Chicago Bulls: 15 toughest players in franchise history

Scottie Pippen may not have been the most physically imposing player, but he was what you would call “sneaky tough.” He was certainly not the player you would look to if your team got into fisticuffs with the opposing team, but he demonstrated his toughness in other ways.

Specifically, Pippen was mentally strong. Look, Michael Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history and was obviously a critical piece to the Bulls many championships throughout the 1990s. But Pippen was pretty darn good in his own right.

In fact, in 1996 NBA commissioner David Stern announced the 50 greatest players in NBA history as voted on by a selected panel of media members, prior players, head coaches, general managers and executives, and Pippen made the list.

The casual fan or outsider may lose sight of just how good he was, as it’s hard not to be overshadowed by the greatest of all time. However, Pippen handled the role remarkably well.

It’s never easy being Robin to someone else’s Batman, but that’s what Pippen was. He put aside ego for the good of the team. Perhaps he could have gone elsewhere and made more money and been treated as “the man.” In today’s game, that’s pretty much the norm (see Jimmy Butler for example). But Pippen was more concerned with winning.

However, it’s not as if Pippen was soft. He may have gotten that label at times, but Pippen was and still is considered, one of the best defensive players in NBA history. His willingness to get physical with the opposing team’s best player and go toe-to-toe with them transcends any conventional measures of “toughness” in which he may have fallen short.