The Bulls have rocked to the three-part harmony of Jordan-Pippen-Rodman. How do they compare with other great threesomes? by Gerry Callahan They may not go down in NBA history as the greatest trio ever, but no one can deny that the Bulls' Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are in a class of their own. While powering Chicago to its fifth championship in seven NBA seasons, these three have defied convention and become the most renowned and recognizable trio of teammates in sports today. Three disparate talents and personas meshed into one formidable basketball unit. photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA Photos On the list of unforgettable threesomes, Chicago's falls somewhere between Larry, Kevin and Robert, and Larry, Curly and Moe. Each of the Bulls stars has his own distinct talents and his own unmistakable persona. But since Rodman joined the Bulls before the 1995-96 season, the three have meshed into one incomparable unit. The best? That's open to debate, but few would dispute that Chicago's troika has had a greater impact—on the court, in the media and in popular culture—than any other in NBA history. Jordan, the shooting guard; Pippen, the small forward; and Rodman, the power forward, have been together for just two seasons—and may not be together much longer—but for sheer dominance on the court they have set a new standard. In those two years, including the playoffs, the Bulls won 171 games and lost just 30, for an unprecedented .851 two-year winning percentage. In '95-96, the first season together for the trio, Chicago set the NBA record for wins in a season, with 72; the Bulls followed that up this year with 69 wins (tied for second-best alltime) and a championship run that was most impressive for the fact that Jordan, Pippen and Rodman didn't buckle under the weight of their own enormous fame and celebrity. Along the way to another title, there were magazine covers, best-selling books, major motion pictures, chats with Leno and Letterman, fines, suspensions, fights and one costly kick to the groin. And that was just Rodman. With Jordan and the Worm, Chicago has had the most famous bald head in the NBA alongside the game's only chartreuse scalp. Michael introduced his own brand of cologne; Dennis modeled a wedding gown. But back to basketball. In Jordan, Pippen and Horace Grant, the Bulls had a pretty fair trio on their championship teams of 1991, '92 and '93. But Grant jumped to the Orlando Magic as a free agent after the '93-94 season, leaving a void at power forward that was filled when Chicago acquired Rodman from the San Antonio Spurs for center Will Perdue in October 1995. The Worm's arrival did not just boost the Bulls' already unparalleled box-office potential but also gave Chicago a team for the ages. It's no stretch to say that in their primes Jordan, Pippen and Rodman were, respectively, the best player, the second-best player and the best rebounder in the game. It's no stretch to say they still are. In 1996-97 the three combined for 55.4 points per game, with scoring champ Jordan providing the bulk (29.6 points). Pippen chipped in 20.2 points and once again was the best second fiddle this side of George Costanza. Rodman, as always, made his contribution on the boards, averaging 16.1 rebounds per game this year and winning his sixth consecutive rebounding title. On top of that, all three have been among the best in the league on defense at their positions. "Defensively, I think Michael, Scottie and Horace were the best," says former Bulls coach Johnny (Red) Kerr, now a television analyst for the team. "Now you've got Rodman in there, so either of those threesomes would be the best defensively. People don't realize how good these guys are on defense. Rodman gives up a little on offense, but he was twice named defensive player of the year. Michael has been first-team all-defense every year, and Scottie has also been on that team every year recently. I'm not sure any other trio could match that." In 1990-91 Jordan became the first player in two decades to win the NBA championship and the scoring title in the same season (he has now done it five times). In '96, with Rodman on board, the Bulls had the scoring champ and the rebounding champ to go along with their NBA title—the first time one team could lay claim to all three. (The champion 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers also had two league leaders: Jerry West in assists and Wilt Chamberlain in rebounding.) "Pippen and Jordan are great at both ends of the floor," says Jack Ramsay, the former Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers coach, who is now a television analyst. "Jordan, of course, does whatever it takes. Pippen can defend almost anyone on the floor. Rodman can get you rebound after rebound. But he's almost a noncontributor to the offense. When you include Rodman, you're including a specialist player who doesn't have a rounded game."