1 of 3 | Scottie Pippen says the '95-'96 Chicago Bulls were the best NBA team ever, especially after the Warriors blew it against the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. File photo by Ray Foli/UPI |
License Photo
Scottie Pippen didn't waste any time after the Golden State Warriors' stunning loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, declaring their failure to win a championship in Game 7 means the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls are the greatest NBA team ever.
The 2015-16 Warriors eclipsed the Bulls' record with their 73-win regular season, but the Cavs beat the defending champion Warriors 93-89 on Sunday night to end a 52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland.
Pippen was asked during an interview on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" show on Monday who the greatest team in NBA history was after the Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Warriors and win the NBA Finals in seven games.
"The 1995-96 Bulls," Pippen said. "We live on."
Pippen earlier this year said the 1995-96 Bulls would sweep this year's Warriors squad. The Warriors are coached by Steve Kerr, another member of that Bulls team.
"No matter how well you do in the regular season, it has to be capped off with a championship, to really mark your legacy in the game," Pippen said on ESPN Radio. "That's where we see Golden State had some failure there. They lost their dominance throughout the playoffs."
Pippen said there's "a different pressure" in the postseason that the 1995-96 Bulls had to endure themselves when they went into the playoffs after a 72-10 season.
That Bulls team steamrolled through the postseason, going 15-3 en route to an NBA Finals win where they beat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games.
"We had done so well and now we're faced with the same thing that the Warriors were faced with," Pippen said Monday. "Can this team be considered one of the greatest teams? Well, you can't be considered a great team until you win a championship."
Dennis Rodman, another member of the 1995-96 Bulls team, expressed a similar sentiment on Twitter: "Congrats @cavs for winning @NBA title. @warriors u had a great regular season. But the greatest team of all time is the 95-96 @chicagobulls."