Chicago Bulls "12 Days of Christmas" Video

 The Chicago Bulls get in the holiday spirit with a video for their version of "The 12 Days of Christmas". The lyrics are changed to have a basketball theme. Joakim Noah gets the most camera time while wearing Santa's coat and Scottie Pippen makes a cameo representing the old school Bulls.

 The best lyric is delivered by Kurt Thomas who receives "seven back massages". As the second oldest player in the NBA, he probably could use a massage every day of the week.

 Happy holidays NBA fans.

Scottie Pippen's Best Plays & Dunks

 Scottie Pippen just joined his Chicago Bulls running mate Michael Jordan in the Hall of Fame. Here are clips celebrating Scottie's greatest plays. Pippen dunks over Patrick Ewing in the playoffs, Karl Malone in the finals, and a bunch of other players en route to 72 wins in 1996. Enjoy Pippen's greatest with the Bulls. 

    

Magic, Malone & Pippen: NBA Hall of Fame Speeches 2010

 Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone and the 1992 Dream Team were among the greats inducted into the Hall of Fame on August 13, 2010. Particularly powerful moments from the ceremonies included Malone paying respect to his mother who passed away exactly 7 years before his enshrinement and Scottie thanking Michael Jordan for their relationship onstage. 

 Cynthia Cooper, the 1960 U.S. Olympic Basketball team, Dr. Jerry Buss, Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson and Bob Hurley rounded out the class of 2010. Cooper also made a strong emotional statement in honor of her family, telling us that her mother sits with Jesus watching all that her talented daughter does on a HD flat screen TV in heaven, because that's how God rolls. 

 Charles Barkley played the best, the games were all blowouts and the 1992 The Dream Team was the greatest basketball team ever assembled. Christian Laettner is also the luckiest player in the history of basketball, even luckier than Adam Morrison and Jack Haley.

 Magic revisits all in his speech. 

 Since most opponents of the Chicago Bulls were too in awe of Michael Jordan to step to him face-to-face, Scottie Pippen wore the Bull's eye. The Pistons' Dennis Rodman launched Scottie into the stands giving him 6 stitches in his chin. Knick bulldog John Starks barked hate on Scottie in heated playoff battles. But Pippen's cool demeanor kept him above distractions on the way to six rings. 

 Scottie was the same icy cool cat in his acceptance speech. 

 

 Here's Karl Malone delivering a kick to Tim Duncan's face. In another battle, he knocked David Robinson unconscious with an elbow to the jaw. His masterpiece was a vicious elbow leading to 40 stitches and plastic surgery for Isiah Thomas. 

 Malone is the opposite of all that in his HOF acceptance speech. He was a humble, tearful gentleman.

 Scottie Pippen enjoying the good life with a good wife, Larsa. Winner.

    

Michael Jordan Forgot About Rodman

 Michael Jordan said he wouldn't have tried to pull a LeBron and unite with Bird or Magic because he'd rather beat them than play with them. Yet when Michael was at his peak, Bird was a bad-back shell of his dominant self. Michael only beat Magic once in the Finals before the Laker great's first retirement. 

 The Bulls' greatest nemesis and contemporary challengers were the Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons. Isiah Thomas, who Michael banished from the Dream Team. Bill Laimbeer, the king of dirty. And 2 time Defensive Player of the Year Dennis Rodman. 

 The Bulls struggled mightily to get past the Pistons in the playoffs during the '80s. The Pistons used physical and sometimes dirty tactics to knock the Bulls off balance and keep them out of rhythm. Dennis Rodman once launched Scottie Pippen into the stands giving him 6 stitches in his chin. When Chicago finally beat the Pistons, the Bad Boys left the court without congratulating them. No love. Isiah, Laimbeer & Rodman were all unliked undesirables to the Chicago Bulls.

 

 While the Bulls were winning their first 3 championships with Jordan, Pippen and Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman became the most dominant rebounder in basketball. He'd led the league in boards for 4 straight seasons, including 2 years with the Spurs while Jordan bailed on the Bulls and basketball to take his talents to the Birmingham Barons of baseball.

 When Jordan finally returned to the Bulls, they were sorely lacking paint presence due to Horace Grant's departure for Orlando. With MJ's approval, coach Phil Jackson and general manager Jerry Krauss arranged a trade for Rodman. The key was getting Pippen's approval since Scottie still wore a scar on his chin from Rodman's dirty work. Scottie went right along with the plan, trying to get another ring. 

 One of the main guys that Michael & Scottie had poured sweat and blood to beat was welcomed as a member of the Bulls. The Big 3 of the mid 90s. 

 Admittedly, the circumstances with LeBron, Wade & Bosh are different from Michael, Scottie and Dennis. Yet it still rings hollow to have past greats claiming that they'd never have done what today's players are doing when in some ways, they made or encouraged similar moves to unite with other dominant rivals in order to facilitate getting rings.

 Michael Jordan never won a ring without a dominant power forward. He never even won a playoff series without a strong paint beast like Charles Oakley, Grant or Rodman. MJ was most definitely one of the all-time greats, but he needed help as much as LeBron does. 

 LeBron's move to Miami is cheesy and calculated. But it's really just a player putting himself in a front office mentality to help make a better team. If Jordan wouldn't have had the hated Crumbs Krauss doing  front office dirty work to get the likes of former foe Rodman in Chicago, he may have been forced to do the same.

    

Scottie Digs Ron Ron's D

Ron Artest owned Dwyane Wade twice in what would ultimately be a Laker loss to the heat. After the first play, an adroit steal at midcourt, Scottie Pippen laughed & gave Ron some dap from his courtside seat. Ron Artest - keeping old school physical basketball alive in the NBA.