Lieutenant of Michel Jordan at the Bulls during the 80s and 90s, Scottie Pippen was unanimously recognized as an elite defender on the court. This did not prevent him from taking a rare rate against a nugget in 1997, when the latter had not even made his NBA debut!
Six titles, that’s Scottie Pippen’s collective record as a player. A mind-blowing trophy cabinet in this area for the winger, who was Michael Jordan’s right-hand man in Chicago during the Bulls dynasty. But where his friend at post 2 also chained individual distinctions for years, number 33 was systematically snubbed by voters.
First of all, we can notably note the absence of a title of Defender of the Year, a real scandal given his achievements. It’s simple, Pip’ is still recognized to this day as the best outside defender of all time, capable of taking care of almost anyone in his half of the field. His series of Finals against Magic Johnson in 1991 is the best example.
When a young Dirk Nowitzki humiliated Scottie Pippen
Clearly, whether it was a point guard, a guard, a winger or even certain interiors, the Hall of Famer was capable of rising to the challenge. That’s why his peers were flabbergasted by what happened at a training camp in Germany in 1997. As he, Charles Barkley and even Michael Jordan faced off against a group of youngsters there, the star went literally being humiliated by a young shoot as the Chuckster tells it:
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I had never heard of Dirk before (Nowitzki, editor’s note). He was around 18 or 19 at the time. We were a lot of NBA players to face him, Michael, Scottie, me… and Dirk was only 18 years old, but he kicked our asses. He had 25 points at halftime, and that was when Scottie was the best defenseman in the world.
So at halftime, Michael and I came to see him to tell him to step it up. He replied, “I’ll turn it off in the second half.” Dirk finished with 52 points on the clock.
It’s what we call a broken promise for the six-time champion… Certainly already 32 years old at that time, he certainly didn’t expect to be demolished like this by a big German stake!
In his defense, he will not have bowed to anyone since he was still unknown to the battalion in 1997, Dirk Nowitzki is now a basketball legend. Titled in 2011 with Dallas where his jersey is obviously retired, he also contributed to modernizing the game played in the NBA with his ability to shoot from afar. Without him, not sure that so many big men would try their luck at three points today.
If Dirk Nowitzki was drafted in the Top 10 of his draft in 1998, it is also thanks to this feat of arms achieved a few months earlier against Scottie Pippen. The latter does not hold a grudge against him, since he came in person to the last home game in the European giant’s career in 2019.
2023-08-15 19:40:00
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