Former Chicago Bulls Teammate Details Playing Alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Chicago Bulls forward Cliff Levingston detailed what it was like to play alongside hall of fame players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during the early 1990s.

Levingston was a member of the Bulls from 1990-92 and won two NBA titles with the Windy City-based franchise.

During a recent episode of the Thurl Talk Podcast with Thurl Bailey, Levingston spoke about his experience playing with Jordan and Pippen.

Michael Jordan

Levingston and Bailey discussed the current ESPN’s documentary series “The Last Dance” which is all about Jordan and the Bulls.

The former teammate of Jordan told Bailey how intense it was being a teammate of the NBA legend.

“Michael can be intimidating because he’s one of those guys who demands certain things to be around him,” Levingston said. “He didn’t feel they lived up to his expectations.”

Levingston said that despite Jordan’s intensity and intimidating demeanor, he wanted to help his teammates reach their potential and be the best player they could be.

“Michael wants you to step up because he wants to know he can count on you when something go down he knows you have his back,” Levingston said. “He wants to make you the best player you can be because the better player you are the easier his job becomes… If you just lay down for Michael, oh he gonna walk all over you and just treat you so bad until you step up and be a man. Have a backbone.”

“You were never going to see Michael’s vulnerability, even as his teammate”. Cliff Levingston takes us inside his 2 championship runs with Michael and the Bulls on Thurl Talk! #LastDance #ThurlTalk https://t.co/fO7aeq3ZCu pic.twitter.com/sqqfPB3Zji

— Thurl Bailey (@bigTbailey) May 12, 2020

Scottie Pippen

Although Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player ever, every superhero needs a sidekick, and Jordan had one too.

Levingston told Bailey that the Bulls brought him to Chicago in 1990 to help Pippen reach his potential on the hardwood.

“The Bulls brought me on board to beat up Scottie [Pippen] every day,” Levingston recalled. “To be physical with him so he can handle when he gets out on the court. As you know, as an athlete if you see something every day it becomes normal. It doesn’t bother you or phase you anymore and that was the whole thing with Scottie.”

The power forward said that the battles with Pippen turned into “fistfights in practice” but once they stepped off the court the two “hung out” as friends.

“We really got in fights every day in practice. I mean a lot of times we got in fistfights in practice. We were ready to go blows but after practice, we hung out,” Levingston said. “He understood my job. My job was to come in and rough you up every day but afterward, we left it on the court.

Cliff Levingston

After playing college basketball with the Wichita State Shockers. He entered the league as the ninth overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 NBA Draft.

Levingston played in the NBA from 1982-92 and 1994-95.

After playing for the Pistons, the power forward played for the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Denver Nuggets. He also played two seasons of international basketball.

Levingston won championships with the Bulls in 1991 and 1992 and helped Jordan and Pippen reach levels of greatness.

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ESPN is currently airing a 10-part documentary on Jordan’s career called “The Last Dance.” The final two parts will be televised on Sunday, May 17 at 7 p.m. (MDT).

Former Utah Jazz and NBA player Thurl Bailey is the host of the Thurl Talk Podcast. After more than a decade playing in the NBA as Big T for the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, Thurl has seen a thing or two. And he still has things he wants to learn. He’s a musician, father, husband, and friend and he’s interested in talking with people. That’s what he’ll do each week on Thurl Talk: share his own life experiences and learn from the stories of others. Whether it’s about his life on the court, behind a mic or sitting at the kitchen counter, count on getting to know the real Thurl Bailey and maybe learn a little something from his friends.