“They were a very special team” - Scottie Pippen believed Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers were a lot ‘scarier’ than the Warriors dynasty

Though he was part of arguably the greatest dynasty in NBA history, Scottie Pippen stayed long enough in the NBA to witness the ascension of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers in the early 2000s. While most modern-day fans might believe that the Golden State Warriors dynasty of winning four championships in eight years might represent the pinnacle of NBA dominance, the 7-time All-Star weighed in on this debate to highlight just the superiority of Shaq-and-Kobe's Purple and Gold.

Pippen faced Shaq and Kobe's Lakers thrice

After joining the Portland Trail Blazers at the age of 34, Scottie knew he had a solid championship-caliber team at his disposal. The team's third-best offensive rating and fifth-best defensive rating justified that. However, they fell prey to Shaq and Kobe's Lakers in the Western Conference Finals after 'Diesel' averaged 25.9 points while the 'Black Mamba' averaged 20.4 points per game in the series.

In the subsequent seasons, the Blazers maintained a top-10 offensive rating but were swept by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs both times. In the 2001 playoffs, Shaq averaged 27 points and Bryant 25 points, whereas in the 2002 playoffs, The Big Aristotle logged 25.7 points, while Kobe scored 26 points.

These firsthand experiences of witnessing the Lakers marquee duo beating Pippen's Blazers made him certain that the Purple and Gold's dominance was far superior and 'scary' to that of the Dub Dynasty.

"Especially once Phil got a hold of him and Shaq and got that team really playing together and playing with some chemistry," Pippen said. "They were a very special team. We talk about Golden State and what they did with their run. But the Shaq-and-Kobe era was, to me, a lot more scarier of what they could have done had they stayed together than the Golden State era."

Pippen knew the Lakers had no chance against his Bulls

However, Pip fell short against the Shaq and Kobe tandem when he wasn't with the Chicago Bulls. He understood that they would have stood no chance against the six-time NBA champions, even in their prime.

"I've said this to Shaq: The Bulls win in that, " Pippen said. "The Bulls win in that easy."

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