Michael Jordan Named Chicago Bulls Star as ‘Unstoppable’

Michael Jordan is famous for spending essentially his entire career with one franchise (let’s forget those two ill-fated seasons with the Washington Wizards). He did all of his winning and contending for championships with one team, the Chicago Bulls. Yes, those Bulls went through a few different groups of players surrounding Jordan’s stardom, but he gets credit nonetheless.

However, he still did play with a number of legends at different phases of their careers. Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen are obvious ones, but he also suited up alongside many different great players while he starred in the Windy City. Part of MJ’s allure as an arrogant superstar was his inability at times to compliment or work with teammates who he perceived to be worse than he was.

With that said, he did give credit to certain players who helped him win championships or grow up in the league to the GOAT he became. In an interview, he was asked about the most unstoppable teammates he ever had, which is interesting, considering Jordan himself is considered the most unstoppable scorer ever.

His answer isn’t what you’d ever guess.

Michael Jordan Snubbed Pippen and Rodman as “Most Unstoppable”

“Air Jordan” is the leading all-time scorer at 30.1 points per game. He won 10 scoring titles, five league MVPs, and has some of the craziest statlines ever seen before. There’s no one more qualified to hand out praise for being unstoppable on the floor than Jordan himself.

So, which teammate did he bring up as “most unstoppable”? You might guess someone like Scottie Pippen, who was Jordan’s running mate for all six championships and was a top-ten player in the league throughout their tenure together. When free of MJ’s shackles to be the primary offensive option, Pippen averaged 22 points and 5.6 assists, placing third in MVP voting in 1994.

While it is true that one might not immediately think “unstoppable” when describing Pippen’s game, as he was more of a Swiss Army Knife type of two-way superstar, he still deserves a mention as the best teammate Jordan ever had.

Perhaps MJ mentioned Dennis Rodman instead. Rodman’s dominance was through a different type of brilliance: hustle, physicality, intelligence, and rebounding. Still, he was one of the most ruthless rebounders ever, averaging 15 or more in seven straight campaigns.

Rodman dominated games with his grit, but he certainly was no scorer. Mike valued scoring above all else, so it follows that he wouldn’t choose Dennis.

As far as the dynasty goes, most of MJ’s other teammates were role players and glue guys who filled a certain responsibility on the court. Those squads were always defensively-focused under Phil Jackson, and the rosters were full of two-way players.

It turns out that Jordan’s most unstoppable teammate was one from the early part of his career. He only spent one year with this player, as it was this legend’s very last in the league. Although they passed each other like ships in the night, George “Iceman” Gervin had a major effect on Michael Jordan.

According to Jordan, seeing the legendary Gervin still perform at a high level in his final season was inspiring. Despite being on his way out of the league, Gervin averaged 16.2 points a game in just 25.2 minutes, showing off his incredible scoring chops at age 33.

George “Iceman” Gervin is one of the Great All-Time Scorers

Although we might not hear his name very often anymore, as he spent a very forgettable career on 1970s teams who could never break through, George Gervin was one of the very best scorers of all-time. His 25.1 points per game average is 14th all-time, above players like Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Karl Malone.

Known for his smooth scoring style, Gervin won four scoring titles and earned 12 All-Star appearances. He placed in the top-five in MVP voting four times, despite never winning one. For a six-year stretch from 1978 to 1983, Gervin averaged 26-plus points every season, cementing himself as one of the best bucket-getters in NBA history.

In an era of clunky, uninteresting basketball between the Bill Russell dynasty and the rise of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Gervin stuck out as a more modern-like scorer. He had the handles and shot of a player today, and looked incredibly fluid the entire time. His nickname “Iceman” was well-earned, and apparently Jordan agreed.

Out of all the guys Jordan shared a floor with in his career, the one who stuck out most as unstoppable turned out to be a player who he only spent one year with. Not only that, but Gervin was in the twilight of his career. If that doesn’t show how special of a scorer he was, then nothing will.