Scottie Pippen didn’t ask Michael Jordan if he would unretire and return to the NBA in 1995.
Pippen and Jordan are universally recognized as the best duo in NBA history, but they were not close friends while playing for the Chicago Bulls.
“As usual, Michael didn’t confide in me,” Pippen wrote in his book. “Nor did I dare ask him what his plans might be. I knew how far our relationship went and I didn’t take it a step further.”
Jordan returned to the NBA in March 1995 after playing baseball for a bit. He appeared in 17 games during the 1994-95 season and averaged 26.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks for the Bulls.
On March 28, 1995, Jordan dropped 55 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. That contest is known as “MJ’s Double Nickel” game.
The Bulls went 13-4 with Jordan in the lineup in 1994-95. They were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
In four games, Chicago defeated the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1995 playoffs. However, Jordan, Pippen and the Bulls lost to the Orlando Magic in the second round in six games.
In the summer of 1995, Jordan filmed the movie “Space Jam.” On the movie set, he practiced and worked out at the “Jordan Dome.”
When training camp started in the fall, Jordan was in remarkable shape.
“Another takeaway from camp was how sharp Michael looked,” Pippen wrote. “This was the Michael of old, not the Michael who allowed Nick Anderson to steal the ball. The loss to the Magic made him angry. It’s not generally a good idea to make Michael Jordan angry. Perhaps he also realized, after being away from the game for 21 months, how fortunate he truly was, and that this blessed career of his wouldn’t last forever. Whatever time he might have left, he would make the most of it. He was 32 years old. That’s getting up there for a basketball player. While in Los Angeles the summer before to shoot Space Jam, Michael worked out with other NBA players in a gym the studio built specifically for him.”
The Bulls went 72-10 in 1995-96. Jordan reclaimed his throne as the best player in the world by winning his fourth MVP and eighth scoring title. The UNC product averaged 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Chicago beat the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals.
The Bulls faced Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.
Behind Jordan and Pippen, Chicago defeated Seattle in six games. Jordan won his fourth title and fourth Finals MVP on Father’s Day. He cried in the locker room since he was missing his dad, who was murdered in 1993.
With the Bulls, Jordan won six rings, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, 10 scoring titles, three steals titles and one Defensive Player of the Year Award. He’s arguably the greatest player in NBA history.
Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He’s first in NBA history in points per game.
Pippen played for the Bulls (twice), Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks and made seven All-Star teams, 10 All-Defensive Teams and seven All-NBA Teams.
The Bulls went 514-177 in the regular season when Jordan and Pippen played. Despite not being close friends, Jordan and Pippen were lethal on the basketball court together.
Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks alongside Pippen, while Pippen averaged 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks next to Jordan.
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