How Did The Chicago Bulls Judge Robbins?

Opinions often vary in the sports world. Every great sports team has a great player, duo, or trio that jump starts it to championship caliber. Some duos’ impact on the court is so great, it exceeds eras. Ranking them, worst to best, is never agreed upon. With a combined 9 rings in 11 years, these two duos make their case as the number one and two duo of all time in the NBA: Michael Jordan with Scottie Pippen and Kobe Bryant with Shaquille O’Neal. The formation of these two duos are similar in some aspects, but also different. Michael Jordan was drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls; his impact on the court was immediate. The team managed to make the playoffs but was eliminated in the first round. Scottie Pippen was drafted three years
In Jordan’s rookie year, he averaged 28.2 points per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. Jordan proved to not only be a one ways player with his contributions outside of scoring: 5.9 assists per game and 2.4 steals per game. Pippen’s rookie year was not as highlight worthy as Jordan’s averaging 7.9 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting. However, the future seemed bright for the Chicago Bulls had a young core centered around Jordan. Kobe Bryant, youngest player in the league, excelled in the Summer league. The Summer League is meant to develop chemistry amongst the newly drafted players or those who are going on their second year. Kobe’s play excited the Laker’s staff, averaging 7.6 points per game in the regular season. Shaq, much like Jordan, dominated his rookie year. He averaged 23.4 points per game on 56.2 percent shooting. Shaq proved to be near unstoppable on the low post. Despite this, he struggled on the free throw line. Each player exhibited strengths and weaknesses in their game early on, but how they bettered themselves in crunch time is what
A toxic locker room can leak onto the court and affect any chances of winning a championship. Shaq experienced this in Orlando his first four years in the league. He signed with the Lakers because he didn’t want to clash with his teammates’ egos any longer. This was a risky move since many young players do have that “hero ball” mindset. Kobe proved to be ahead of the game for a 17 year old. Given Shaq’s dominance in Orlando and his inexperience, Kobe didn’t have a problem letting Shaq be the alpha dog. The duo struggled their first few years together, not achieving their championship desires. That all changed in the 1999-2000 season. Kobe played at a whole other level while Shaq continued to play his dominant style in the post. This development lead to three championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. So if they were so dominating, why didn’t they win more championships? You can be winning and smiling on the court but one thing trumps wins and loses: team chemistry. Kobe had developed into an All-Star caliber player, drawing the well earned reputation of the next Michael Jordan. Kobe came second to none when it came to work ethic. He would expect his teammates to work just as hard as him. That’s where the problem started. With 10 years in the league, Shaq’s body wasn’t as fit as it had once been. Shaq walked into summer practices out of shape and with some gained weight. This seemed to be the final straw for Kobe, as his