Chicago Bulls Legend Compares OKC Thunder Star to Himself

Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen has drawn a comparison to OKC Thunder star Jalen Williams

May 13, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrate after a scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from an NBA championship, and with Game 6 on Thursday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company could crown themselves very soon.

While NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander has been the star of the show in Oklahoma City, co-star forward Jalen Williams took over in Game 5 to give the Thunder a huge 3-2 series lead. In Game 5's win, Williams dropped 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on 14-25 shooting from the field, stepping up when the team needed him most.

Before his Game 5 outburst, ESPN's Brian Windhorst compared Williams to Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen.

"There are people in this league who believe that Jalen Williams can have a Scottie Pippen-like career because he can do it at both ends," Windhorst said.

"There are people in this league who believe that Jalen Williams can have a Scottie Pippen-like career." 👀

- Brian Windhorst

(🎥 @GetUpESPN )

pic.twitter.com/r2NEBDthIe

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 16, 2025

Of course, Williams did not disappoint after Windhorst's comparison, dropping a 40-point bomb in the most important game of the NBA Finals. However, Pippen heard the comparisons and embraced them, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"He is pretty special," Pippen said about Jalen Williams. "I'm enjoying watching him. I see a lot of me in him for sure. I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He's definitely a player that is capable of being able to lead that franchise to multiple championships -- him and Shai, of course."

Scottie Pippen on Jalen Williams:

“He is pretty special… I see a lot of me in him for sure.”

(via @espn_macmahon, h/t @RTNBA) pic.twitter.com/R6dAChbGE7

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 19, 2025

Williams, 24, and Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, are already on the brink of winning their first championship, and if they stay on this path together, they will very likely end up being a Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen-esque duo.

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