"MJ would never had won the 3 peat x2" - NBA fans react to Scottie Pippen's what if trade scenario from Sonics era

Scottie Pippen was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the fifth overall pick in 1987. The Chicago Bulls immediately acquired him on draft day via trade involving the eighth pick Olden Polynice and future picks. But what if the Sonics decided to hang on to Pippen back then?

Pippen raised the possibility to his followers on X, formerly known as Twitter. Seattle's best players back then were Tom Chambers, Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel. He would have likely come off the bench behind McDaniel, who averaged at least 20.0 points per game in four out of his five seasons there.

"What it would have looked like if I never got traded," Pippen wrote.

Scottie Pippen became one of the greatest players in NBA history with the Chicago Bulls, forming quite possibly the greatest duo ever with Michael Jordan. They won six NBA championships together, which fans thought would never happened if Pippen was not traded by the Seattle SuperSonics.

"MJ would never have won the 3-peat x2," a fan wrote.

"Neither you or MJ would have 6 rings. Still be an all time great though!" one fan responded.

"Probably would have had better contracts, but all those rings? Don't know about that. Loved watching you play," another fan replied.

Some fans even thought that Scottie Pippen would have made a great teammate for Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. However, Kemp was drafted in 1989 and Payton came into the NBA in 1990. The Seattle SuperSonics may not have had the opportunity to draft them if Pippen turned out great there.

One fan thought Pippen would have been happier in Seattle, where he wouldn't be in the shadow of Jordan. However, another fan believed he would not have worked out well there.

"I think Scottie would have been happier with his individual career," a fan opined.

"You would be a bust," one fan commented.

"There's no Jordan without Pippen and vice versa," another fan remarked.

---

What if Scottie Pippen stayed with the Seattle SuperSonics?

What if Scottie Pippen stayed with the Seattle SuperSonics? (Photo: IMAGN)

Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan won six NBA championships together with the Chicago Bulls. The animosity from Pippen toward Jordan over the past few years had highlighted the what-ifs of their careers. What if Jordan never had Pippen or what if Pippen became a star for the Seattle SuperSonics?

Pippen would have likely been coming off the bench behind Xavier McDaniel as a rookie. If he turned out to be the same great player he was with the Bulls, the SuperSonics could have been more successful and Pippen would have been higher on the all-time list.

If the Sonics were a much better team, they might have not been in the position to draft Shawn Kemp in 1989 and Gary Payton in 1990. A trio of Kemp, Payton and Pippen could have been great for the league although the Bulls might have also found a way to find MJ's partner one way or another.

Coaching is also a factor since Phil Jackson brought out the best in MJ and Pippen as a duo and as individual players. But at the end of the day, there are just hypotheticals and there's no way to erase whatever the two Bulls legends accomplished together.