“The lamb may lie down with the lion, / But they will never be as close as this pair / Who share the very lines / Of their existence, whose overlapping is their raison d’etre.”

                                                                        --Billy Collins, “Duck/Rabbit”

 Seeing this year’s finals unfold, I’m reminded of one future Hall of Famer’s greatness. Watching Kobe Bryant struggle to get shots against the Celtics’ clingy defense, I appreciate more and more the understated consistency of a retired All-Star who would make Bryant’s job easier: Scottie Pippen.

 If you accept that the 80s Lakers were Magic, not Kareem’s team, then Pippen is the greatest number 2 of all time (if you believe that Kareem was the prime mover of Showtime, then Magic is the number 1 number 2 man). Either way, it’s hard to calculate Pippen’s greatness without acknowledging, on some level, that maybe a few of Jordan’s feats of strength that consisted of him lifting 4 other men on his shoulders during the 4th quarter of big games may have been aided by a performance-enhancing point-forward. Essentially, Pippen made Jordan’s scoring binges easier by allowing Jordan to get into more favorable scoring positions. Because of Pippen’s offensive organization and prescient passing, Jordan saw fewer clogged lanes and less-aggressive double-teams, thus giving the Greatest, the greatest opportunities to succeed in clutch situations.

 Bryant does not have that luxury. His ball-handling and passing responsibilities are greater than Jordan’s ever was during the championship years. Bryant has to be both facilitator and finisher. Now, he’s not hand-cuffed in the impossible situation that LeBron James is in, but he does have to play as both Pippen and Jordan during a game, depending upon the situation. And often, the situation does not present itself until Bryant goes into his offensive move, making his Pippen-Jordan role that much more difficult.

 This explains why, when they have comparable offensive abilities, Jordan went on scoring binges with much more ease and with much more frequency than does Bryant. Another explanation is that Jordan is simply better, but put aside your pro-Jordan prejudice momentarily and imagine Bryant alongside Pippen.

 Now, I understand that discussing Pippen’s greatness can be difficult without making it sound as if I’m diminishing Jordan. But keep in mind that the way Jordan and Pippen complimented one another was not as clear-cut as the way Stockton and Malone or Magic and Kareem complimented each other. So when you talk about Jordan and Pippen, you’re relying more on intangibles and visceral observations more so than on specific statistics and precise concepts.

 Jordan could go on scoring binges without Pippen. He did it for 3 seasons before Pippen came to the Bulls and did it occasionally for 2 seasons while in his 40s with the Wizards. No one argues that. But Jordan’s ability to take over playoff series’ with his scoring was made possible, in part, because of Pippen’s presence. By serving as the initiator of the triangle, Pippen handled the logistics concerning ball movement and offense lubrication. Jordan had to worry mainly about scoring and less about being a playmaker. Can you say the same for Kobe?

 I have no doubt that Jordan could do what Bryant’s doing now, but he never really had to. Now, for small stretches, like when Pippen went on his own scoring forays or when Pippen wasn’t in the game, Jordan did play the Pippen role. But he never had to do it for the majority o####ame, for several games, during the playoffs.

 Pippen’s unselfishness and unique skill-set allowed him to be the cognitive leader on the court, even while Jordan was the emotional and unquestioned overall leader. Read any of Phil Jackson’s books. He singles out Pippen as his on-court intellectual extension, especially on defense. When the Bulls defense broke down Jackson questioned Pippen's defensive instruction to his teammates and found that, when Pippen explained the logic behind his decisions, that the choice at the time made sense. Can you imagine Jackson questioning anyone on the Lakers other than Kobe in that manner? No. Pippen’s high basketball IQ, willingness to share responsibility, and versatility allowed Jordan a freedom that Kobe clearly does not have. That said, I’d still take Jordan over Bryant at this point. But can I get Pippen, too?