That poll on espn is bs. It asks "Over the last 20 years, which NBA tandem has been the most important to their team?" The results so far are: Jordan/Pippen Bulls: 56.8% Kobe/Shaq Lakers: 27.3% Stockton/Malone Jazz: 15.7% I mean, c'mon, when Jordan left in 1994, the Bulls dropped two games! Two! Sure, Horace Grant, Steve Kerr, B.J. Armstrong, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley and Luc Longley isn't exactly a list of great players... neither is Horry, Fisher, Fox, Harper, A.C. Green, Horace Grant, Mitch Richmond and Lindsey Hunter. But who did the Jazz have? Hornacek, Russell? Eisley, Anderson, Foster, Carr, Keefe, Ostertag? I'm not seeing this 15.7% stuff.
I agree with the poll. I was a HUGE Bulls fan before Pippen got traded to the Rockets (which is when i started liking the Rox) so I'm kind of biased, but Jordan and Pippen were the most important to their team's success in my opinion.
I have to agree with the poll too: Jordan/Pippen- Won 6 titles Shaq/Kobe- It's almost a tie with Stockton/Malone, even though i think its pretty much Shaq, cuz i seriously think Kobe wouldnt have any rings without Shaq Stockton/Malone- Close 2nd only reason i put them 3rd was because they have no rings.
Of course, when Jordan came back in 1995, the Bulls were 34-31. After he came back, they went 13-4 to finish the season...Oh yeah, they also went 72-10 the next season. Think they would have done that without Jordan? Yeah, I'd say the Jordan/Pippen combo was pretty important...
The problem with the 15.7% is the degree of duo-ness of the choices. Stockton & Malone were a definite duo that really had a rapport that could not be replicated if you switch out one or the other for an equally talented part. Jordan & Pippen and O'Neal & Bryant don't have that degree of integration. If you replaced Bryant with McGrady, I don't think it'd be any different. If you replaced Malone with Webber, it would be different.
