Scottie Pippen (Arkansas, 1965) is part of the era in which the NBA became what it is today, the greatest sporting and social phenomenon in the world. With his Chicago Bulls and alongside Michael Jordan, he forged one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, winning six rings in eight years. It was playing with Jordan that made him better and turned him into one of the superstars of the 1990s.
Pippen, who was on the Dream Team in 1992, returned to Spain as an ambassador for the Sanitas Foundation to lead its annual Inclusive Sport event. Before that, Pippen, one of the essential names to understand the NBA of the 90s and today, spoke to MARCA in an exclusive interview.
How does it feel to be an ambassador for Inclusive Sport for Sanitas?
It’s a great opportunity for me to be part of all this. It’s a great opportunity to give a voice to people with disabilities who want to play sports. To be with them, to play with them, is the beginning of something great. It’s a great way to send a message.
What kind of message can an NBA legend give to people with disabilities who want to play basketball, soccer or other sports?
My career shows that you have to keep believing and dreaming that someday this is going to grow and get better. Maybe the opportunity to play professionally will become a reality for them. But for now, I think they are enjoying being recognized a little bit. They are gaining more notoriety and showing how popular basketball is. That has definitely helped improve their game. For people with disabilities, sport is like a refuge, an important place.
Do you think sport brings people together no matter who they are?Yes. Basketball is a global sport. You don’t need to know your teammates or opponents. It’s played all over the world and you speak the same language. The sky is the limit with what you can achieve and how it brings people together.
Is it possible to compare your era with the current one?
I don’t think so. Maybe at one time it was possible, but nowadays it’s a completely different game. It’s changed the way it’s promoted, how it’s refereed, the players are different: bigger, stronger, faster.
Is it more physical now?
I wouldn’t say it’s more physical. Basketball in the late 80s and early 90s was as physical as it could be. Today it’s not the same, hard fouls are no longer allowed. Teams played with a different mentality.
Basketball in my day and now are completely different
A.As a great defender, what do you think of those who say that now nobody defends, everyone just runs and shoots three-pointers?
In the last 15 or 20 years, there has been more emphasis on attacking. They changed rules to increase scoring. But it was good for the game. Big players now shoot threes. There are no pure centers anymore. The game now has no positions, it’s more open, more based on shooting.
Where are the Pistons’ Bad Boys, the Bulls or the Rockets, compared to today’s game?
Today’s game is more open, less physical. It’s played at a faster pace, and that’s changed and improved the game in some ways. Colleges and schools follow the lead of the NBA. The style now is to shoot threes and score as much as possible. That’s what the data and statistics say.
Were the 1996 Bulls, the 72-10 team, the best team of all time?
On paper, yes. What we achieved that season puts us up there as one of the greatest teams in history.
On paper, the 1996 Bulls were the best team in history
Q. Let’s open the debate: If the ’96 Bulls played the ’16 Warriors (73-9), who would win?
It depends on the rules. If you play by today’s rules, it would be one thing. But with the rules of the 90s, Curry would not be the same. If we played in his era, it would be like playing in freedom: nobody grabs you, nobody stops you. I don’t know who would win. We weren’t made to shoot 25-50 three-pointers a game. They would probably win in that sense, because they have two of the best shooters like Steph and Klay. But we played physical, we defended hard. We made teams score only 75-80 points. Today that is almost impossible.
A. Could Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic dominate in their era as they do today?
R. I don’t know if they could dominate. In the 80s and 90s we used to press all over the field. Could Jokic bring the ball up against such pressure? I don’t know. Sure, he can see the court and pass very well. But I don’t know if he would be comfortable bringing the ball up from the back with that pressure.
With the rules of the 90s, Curry would not be the same
Is Doncic capable of leading the Lakers to a championship?
R. I don’t know. Their style of play got them to the finals. But I’m not sure if that style will get them there again. It was a one-off feat, but when they got to the finals, they didn’t have much.
A. You played in the shadow of Michael Jordan, but you were still one of the most complete players of your era.
As I said, basketball is a team sport. One player doesn’t make you win. You need soldiers, warriors, players who sacrifice themselves. It doesn’t matter who you have, you need a team.
Doncic’s style got him to the Finals, but I’m not sure if it will get him there again
Did you really consider yourself unstoppable?
I didn’t see myself that way. I think our team played unstoppable. Our style made us very difficult to defend.
What was your relationship with Michael Jordan like?
It was never a very close relationship. But when we played, we had great chemistry. That’s the way this business is. Same with Phil Jackson. We’re not close friends anymore. That’s life, things change.
Was it difficult to separate the professional from the personal?
Yes, quite a few. I can count on one hand the friends I played with and still talk to.
What was it like to play on the 1992 Dream Team? That changed basketball around the world forever.It was an incredible experience. I played with some of the best players in history. Winning gold, representing the country and globalizing the game was something special.A. If 20 years ago I told you that the last 7 MVPs were won by players not born in the United States, you would have called me crazy.
R. He might think you were crazy. But they have closed the gap, they have definitely come closer. They have size, skill, and they are not afraid.
Would there be a salary cap to pay players like Jordan, Pippen, Magic, Bird with today’s salaries?
Yes. Salaries have gone up in every era. In the 90s it already seemed crazy what was paid. But that’s what players do. A middle-class player can earn 20 or 25 million and he deserves it, he generates it, because the television rights and what is generated around the league has grown a lot. All these years we have seen the league grow and with it the salaries have also grown.
What do you think of the Thunder’s title? Could it be the start of a dynasty?
A. Yes, it’s possible. They’re young, the sky’s the limit. They have all their players signed. They’re going to be the team to beat this season, that’s for sure.
Do you follow your son’s career closely?A. Yes, of course. It’s very exciting to see how it progresses.
A. They are the only father-son duo to have achieved a triple-double in NBA history.
R. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of.
Q. And does he remind you that you are 17 and he is only one?
R. I tell him. But maybe he’ll catch up with me.
NBA will land in Europe in one or two years. Do you think there will be anything more than a league sponsored by the NBA?R. I think it would be great. In basketball, I repeat, the same language is spoken all over the world. So there are no limits. As far as the growth of the game, hopefully one day we’ll see a team. And in Europe, hopefully they come with at least one or two teams, so it’s worth the trip.
A. What do you think about the All-star, the idea of a game between the United States and the rest of the world? You played a few.
I just think they have to bring in “new blood”. The players who have been repeating as All-Stars for 17, 18 or 20 years are guys who don’t want to be there anymore, and that hurts the game. If they bring in new blood and let young players go, I think they could get a competitive game.
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