June 16, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls with their six championship trophies. Left to right in the front row are Luc Longley, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, Dennis Rodman (leaning back), Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley at a championship rally at Grant Park in Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Co
Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 3:18 PM ET
The Chicago Bulls in the 1990s were one of the most dominant stretches of a franchise in American sports. From 1991 to 1998, the Bulls won six of the eight NBA Finals, as they didn’t win in the other two years due to Michael Jordan’s retirement to play baseball.
While Jordan is the face of the dynasty, he couldn’t have done it all alone, as he was helped greatly by the play of Scottie Pippen and head coach Phil Jackson. In an interview with Marca, Pippen sat down to talk about his tenure with the Bulls and the reality of his relationships with both Jordan and Jackson.
“It was never a very close relationship. But when we played, we had great chemistry,” Pippen said of Jordan. One of the most accomplished duos in NBA history, it seemed as though the two weren’t really close off the court, like other NBA duos have been. But, in this case, it might’ve been more reflective on Pippen as a person.
“Yes, quite a bit,” Pippen said about separating his professional career from his personal life. “I can count on one hand the friends I played with and still talk to.”
It was similar to Jackson as well, who was the head coach in Chicago for all six titles. “That’s the way this business is. Same with Phil Jackson. We’re not close friends anymore. That’s life, things change,” he added.
How Did The Team Break Up?
After winning the 1998 NBA Finals, Jordan would go on to retire from the NBA yet again, as he would sit out till the 2001-02 season, where he’d join the Washington Wizards. As for Pippen, he would be traded to the Houston Rockets in 1999 during the lockout season, where he’d spend just one season before going to the Portland Trail Blazers and finally retiring a Bull in 2004.
As for Phil Jackson, he would take a year off before joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1999-00 season, leading them to three straight titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He’d hang around in LA for 11 seasons, winning two more titles to give him 11 total championships as a coach.
Even though Pippen, Jordan, and Jackson are all legends of the game and individually great, Pippen doesn’t have a relationship with either party, despite all they went through as a team for several seasons.
This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.
