SCOTTIE PIPPEN SAID HE IS A BETTER ALL-AROUND PLAYER THAN HAKEEM OLAJUWON: "HE'S NOT A BALL HANDLER"
Although Scottie Pippen spent much of his career in Michael Jordan's shadow, he was a spectacular player in his own right. Some experts even considered Pip one of the best all-around players in the NBA's long and colorful history.
A 6-foot-7 small forward from Arkansas, Pippen was a versatile talent who could do it all on the court. He was known for his incredible defense, averaging 2.0 steals per game and earning 10 All-Defensive Team selections throughout his career. In addition, he had a deep bag of offensive moves he used to score buckets or make plays for his teammates.
In a 1996 interview with Slam Magazine, Pippen famously declared that he was a better all-around player than Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest centers in NBA history. Naturally, this bold statement caused quite a stir among fans and analysts alike, with many asking what led Pip to express such a thing.
Lack of ball-handling skills
Scottie didn't diss "The Dream." On the contrary, he believed that the two-time NBA champion ranks up there as one of the best all-around players of all time. However, Pip pointed out a glaring hole in Hakeem's arsenal – ball-handling skills.
"I think Hakeem is right there, too. The only thing I can take away from him—and it's not his fault—it's natural—is he's not a ball handler. He doesn't handle the ball, and that's a weapon I have over him. I'm able to handle the ball, control the break, and get assists," Scottie said.
One of Pippen's most impressive skills was his ball-handling ability. He could easily nab a rebound and quickly bring the ball up himself in transition to manufacture points or find an open teammate with a quick pass. This was especially useful in fast-paced games, where he could push the ball up the court and keep the defense on their toes.
Ironically teamed up with Hakeem
Three years after that interview, Pippen would join Hakeem on the Houston Rockets, forming what many believed would be a potent "Big 3" with another future Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley. However, Scottie's dream of winning a title without MJ would not materialize as the Rockets played disjointed basketball all season and would be ousted in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking after the fact, Pip said his stint in Houston didn't work out for a litany of reasons.
"I thought I was joining a superteam to some degree. It just didn't work out. We just didn't have the right chemistry, and we were aging a little bit. It wasn't a good fit for me. Coming off a second-back injury, I needed a little more youth around me. I didn't realize how much Hakeem had diminished in the game, and I didn't realize Charles wasn't as dedicated as I thought he would be," Pippen shared.
Pip would get another shot at winning an NBA title when he moved to the Portland Trail Blazers, forming a team with an impressive mix of grizzled veterans and up-and-coming young players such as Damon Stoudemire, Detlef Schrempf, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, and Rasheed Wallace.
However, Scottie's desire to add another title to his resume was not meant to be. Portland was stunned by the Lakers in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals, a game Pippen admittedly still ponders long after his career had wrapped up.
2024-03-29T01:19:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd