A few years ago when I was on the Mets beat, my friend Steve Popper from the Bergen Record and I had an NBA debate. I claimed that during the Michael Jordan era that while Jordan was undisputedly the best player in the league, his teammate Scottie Pippen was number-two. Popper thought I was nuts.
Anyway, there’s no way to really “settle” that debate – we thought. But as luck had it, the Mets one day hired Jerry Krause, former Bulls GM, to work for them. And when we were in Chicago covering a Mets-Cubs series, Krause showed up and we decided to ask him his opinion. I remember confidently asking Jerry, “Don’t you think Pippen was the second-best player during that time?” and Krause settling things once and for all by replying. . . no.
Um. . . that pretty much ended that debate.
Anyway, you’ll see why I reference this in a minute. In honor of the now-late Ed McMahon, here are the best sidekicks in sports of the last 25 years:
10. John Stockton/Craig Biggio (tie). Both were part of a legendary pairing but still second banana to Karl Malone and Jeff Bagwell, respectively. Still, good enough.
9. Don Zimmer. The Yankee dynasty from 1996-2000 doesn’t have many player representatives here, probably because there was no real star player that everyone else played sidekick to. But the leader was Joe Torre – and Zimmer was a worthy partner in crime as bench coach.
8. Daryl “Moose” Johnston and Jay Novacek. The Cowboys’ dynasty featured the phenomenal triumvirate of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. But don’t forget Johnston and Novacek, solid fullback and solid tight end.
7. Kobe Bryant. He’s a star now, obviously, and has been for a few years. But of course, Kobe was the No. 2 to Shaquille O’Neal – for three championship teams.
6. Robert Horry/Troy Brown (tie). Yeah, not quite “sidekicks” technically, most likely. But I’m finding room for two of the most clutch and unsung players of recent dynasties. Horry under pressure and Brown as the do-everything player on the Patriots – you couldn’t win championships without them. I actually think the Patriots should retire Brown’s number.
5. Brian Leetch. You guys know I’m not the most educated hockey guy on the planet. But when you’re maybe the best American-born player ever, when you win the Conn Smythe trophy for the Rangers’ first championship in 54 years even though Mark Messier was the captain. . . . yeah, you make the sidekick list.
4. James Worthy. As my friend points out, a sidekick to Michael Jordan in college at North Carolina and a sidekick to Magic Johnson in the NBA with the Lakers. As Jim Carrey says in Liar Liar, “Double-THREAT guy!”
3. Mariano Rivera. The bridge in 1996 to John Wetteland. By the way, that season Mo threw 107.2 innings out of the pen.
2. Bill Belichick. Bill Parcells won the championships with the Giants. But Belichick was the defensive coordinator. Slowing down the Bills in Super Bowl XXV was a masterpiece.
1. Pippen. I think Jerry might back me on this one. Six rings? Pippen did it all – well, everything Jordan didn’t do, that is.
So? Who’d I leave off?
