The NBA's All-Time Sidekick Team, Starring Kobe Bryant and Scottie Pippen
This is a team comprised of the most successful sidekicks of all-time.
All these players are easily in the top 100 players of all-time on their own, but they all pulled sidekick duty in some of their most successful seasons.
11th Man - Mark Aguirre
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Aguirre was the man in Dallas before his buddy Isiah Thomas brought him over to the Pistons before the 1989 season (for Adrian Dantley).
The Pistons went on to win the NBA title two years in a row with Aguirre in tow. He was a great scorer, a powerful body and he didn't mind being the third banana on a team with many capable players, like Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Vinnie Johnson, John Salley, Rick Mahorn and James Edwards—One of the toughest teams of all-time.
Backup PG - Gary Payton
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"The Glove" was a nice player since his rookie year. He was no Michael Jordan but he was better than most anyone else, especially for his size. He even took it to Jordan without fear in the 1996 NBA Finals, though they lost.
Ten years later, Payton finally won a title as Wade and Shaq's sidekick. He hit some big shots and played adequate defense to help the Miami Heat win it all.
Backup Center - Shaquille O'Neal
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Despite leading the way from 2000 to 2002 with a NBA Finals MVP Three-peat, O'Neal actually took a back seat to the most exciting shooting guard in a Finals series since Michael Jordan: Dwyane Wade.
O'Neal played the sidekick to Wade perfectly as he deferred to him at all times.
Backup Center - Wilt Chamberlain
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Chamberlain averaged 50 points per game one year, but he never won a title until he stopped leading the league in scoring and trying to dominate.
In his first title year, he was still the man: putting in 24 points per game and blocking a lot of shots (that statistic wasn't kept back then). He also easily averaged over 20 rebounds per game.
In 1972 Wilt was putting up only 13 points per game but holding down the court with defense and passing when the Lakers won the title (the team went 69-13). He mostly passed to team star Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. Wilt retired one year later.
Backup F - Billy Cunningham
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He did all the little things to help take the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers to a title win, while Wilt Chamberlain played a team game and won a title for the first time. "The Kangaroo Kid" was Robin to Chamberlain's Batman.
Backup F - Dave Cowens
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This undersized center was upstaged by Jo Jo White and John Havlicek in the 1974 and 1976 title teams for the Boston Celtics, but he was a lunchbucket hard worker who averaged over 20 points, 13 boards and 3 assists per game in both years through the playoffs.
Starting SF - Scottie Pippen
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His career started off in 87-88, and he was going to be an average player. But Pippen fell into Michael Jordan's hands and was basically forced to play a certain way or be traded.
Jordan demanded a lot of Pippen, and he often came through, mostly defensively. Shooting-wise he was a 47 percent career shooter from the field, but his defense made up for any shortcomings.
Starting Center - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest Laker of all-time aside from Magic Johnson. Abdul-Jabbar was already one of the greatest players ever before he came to Los Angeles, and he led the league in scoring and won a title in 1971 while on the Milwaukee Bucks.
He is the only player to ever win the scoring title and the championship in the same season aside from Michael Jordan (who did that six times). In Los Angeles, he was a sidekick often: to Magic, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Bob McAdoo and Michael Cooper.
Starting Point Guard - John Stockton
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John Stockton never won a title, but he would have if not for Michael Jordan.
He was the team leader and shot an impressive 52 percent in his career but seemed like a sidekick, because he passed more than any player ever. He never won a title but reached the Finals twice.
Starting PF - Bill Russell
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This rebounding and defensive mastermind was a major piece of the old Boston Celtics dynasty.
He was the perfect defender but could not score well, which is why he was a scoring sidekick to John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and Sam Jones. For Russell's career, he shot a Kobeish 44 percent from the field and a Shaqish 56 percent from the line while putting up 15 points per game.
He was a scoring sidekick, but won more titles than any player ever.
Starting SG- Kobe Bryant
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I was already 23 years old in 2000 when the Lakers won it all, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
Bryant was definitely Shaquille O'Neal's sidekick in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He scored when necessary and wasn't allowed to take over (Bryant is a 45% fg shooter, Shaq is a career 58% fg shooter) —an intelligent decision by Coach Phil Jackson.
Shaq was unstoppable and Bryant had no choice but to be the sidekick, even though he didn't want to be. Jackson was not to be doubted though. Shaq was the best player on the team because of it. He ensured the win, but if Kobe was needed, he was always there.
In 2009 and 2010 Pau Gasol played Shaq's role, but not dominantly, and the Lakers used the veteran Bryant to help win two more.
