John Paxson once detailed the difference in leadership between Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan: “Michael was very demanding as a teammate”

Having been an integral part of the Chicago Bulls during their first championship three-peat, John Paxson had the unique opportunity to observe the leadership styles of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen . The 6'2" point guard noted a stark contrast between the two—on one hand, His Airness employed a more uncompromising approach, while Scott exhibited an inherently morale-boosting style.

More importantly, according to the three-time NBA Champ, Pippen's leadership had an optimistic impact on his teammates, especially when they reached their low points.

"Michael was very demanding as a teammate, which was good. You wouldn't want the greatest player in the game to be anything but that," Paxson said . "He had expectations of you. That's not to say Scottie didn't, but I think the balance was, Scottie was very much an encouraging type of teammate. Scottie was the type of guy where if you missed two or three in a row, he was going to encourage you to keep shooting."

Paxson was a huge fan of Pippen's leadership

Acknowledging Scott's motivation for his leadership style, John went so far as to defend the latter's control over the team during the 1993-94 season. Interestingly, this was a period when the 6'8" forward faced significant criticism for his refusal to re-enter the game in the clutch moment during the second-round series against the New York Knicks.

He argued that Pippen willingly sacrificed the chance of averaging 25-30 points per game throughout the regular season campaign and rather prioritized improving the team's overall winning prowess, choosing collective success over personal accolades.

"To those of us who were teammates, (1994) showed what kind of teammate he was. He wasn't out there to try to prove to people that he could score 30," Paxson added. "For Scottie, it was about winning."

Years later Bulls players saw Pippen as a more helpful leader than MJ

Even years later, players like Steve Kerr have remarked on how Pippen brought balance to the Bulls during their second three-peat, mainly when Jordan was a demanding leader. Although the five-time MVP insisted on perfection, Kerr mentioned that Pippen was the leader whom the players confided during their lowest moments and brought balance within the team.

It is safe to say that while the players understood Jordan's uncompromising leadership made him the best, it was Pippen who fostered unity within the team.

Related: "Frequently it was heated" — Steve Kerr claims Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen's conversations in practice usually had tension