"We put on such a show" - Muggsy recalls how he and Pippen became first-round draft picks

Both Muggsy Bogues and Scottie Pippen were hoping to get drafted into the NBA in 1987. Teams were skeptical about how Bogues would do against much taller players in the NBA, evidently because of his height. On the other hand, Pippen came out of the University of Central Arkansas which was a lesser-known school at the time.

However, once the NBA combine began, all the doubters turned to believers. According to Muggsy, he and Scottie lit up every game they were invited to heading into the Draft. All of a sudden, they ended up being projected as high picks.

"Me and Scottie happened to be on the same team cause Scottie was projected to be late first as well. But after that performance in Portsmouth, we got invited to Chicago, and from that moment, you know, we put on such a show… His stock [rose] all the way up to five, and I went No. 12. So, we both became first-round picks," Bogues said on the Knuckleheads podcast last month.

The Bulls pounced on Pippen

Like Muggsy said, Pip quickly rose in the Draft rankings. He ended up being the fifth overall pick and was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics. However, the Chicago Bulls did not let Scottie slip away and launched a trade for him in exchange for their eight-round pick, Olden Polynice.

Former Bull general manager Jerry Krause saw the potential in Pip and knew he could be a valuable asset to the team. As per Krause, he envisioned Scottie being a future NBA star the moment he laid his eyes on the lanky yet talented youngster out of Central Arkansas.

"I almost had an orgasm looking at him," Jerry said of scouting Pip.

Related: Phil Jackson once shared why he wasn't happy when Michael Jordan scored 69 points on the Cavs: "It's not my favorite thing to do”

Muggsy is an NBA legend in his own right

Krause's decision to draft Pippen was a game-changer for the Bulls. As most of us witnessed, Pippen turned out to be the missing piece Michael Jordan and the Bulls needed to morph into a dynasty. With Scottie on the squad, the Bulls won six NBA titles throughout the 1990s.

Like Pip, Bogues also impressed NBA scouts and wound up being drafted by the Washington Bullets as their No. 12 overall pick. Despite his small stature, Muggsy proved that size does not define skill and determination on the court.

After one season with the Bullets, Bogues was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets , where he became a fan favorite and a legend in his own right. To this day, Muggsy is still the Hornets' all-time leader in assists (5,557) and steals (1,067).

Related: "MJ didn't have any type of deficiencies in his game" - Muggsy Bogues refutes notion that Scottie Pippen is better than Michael Jordan