When the 1996 Olympics rolled around, Team USA was determined to keep its stranglehold on international basketball supremacy, so it put together a roster that was equally as dominant as the original "Dream Team" in 1992.
While there was a natural changing of the guard with the names on the roster, there was some crossover from superstars who were able to compete in 1996. One of those mainstays was Scottie Pippen , who amazed his teammates with his versatility.
Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway were notable new faces for the national setup who were in awe of Pippen's greatness. Another first-timer, Gary Payton, spoke out on being stunned at what the rangy wing could do on the floor.
"He does so many things. What people don't understand is that he just doesn't have one dimension to his game. He can rebound, he can pound the ball, he can shoot the ball, go to the basket. There are not many guys in the NBA or in the world who can do that. You wish you could play with a guy like that all the time," he said .
The original Swiss Army knife
To this day, fans and analysts still don't give Pippen the credit he deserves for what he could do on the floor night in and night out.
It's no surprise that Payton couldn't comprehend how Scottie was able to possess so many tools as a player, given his incredibly advanced skill set for his era as a perimeter player who could do just about everything a team needed.
He did just that for Team USA in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta alongside veteran Charles Barkley. The United States ran through the competition en route to gold, and Scottie remained the invisible glue that held them all together.
Related: "I am more disappointed today than I was back when I was not selected" -Isiah Thomas on handshake snub as the reason he didn't make the Dream Team
MJ's praise for Pippen
Michael Jordan understandably gets all the headlines as arguably the greatest player of all time and the number one scorer of his generation. Still, one could argue that Pippen was just as important in their six championship triumphs.
Even MJ praised his teammate , especially after the two won the gold with the Dream Team.
"...Michael realized that Scottie was the best all-around player on what many consider the best basketball team ever assembled. Scottie, Michael had to admit, had even outshone him in several of the games," Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson said .
While Jordan was putting the ball in the basket, the reality was Pippen was doing everything else, from guarding the opponent's best offensive player to leading the team in assists and helping on the glass.
It's a shame that Scottie isn't revered in the same light as MJ, which probably led to some tension between the duo in their retirement. Nevertheless, Payton's recounts of Pippen's multi-faceted abilities on the court act as the ultimate validation that he was as good as people say he was.
Related: "We got another one of those Arkansas boys" - Scottie Pippen said Michael Jordan was "a little distant" when he joined the Bulls
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