Pippen Ain't Easy
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Chicago Bulls: 30 greatest players in franchise history

By Jason Patt

PHOENIX - JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner David Stern presents Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls the championship trophy after the Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game Six of the 1993 NBA Finals on June 20, 1993 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX - JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner David Stern presents Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls the championship trophy after the Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game Six of the 1993 NBA Finals on June 20, 1993 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Shooting Guard. Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan. 1. player. 24.

Winning big in sports always takes at least a little luck, and the Bulls were certainly lucky that the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers passed on Michael Jeffrey Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft. While the Rockets’ selection of Hakeem Olajuwon worked out swimmingly, the Blazers’ decision to go with Sam Bowie will always go down as an all-time backfire.

Nobody could have known back then that Jordan was going to become the GOAT, but he proved right away how special he was. He won Rookie of the Year in 1985 after putting up a whopping 28.2 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting. After an injury hiccup in Year 2, MJ blossomed into the league’s most dominant player.

Jordan scored 37.1 points per game in his third season and went on to lead the NBA in scoring for seven straight seasons leading up to his first retirement. He won his first MVP in 1988 and two more in 1991 and 1992, plus a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988. He put on a show with his aerial theatrics every night, and he won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests in 1987 and 1988.

Jordan’s dominance didn’t bring championship success right away, but Jerry Krause built a terrific team around him that finally got over the hump in 1991. Jordan’s Bulls won two more titles before his abrupt retirement in 1993, and then they won three more when he came back. He added three more scoring titles, three more NBA Finals MVPs and two more MVPs. In all, MJ won 10 scoring titles, six NBA Finals MVPs and five MVPs in Chicago. He scored a ridiculous 31.5 points per game as a Bull, with an even more ridiculous 33.4 scoring average in the postseason.

dark. Next. Chicago Bulls: 15 best first-round picks of all-time

Jordan’s accomplishments are seemingly endless. From his 63-point playoff game as a rookie to his final shot with the Bulls in 1998, he provided too many breathtaking performances and moments to count:

Jordan exponentially helped grow basketball globally and ultimately became bigger than the game itself. He’s immortalized in Bulls history, with his No. 23 hanging in the rafters of the United Center and his statue in the atrium. It may happen sometime in the future, but it’s hard to imagine anybody else ever being the greatest Bull of all time.

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