5 greatest wingmen in the NBA, who played Robin to Batman; featuring Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen, and more

Scottie Pippen was Michael Jordan's Robin throughout his career
Scottie Pippen was Michael Jordan's Robin throughout his career

#3 Scottie Pippen

<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/michael-jordan' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Michael Jordan</a> #45 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates with Scottie <a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/scottie-pippen' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Pippen</a>
Michael Jordan #45 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates with Scottie Pippen

Michael Jordan to some is the greatest player in the NBA, and that's partly because of Scottie Pippen's input. Although Pippen had a slow start to his career, he soon developed into the perfect sidekick for Jordan, helping him win six titles in eight years.

Pippen perfectly understood his role in the Chicago Bulls lineup and played his position perfectly. When Jordan needed to take over and dominate, he knew how to get out of the way and let him work.

Defensively, Pippen was able to guard four positions comfortably, while also providing the necessary boost on offense. The Last Dance docuseries gave an insight into how much Pippen was a key part of Jordan's success in the NBA.


#2 Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant and <a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/shaquille-oneal' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Shaquille O'Neal</a> shake hands at halftime after both of Bryant's #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal shake hands at halftime after both of Bryant's #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center

Shocking, right? Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players in the NBA so it is surprising to see that he played a sidekick. However, he was once the second option of the dominant Shaquille O'Neal.

Despite being a force in the paint, O'Neal was in search of a championship, which resulted in him joining the LA Lakers during the 1996 NBA free agency. He joined forces with a young Kobe and won three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-2002.

It was a productive union as they posed threats to teams from inside the paint and the perimeter. O'Neal was awarded the Finals MVP on all three occasions, while Kobe was a key contributor.


#1 Kevin McHale

Members of the Boston Celtics 1986 championship team Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Danny Ainge
Members of the Boston Celtics 1986 championship team Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Danny Ainge

The Kevin McHale-Larry Bird dynamic was a unique one, as most sidekicks were guards that could provide for the big man. In this case, McHale played a supporting role as a big man while Bird was a threat from the perimeter.

McHale attained the Robin status after he was promoted to the starting lineup for the 1985-86 season. Prior to that, he won two NBA Sixth Man of the Year awards for his contributions off the bench.

In the 1986 NBA Finals, McHale came close to overthrowing Bird as Batman after an impressive 25.8 points average. Although he was the leading scorer, Bird's overall brilliance earned him the MVP award. Between the two forwards, they made five NBA Finals appearances and won three championships for the Boston Celtics.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar