Happy 49th Birthday, Scottie Pippen

“The Steal” (to seal the deal)

With the Bulls leading 88-86 in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz, the Jazz had one final chance to tie the game or take the lead.

After Steve Kerr‘s clutch free-throw line jumper on an assist from Michael Jordan, Pippen stole the inbound pass and knocked the ball ahead to Toni Kukoc, who would seal the game with a dunk and the Bulls winning their fifth NBA Championship in a seven-year span.

Like so many times before, Scottie Pippen‘s defense made all the difference.