Scottie Pippen is fondly remembered as the greatest sidekick in NBA history. Alongside Michael Jordan, he led the Bulls to six championships in eight years. His arrival in Chicago in 1987 is often pinpointed as the moment the team went from the league’s laughingstock to legitimate contenders.
While fans may only remember him as the Robin to Jordan’s Batman, players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett remember the Hall of Famer in a different light. Those who were lucky, or perhaps unlucky, enough to lineup against Pippen remember him as one of the most skilled two-way players they have ever faced. He was elite offensively when he wanted or needed to be.
And his defense was stifling to the point of suffocation. Pierce experienced this firsthand when he was part of the US Select Team in 1996. He had to face Pippen in practice, who was on the Team USA Olympic roster.
The Bulls icon harassed him on the court so viciously, he felt he was being double-teamed. The Celtics icon recalled on The Truth Lounge , Pierce then paid homage to the seven-time All-Star and claimed he’d trust him to guard anyone in NBA history. He added, Garnett, who battled Pippen 23 times in his career, agreed with his former teammate’s take about the six-time NBA champion.
He shared the Pierce’s anecdote on his Instagram stories and co-signed it with a caption that read, While Pierce was on the receiving end of a humbling from Pippen, Garnett got into a skirmish with the Bulls icon that ended with th.