Michael Jordan is known as one of the NBA's all-time greats, but playing alongside him wasn't easy. MJ demanded the best effort from his teammates and could care less if they were ailing or injured. Worse, he believed it was an excuse for them not to play.
One player who had to deal with Jordan's doubts was Scottie Pippen . This happened in before Game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. At the time, Pip was complaining about a migraine. It was so severe that the 5th overall pick of the 1987 Draft claimed he could not see.
MJ not buying it
Bulls trainer Mark Pfeil checked on Pippen, who was experiencing a lot of discomfort at the time. When he asked him if he could play, the Bulls forward said no. Jordan was around at the time and was not buying Pip's excuse. He believed Scottie was able to play, especially since it was an important game.
"Hell, yes, he can play. Start him. Let him play blind," Jordan said per Roland Lazenby's book, "Michael Jordan: The Life."
Despite the migraine, Pippen went on to play in that game. However, his performance was atrocious, as he managed only a bucket and four rebounds. The Bulls went on to lose to the Pistons, 93-74, missing another chance to advance to the NBA Finals.
His Ariness was unsurprisingly upset at the outcome, missing out on an NBA final again. However, he was also walking a thin line at the time with his bellyaching. Players like Stacey King witnessed his rants and swore that the Arkansas native was suffering from a migraine and was in pain.
"When you have one of the worst migraines, you can't see, which Scottie couldn't. He was in so much pain, coming to Detroit for that Game 7. He was in tears, and he tried to play," King recalled .
Pippen's migraine game was mentioned in "The Last Dance." King felt it was unfair to mention it, placing Pip in a bad light. Hence, he understood why Scottie took exception to MJ's documentary.
Related: Walt Frazier's GOAT is not Michael Jordan or LeBron James: "If he had Wilt's mindset, he would have had 50,000 points"
Phil's growing pains
With yet another disappointing finish, Mr. Air was understandably upset. However, the pressure at the time was on Phil Jackson and his triangle offense. MJ wanted to do things differently, but the Zen Master would not let up.
The Bulls didn't have a good start in the 1990-91 season. They dropped their first three games, adding more pressure on Jackson. But when Chicago tasted their first win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, things were slowly falling into place.
Pippen and Horace Grant were maturing, and Jordan tried to understand the triangle offense. It was a system he could adapt to, especially on offense, since he could play any position in it.
Hence, the Bulls ended the regular season with a franchise-best 61 wins. However, the best part came in the EC Final when the Bulls swept the Pistons and marched on to win their first championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. Things fell into place, and the Bulls established a dynasty.
Related: How the Spurs missed out on having Scottie Pippen play alongside David Robinson and Tim Duncan: "I know, you tried to tell me"
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