelation that surprised many given the team’s incredible success together.
Now Jackson has addressed those remarks, revealing that he was stunned to hear how Pippen truly felt about their time in Chicago. Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show to promote “Masters of the Game: A Conversational History of the NBA and Its 75 Legendary Players,” a book he co-authored with Sam Smith, the legendary coach shared his side of the story.
“I was an assistant coach when Scottie came into the league,” Jackson recalled. “I played with him and against him one-on-one and tried to help his game a little bit. I was big in promoting Scottie because, at first, he was coming off the bench. When Doug Collins got thrown out of a game and I had to sub in as coach, the first thing I did was put Scottie in and increase the pressure defense. He was one of the best defensive players to ever play the game, and I had a lot of admiration for him.”
Former players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls.
Jackson continued, emphasizing his respect for Pippen’s abilities. “I had a lot of contact with him and always thought highly of his contribution on both ends of the floor,” he added.
Pippen’s personality and Jackson’s perspective
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Jackson’s comments also reflected how much he valued Pippen as a player. When he became the Bulls’ head coach, he immediately put more responsibility on the power forward, giving him a larger role within the team’s system. However, from Jackson’s perspective, Pippen’s personality may have prevented their relationship from growing stronger.
“He was the on-court guy I always alerted,” Jackson explained. “Defensive strategies would go through him—double teams, traps, adjustments. I’d blow the whistle and say, ‘Hey, Scottie, it’s time.’ So yeah, it was shocking to hear the comments he made.”
Under Jackson’s leadership, Pippen averaged 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game from 1989 to 1998. He shot 48.4% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. Yet, his defense truly set him apart—recording 713 blocks and 1,680 steals across 754 games under Jackson’s watch, numbers that helped define the Bulls’ dynasty era.
