Scottie Pippen was once referred to by Larry Bird as the “second best” player in the NBA because of…

Scottie Pippen was once referred to by Larry Bird as the “second best” player in the NBA because of…

Before you even take into account his more recent remarks regarding Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen was never exactly an unpopular person. Basketball fans argued whether the forward was just Michael Jordan’s sidekick or a star in his own right during his time on the court.

On the other hand, Larry Bird was certain of what he had seen.

Indeed, Bird complimented Pippen highly in 1999, noting that while he was a top-five player on his own, he rose to the top of the rankings when he suited up with Michael Jordan. That may seem like a bit of a cop-out, but it does provide us some insight into how we now see Pip.

In his tenure as an NBA player, Larry Bird encountered numerous skilled rivals. All in all, though, the great player for the Celtics was deeply impacted by two individuals from Chicago.

Larry Legend described in his 1999 book Bird Watching how annoying it was to watch Michael Jordan scare his Pacers team. The NBA legend knew where the fear element came from, even though he attempted in vain to alter that reality. In addition to being a superb player with a talent for shattering opponents’ self-confidence, Michael Jordan also had a decent running partner.

“Almost nobody played the mind game as well as Michael Jordan did. He was genuinely skilled at penetrating people’s minds,” Bird wrote. Additionally, I think Scottie Pippen, the second-best player in the NBA, was sitting right next to him. If you remove Michael from that squad, Scottie drops to fifth. However, when Michael accompanied him outside,