Isiah Thomas' hate for Karl Malone & Scottie Pippen

[L.Kizzle]

I hope one day Isiah is a full time color commentator again. He's was really good at that.

He's on NBA TV full time.

[secund2nun]

This ^^^^^ was the consensus about Pippen:


Chuck Daly: "It doesn't entail me playing you necessarily... it's our 5.... playing... you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCMWuCdsGQ&t=27m41s


Bill Laimbeer: "We didn't even think about Scottie Pippen. It was Michael Jordan and the Jordannaires - and you can't win championships like that with only 1 player."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqC74bv46Z8&t=1h07m33s


Phil Jackson: "Don't leave Michael all alone here. It's not TIME yet." - this was Phil Jackson during a huddle in the 1991 NBA Finals, showing how the everyday game plan was to leave Michael alone and let him do everything himself down the stretch of games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOgJhzj4W9M&t=30m20s


Scottie Pippen: "Maybe it was the pressure. As the pressure grew, the pounding grew. I wasn't able to answer the bell." - this was Pippen in the Bad Boys documentary ADMITTING he was a non-factor and how the pressure caused him to disappear in 1990 ECF Game 7 - this cost the Bulls a trip to the Finals that year.. This is Pippen himself saying that MJ was all alone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqC74bv46Z8&t=1h22m15s

55 wins AFTER Jordan retired and should have made the ECF in a winnable series if not robbed in the ECSF in their 7 game loss. Jordan never won a playoff series without Pippen.

To act like Jordan carried Chicago is a joke. There is a reason they didn't turn into a lottery team like Cleveland did after Lebron left. Get over it.

[3ball]

1994 Bulls had winnable series vs. NY in 2nd Round

Not true - the Bulls were down 2-0 to the Knicks in 1994 - they were about to lose Game 3 and go down 3-0, until Kukoc saved the Bulls with his walk-off, Ray-Allen-like, miracle-shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NSpgbPcxoU

The Bulls had played over their heads in the regular season and got exposed in the playoffs - the 1994 ECSF was very much a debacle for the Bulls (Pippen sitting out), and it showed how much they missed MJ's leadership and mental toughness.

Of course, considering MJ had already 3-peated from 1991-1993, it shouldn't have been a surprise that he turned his team into 3-peat champions AGAIN when he came back.. The Bulls were ordinary 2nd round exit team that almost got swept - MJ turned them into the greatest team of all time with his typical GOAT production, clutch, 4th quarter performance and being a mental giant.

[3ball]

To act like Jordan carried Chicago is a joke.
[/B]

No it's not - as you can see from the quotes above, it was the consensus among HOF's... I'll take their word over yours - you know Phil Jackson, Chuck Daly, and all the players who played against MJ.

Here's Joe Dumars saying players become "consumed" by Michael Jordan when playing against him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gCMWuCdsGQ&t=26m37s

"You become consumed by Michael Jordan. You become consumed that he's out there."
.

[Roundball_Rock]

55 wins AFTER Jordan retired and should have made the ECF in a winnable series if not robbed in the ECSF in their 7 game loss. Jordan never won a playoff series without Pippen.

To act like Jordan carried Chicago is a joke. There is a reason they didn't turn into a lottery team like Cleveland did after Lebron left. Get over it.

Yup--and that literally is the only time a team lost a GOAT-caliber player and remained that good the next year. In every other case the team missed the playoffs (i.e. the 15' Heat or the 05' Lakers) or was first round fodder (i.e. the 89' Celtics or 92' Lakers). Yet Jordan had no help? His team without him equaled the Knicks with Ewing--and MJ fans acknowledge the Knicks were the Bulls' toughest competitor in the 90's.

We saw this year how the Heat went from 54 wins and the Finals to 37 wins and 10th in the East without LeBron--despite adding Whiteside, Dragic, Deng and Wade being rejuvenated (Bosh went down but they added Dragic after Bosh's departure and had the same winning percentage with or without Bosh as a result).

[3ball]

(i.e. the 15' Heat or the 05' Lakers) or was first round fodder (i.e. the 89' Celtics or 92' Lakers). Yet Jordan had no help? His team without him equaled the Knicks with Ewing--and MJ fans acknowledge the Knicks were the Bulls' toughest competitor in the 90's.

We saw this year how the Heat went from 54 wins and the Finals to 37 wins and 10th in the East without LeBron

the Lakers won 57 games in 1989, and then 61 in 1990 when they lost Kareem.

but more importantly, none of the teams you mentioned were defending 3-peat champions where the best players were in their primes..

all those teams you mentioned were playoff losers going into the next season where the best players were past their prime and on steep decline.

considering MJ had already 3-peated from 1991-1993, it shouldn't have been a surprise that he turned his team into 3-peat champions AGAIN when he came back.. The Bulls were ordinary 2nd round exit team that almost got swept - MJ turned them into the greatest team of all time with his typical GOAT production, clutch, 4th quarter performance and being a mental giant.

[Roundball_Rock]

at invoking the Lakers after 42 year old KAJ retired.

