Despite his on-court prowess, Scottie Pippen was often overshadowed by Michael Jordan and could never garner the same level of attention as His Airness. That all started to change once Jordan announced his first retirement in 1993. Pippen took to social media to highlight a memorable headline that occurred in the aftermath of that decision.

It featured a $15 trading card made by the Upper Deck Company. The card highlighted the caption “Pippen returns, sparks Bulls in defense of third NBA title” alongside a photo of the 6x NBA champion galloping across the basketball court with a ball in his hand.

The inspiration behind the card was taken in the aftermath of Jordan’s 1993 retirement. This brief period saw many of the Bulls players looking at Pippen as the new team leader.

As the 1993-94 season approached, the player had to sit out 10 out of the first 13 games due to an ankle injury. However, he returned to the court after a month and had two triple-doubles in back-to-back games, bringing himself back to the limelight.

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Highlighting the same on Instagram, Pippen captioned the post as “Defense State of Mind”. Having been retired for over two decades now, it seems like the 58-year-old is reminiscing about his glory days. Given the reported issues that Pippen continues to have with Jordan, it makes sense for him to choose an era when His Airness was no more a part of the NBA.

Scottie Pippen and the Bulls pulled off a memorable season after Michael Jordan’s retirement

Many people started to wonder whether the Bulls’ best days were behind them in the aftermath of Jordan’s 1993 retirement. The team did not manage to win a championship in His Airness‘ absence. Scottie Pippen, however, still managed to keep the team afloat during that brief period.

Under Pippen’s leadership, the Bulls finished the 1993-94 regular season with a 55-27 record, good enough for the 3rd seed in the East. The 7x All-Star himself averaged an astonishing 22 points, 5.6 assists, and 8.7 rebounds during the season. Despite making it to the Conference Semi-Finals, they lost to the eventual Eastern Conference champions, New York Knicks. Pippen’s efforts during the season were given a thumbs up by various analysts, earning him a spot on the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

Despite their loss, the brief period following Jordan’s first retirement highlights just how adaptable Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls were. It proved that the team was not a one-man show. If there is anyone who needs to be proud of that fact, then it’s Scottie Pippen.

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