No team ruled the 1990s like the Chicago Bulls, which is why their media coverage was over the top. At the center of absurdity was Michael Jordan, who, according to Scottie Pippen , was the No.1 target for most members of the press.
" That was the public perspective. That ain't Michael's fault. He wasn't writing the articles. But it was the cheerleaders that were behind Michael Jordan that were doing whatever they can to appease him, to get his vote. [Laughs.] They felt they could get close to him ," Pippen said in an interview with GQ's Tyler R. Tynes in 2021.
Mike overshadowed Pip and the Bulls
While Pippen recognized MJ as the best player on the Bulls , he felt the rest of the team should've gotten more of the spotlight. After all, Jordan wouldn't have been as successful without an elite coach like Phil Jackson, a co-star like Pippen, and quality role players.
Still, the media made it seem like the Bulls were all about Jordan ; everything else was secondary.
Aside from the fact that MJ garnered viewership, Pip said the press during the '90s was constantly in a frenzy. The media members turned into fanboys over Mike, who became an iconic basketball star with global appeal—something the seven-time All-Star said had never happened before. Naturally, the brands Mike endorsed—and those he had nothing to do with—played their part as well.
"… That was shocking to them. They were meeting media people who were flying from different countries just to meet Michael Jordan, just to see Michael Jordan. It was something for American media to feel like they had over the world. You know? They'd say: 'We got Michael Jordan,' or 'I'm friends with him,' or 'He jokes with us.' They were all looking at it as an opportunity to get close to Mike," Scottie said.
"That's how the brands portrayed him. That's how Gatorade portrayed him, how Nike portrayed him. I don't wanna say they tricked the media, but they controlled them," he added.
Related: Lawrence Taylor recalls Michael Jordan begging for foul calls during their UNC scrimmages: "I just hit you a little bit, come on, man"
It comes with winning
Jordan's greatness aside, all the media frenzy wouldn't have happened if the Bulls hadn't been dominant.
The Hall of Famer reiterated that even if "His Airness" was on the same tier as other superstars like Charles Barkley , Isiah Thomas, or those who challenged him, Jordan was perceived as a cut above the rest because of the Bulls' success, which wouldn't have been possible without the team's overall effort.
"… But when you talk about great players, you can only give them greatness because what? The team. [Laughs.] You know? You can sit here and argue that Charles Barkley was a great player. But he gets diminished. Why? Because he never won. He never was on a winning team ," the legendary forward said.
Jordan couldn't be overshadowed because the Bulls ruled their era. Still, their dominance was a result of the team's collective effort, even though the media—and MJ himself in The Last Dance documentary—made it seem otherwise.
Related: "The documentary was solely built and controlled through Michael Jordan" - Scottie Pippen said The Last Dance was the reason for his hiatus from ESPN
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