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MJ MondaysIssue #021

6 CHAMPIONSHIPS TOGETHER. THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP IN NBA HISTORY.

Monday, December 21, 2026

NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA

MJ Mondays

NO DEBATE. JUST RECEIPTS.

VOL. 1, NO. 21 · JULY 20, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY

THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01

6 CHAMPIONSHIPS TOGETHER. THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP IN NBA HISTORY.

Championships Won Together: Jordan and Pippen

JORDAN-PIPPEN MAGIC-KAREEM KOBE-SHAQ

Jordan and Pippen won 6 championships together — the most by any duo in NBA history. But the

partnership wasn't always smooth. Pippen resented playing second fiddle. Jordan pushed Pippen harder

than anyone. The dynamic was competitive, occasionally toxic, and ultimately the most productive

partnership the NBA has ever seen. They needed each other. Jordan needed Pippen's defensive

versatility and playmaking. Pippen needed Jordan's scoring and competitive fuel.

THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02

Chicago Bulls @ Washington Bullets 1992-03-19

11 3 19/30 W

POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS FG RESULT

51 and 11.

THE NIGHT BOTH SIDES OF THE DYNASTY WERE VISIBLE

March 19, 1992. Jordan went to Washington and scored 51 points with 11 rebounds. Pippen added his usual

20-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist line. The game was a microcosm of the dynasty: Jordan's individual brilliance

+ Pippen's all-around excellence = unstoppable. The Bulls won by a comfortable margin. Washington had no

answer for either one.

MJ VS TODAY 03

Was Pippen Underrated Or Properly Rated?

THE CASE FOR UNDERRATED THE CASE FOR PROPERLY RATED

5TH IN MVP VOTING NO RINGS WITHOUT JORDAN

1994 WITHOUT JORDAN VS MIGRAINE GAME

Led team to playoffs 1990 playoffs

DEFENSE REFUSED TO PLAY

All-NBA level 1994 Knicks series

The truth is that Pippen was both underrated and properly rated simultaneously. He was underrated as a

basketball player — his two-way impact was historically elite. He was properly rated as a winner — he needed

Jordan to be the final closer in big moments. The partnership worked because each man filled the other's gap.

Jordan couldn't have won 6 without Pippen. Pippen couldn't have won 1 without Jordan.

Was Scottie Pippen underrated?

MASSIVELY UNDERRATED PROPERLY RATED OVERRATED BECAUSE OF JORDAN TOP 25 ALL-TIME REGARDLESS

THE COLDEST MJ MOMENT 04

THE SIT-DOWN

Pippen Refused To Play The Last 1.8 Seconds.

1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 3 vs the Knicks. Jordan was retired. Pippen

was the man. With 1.8 seconds left, Phil Jackson drew up the last play for Toni Kukoč

instead of Pippen. Pippen refused to re-enter the game. He sat on the bench while his

teammates played 4-on-5. Kukoč hit the shot anyway. The moment defined the gap

between Pippen and Jordan — Jordan would never have sat down. The play would have

been drawn for him anyway. But the willingness to play, regardless of the play call, was

the difference between #1 and #2.

THE MJ STAT VAULT 05

PLAYERS ON THE 1996 BULLS WITH MVP-

CHAMPIONSHIPS WON TOGETHER

CALIBER SEASONS

6 Jordan and Pippen. The most by any duo 2

Jordan (MVP, 30.4 PPG) and Pippen (5th

in NBA history. They were teammates for

in MVP voting, 19.4 PPG). The best 1-2

11 seasons.

punch in history.

SECONDS LEFT WHEN PIPPEN REFUSED TO CHAMPIONSHIPS PIPPEN WON WITHOUT

PLAY — 1994 JORDAN

The most famous sit-down in NBA history. Pippen went to Portland and Houston after

Kukoč hit the shot anyway. Pippen's the Bulls. No rings. The partnership was

reputation was permanently marked. the engine.

33 JORDAN'S JERSEY NUMBER — PIPPEN'S WAS 33

Wait — Pippen wore #33. Jordan wore #23. Both numbers are retired by the Bulls. Both belong in the rafters.

THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06

OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE

Jeff Hornacek

PHOENIX SUNS / UTAH JAZZ · 1986–2000

49.6% FG · 89.4% FT · 14.5 PPG CAREER AVERAGE

The Most Efficient Scorer Jordan Regularly Beat In The Finals

Jeff Hornacek shot 49.6% from the field, 89.4% from the free throw line, and 40% from three for his career.

His efficiency numbers are comparable to modern analytics darlings — achieved in the 1990s. He played in

two NBA Finals (1993 with Phoenix, 1997 and 1998 with Utah) and lost all of them to Jordan. He was the

most underrated efficient scorer of his era — good enough to make multiple All-Star teams, not flashy

enough to be remembered.

The Jordan Connection: Hornacek was Jordan's toughest individual shooting matchup in the Finals — not

because he could guard Jordan, but because Jordan had to guard him. Hornacek scored efficiently against

everyone. Jordan's Bulls still won.

Who's Your Forgotten Man?

Reply with a player who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.

MJ MONDAYS The Jordan Era · 1984–2003

Every Monday. No exceptions.

© 2026 NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA · VOL. 1, NO. 21

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