GOAT Conversations: Scottie Pippen Won Six Championships Too
Oct 31, 2025
GOAT Conversations is a series of articles on all-time greats who, for one reason or another, are not mentioned frequently enough in debates about the greatest NBA player of all time.
Michael Jordan deserves to be on any fan’s list of the greatest NBA players of all time. Amidst all the talk of Jordan’s greatness, there’s one fact that is often overlooked.
Throughout his six title reigns with the Chicago Bulls, there was one indispensable player who helped him build the dynasty: Scottie Pippen.
Nowadays, the mention of Jordan and Pippen in the same sentence sounds awkward, as the two have been publicly feuding since the start of this decade. Ironically, the basis of Pippen’s case as an all-time NBA great was the spark that ignited the battle between these two former running mates.
When “The Last Dance” came out in 2020, Pippen took issue with the documentary’s depiction of his dynamic with the Bulls, along with some not-so-flattering comments by Jordan. None of the vitriol spewed by these two men, however, can change the fact that Pippen was a genuine difference-maker in both Jordan’s career and the Bulls’ trajectory.
Before Pippen came to Chicago in 1987, Jordan struggled to find consistent help from anyone on his team. For three consecutive seasons, the Bulls exited the playoffs in the first round. It was perhaps no coincidence, then, that Pippen’s arrival coincided with the Bulls advancing to the second round for the first time in seven years.
The next ten years would see a flurry of unprecedented success in the Windy City, as the Bulls dynasty dominated the league. The team’s ascent to greatness was fueled by Pippen’s excellent on-ball defense, selfless playmaking, and hustle on both ends of the floor.
When the math is broken down, things become crystal clear. With Pippen by his side, Jordan won six NBA titles. Before and after he played next to Pip, MJ won a total of zero.
With seven All-NBA selections, seven All-Star nods, and a whopping ten All-Defensive Team appearances on his résumé, Pippen can stake his claim as one of the greatest winners in NBA history. Michael Jordan may be widely considered the GOAT, but don’t forget: Scottie Pippen won six championships too.