I watched MJ play, unlike you. He actually did play in 1995--and the Bulls did slightly worse in the 95' playoffs than in the 94' playoffs. In 94' the Bulls were robbed in the ECSF in 7 games; in 95' the Bulls were defeated legitimately in the ECSF in 6 games. It took the Bulls gambling on Rodman for the Bulls to reclaim the throne.

The other thing about the MJ case is he retired 2 days before training camp, forcing the Bulls to replace him with a D-Leaguer. Imagine that team if MJ retired over the summer and the Bulls could sign a NBA SG during free agent. They nearly won the #1 seed with a gaping hole in their starting line-up.

[3ball]

The Bulls without him equaled the Knicks with Ewing

Not true - the Bulls were down 2-0 to the Knicks in 1994 - they were about to lose Game 3 and go down 3-0, until Kukoc saved the Bulls with his walk-off, Ray-Allen-like, miracle-shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NSpgbPcxoU

The Bulls had played over their heads in the regular season and got exposed in the playoffs - the 1994 ECSF was very much a debacle for the Bulls (Pippen sitting out), and it showed how much they missed MJ's leadership and mental toughness.

[Roundball_Rock]

Absurd. Look at all the metrics.

*Knicks 57 wins (with Ewing), Bulls 55 wins (without Jordan).
*7 game ECSF where the Knicks' wins came by 1*, 4, 5, and 10 points.
*Chicago actually outscored New York slightly in the series.
*The home team won every game--the Bulls' injury problems cost them the #1 seed.
*You mentioned the Bulls were nearly down 0-3. That is true--but it is also true the Bulls were nearly up 3-0. They led late in the game in both Game 1 and Game 2. In fact, they held fourth quarter leads in 6 out of 7 games.
*The Bulls did not "sneak up" on anyone. If that were the case they would have faded badly later in the season after a torrid start (i.e. the 13' Knicks). Instead they closed the year 9-3 in April (the Knicks were 7-6 that month). They were in the battle for the #1 seed from Christmas onward.

The following year CHI lost Horace Grant. So they lost the "GOAT" and their third best player--and failed to replace either. Yet they still remained a 5th-6th place team in the East. Imagine, say, the Heat losing LeBron and Bosh and not replacing either or the Celtics losing Bird and Parish and not replacing either. They would not be anywhere near 5th place in their conference. Yet MJ had no help?

It is funny, Chicago declined more without Grant than they did without MJ.

[3ball]

Yet MJ had no help?

We all know a 1-man team can't win - but MJ's GOAT stats (other than Wilt) prove that he had to produce more for his championships than any other player ever has - he won more by himself than any other player ever - the stats prove this - they are what they are..

Show me someone else that put up equal or better numbers to MJ on their way to championships, and then you might have something - but you can't - MJ simply had to produce more for his championships than anyone else ever did.

Also, every single player and coach says it was all about MJ.. I can post quotes all day of opponents saying it was all about MJ and "they didn't even think about Scottie Pippen".. Is it rational to take your word over theirs?.. No

[Roundball_Rock]

Also, every single player and coach says it was all about MJ..

Is this a joke?

[3ball]

[

We all know a 1-man team can't win - but MJ's GOAT stats (other than Wilt) prove that he had to produce more for his championships than any other player ever has - he won more by himself than any other player ever - the stats prove this - they are what they are..

Show me someone else that put up equal or better numbers to MJ on their way to championships, and then you might have something - but you can't - MJ simply had to produce more for his championships than anyone else ever did.

Also, every single player and coach says it was all about MJ.. I can post quotes all day of opponents saying it was all about MJ and "they didn't even think about Scottie Pippen".. Is it rational to take your word over theirs?.. No

Is this a joke?

so the only thing in the post you disagreed with was that not literally EVERY coach and player said it was all about MJ?

cool

[Roundball_Rock]

[
so the only thing in the post you felt the need to point out and disagree with is that not literally EVERY coach and player said it was all about MJ?

cool

There is a long list of players and coaches, both on the Bulls and elsewhere, who note the contributions of Pippen and to a lesser extent that of other players, i.e. Grant and Rodman. Jordan himself was Pippen's biggest fan!

"When I called him (Pippen) the best player in the league I meant it."--Michael Jordan

MJ once compared Pippen to Magic and Bird.

Jordan thought 26 year old Pippen>PEAK Drexler, prime Stockton and Magic on the Dream Team.

Jordan said Pippen should have been FMVP in 97'.

Jordan was leading the Pippen for MVP charge in the 96' season.

"I am not even the best player on my team anymore."--MJ in 95'

And the list goes on and on--and this is for only MJ.

[ThickassGlasses]

While I enjoy 3ball being kicked around like a child, it's pointless. I'm 99% sure he doesn't even read replies..

He just opens a big Google Document with different essays and copy and pastes them into ISH. He might look for 1 keyword in a reply but no more.

[Smoke117]

While I enjoy 3ball being kicked around like a child, it's pointless. I'm 99% sure he doesn't even read replies..

He just opens a big Google Document with different essays and copy and pastes them into ISH. He might look for 1 keyword in a reply but no more.

I don't even know why so many people give him serious responses. If you humor a troll he's never going to go away...