Michael's Jordan's Best NBA Teammates, Ranked - The Delite

Michael Jordan’s Best NBA Teammates — Ranked



Michael Jordan’s professional basketball career was truly one of a kind. It included six NBA championships, 14 All-Star Games, two Olympic gold medals and three separate retirements. But, like all veteran athletes, his career also included dozens of teammates, some of whom were more memorable than others.

We took a look back through each of Jordan’s 15 seasons in the NBA and ranked his best teammates, based solely on how they played during their time with M.J. Other accomplishments these players had in the NBA were ignored because we’re only interested in how much they contributed to Jordan’s teams.

This list only includes Jordan’s NBA teammates, so the Olympic “Dream Team” doesn’t count, neither do his pals from North Carolina, the Birmingham Barons or the Tune Squad (sorry, Bugs Bunny).

25. Christian Laettner


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Duke legend Christian Laettner was teammates with Jordan on two different occasions: as a minor part of the 1992 “Dream Team” and as a starter with the Washington Wizards. Laettner is known as a fierce competitor, and in his two seasons with Jordan in Washington, he averaged about 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game.

During the 2002-03 season, which would be Jordan’s last, Laettner also shot nearly 50 percent from the floor. Laettner and M.J. were the only Wizards starters that season who were in their 30s, and they certainly had more history together than any others Jordan played with at the end of his career.

24. Gene Banks


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1985-1987)

Another Duke basketball hero who spent two seasons with Jordan was Gene Banks, who played with him at the very beginning of Jordan’s career, in Chicago. In the two seasons he spent alongside No. 23, Banks averaged about 10 points and just less than 5 rebounds per game. A reliable backup, Banks impressively shot better than .517 from the floor both seasons. Those two seasons alongside Jordan ended up being Banks’ final ones in the NBA.

23. Chris Whitney


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2001-2002)

NBA journeyman Chris Whitney only got to spend a single season alongside Michael Jordan but he made the most of it. During the 2001-02 season, Whitney played in all 82 games, starting in 81 of them, and averaged 10.2 points per game while shooting .406 from three-point range. It was the only year in 12 seasons of NBA service that Whitney averaged double figures in scoring. Maybe he wanted to impress Jordan?

22. Larry Hughes


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2002-2003)

Larry Hughes holds the distinction of being the only player to appear on both our lists of Michael Jordan’s greatest teammates and LeBron James’ greatest teammates. He only spent one season playing with M.J., during what would be the icon’s final season. During that year, Hughes averaged 12.8 points per game, which is a notch below his career average of 14.1. But Hughes was definitely one of Jordan’s most reliable Wizards teammates that season, shooting 47 percent from the floor for the year, which was the best mark of his career.

21. Tyronn Lue


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Another man who had history with both Jordan and LeBron James, Ty Lue spent two years with Jordan in Washington and, later, coached James to an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In those seasons with M.J., Lue averaged better than 8 points and 3.5 assists per game. He was an accurate shooter both of those years, as well, averaging a mark of 43 percent shooting from the floor, including 45 percent from three-point range in 2001-02.

20. Will Perdue


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1988-1993; 1994-1995)

Seven-foot big man Will Perdue spent six seasons alongside Jordan in Chicago, winning three titles with him, mostly coming off the bench. Perdue’s best season with Jordan came in his last as his teammate, 1994-95, when he started 78 games, averaging 8.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and shooting better than 55 percent from the floor. Perdue’s overall numbers while playing with Jordan aren’t much to write home about, but he was there for that entire first Bulls run.

19. Dave Corzine


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1984-1989)

You have to feel for Dave Corzine because he was Jordan’s center for his first five seasons in the league but just missed out on any of the championships in Chicago. Corzine played with Jordan from 1984 to 1989, averaging a respectable 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, mostly coming off the bench. Corzine’s best season with M.J. came in 1987-88, when he averaged 10.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while playing less than 30 minutes per game.

18. Sam Vincent


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1988-1989)

The sample size of Jordan’s time playing with Sam Vincent is smaller than many combos on this list, but there were clearly sparks when they were briefly on the same offense. Vincent (pictured below during his time with Orlando) joined the Bulls via trade in the middle of the 1987-88 season and was gone after the 1988-89 campaign.

During that initial half-season with Jordan, Vincent averaged 13.0 points and 8.4 assists per game. In his only full season of playing with him, Vincent contributed 9.4 points and 4.8 assists per game, the latter of which was second on the team only behind Jordan.

17. John Paxson


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1985-1993)

One of Jordan’s longtime teammates in his early days in Chicago, John Paxson was part of his first three championship teams. Paxson averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 assists per game during his eight seasons with Jordan. His most memorable season came in 1986-87, when Paxson averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 assists per game, while playing in all 82 games that year. Paxson also averaged double figures in scoring for the 1989-90 season.

16. Sidney Green


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1984-1986)

Power forward Sidney Green came into the league a year before Jordan and only got to play two seasons with him in Chicago before they parted ways. But Green had an outstanding season in 1985-86, his last with M.J., averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in about 28 minutes per game. Green never won a title with or without Jordan but you get the sense that if they’d played together longer they could have been a great offensive duo.

15. George Gervin


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1985-1986)

The first future Hall of Famer that Jordan teamed up with in the NBA was George Gervin. After many great seasons with San Antonio, Gervin joined the Bulls in 1985 for a single season before retiring. He put up nearly career-low numbers, but they were still better than nearly everyone else on the team. That season, at the age of 33, Gervin averaged 16.2 points per game and shot 47 percent from the floor, while playing in all 82 games.

14. Richard Hamilton


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2001-2002)

In just his third year in the league, future NBA champion “Rip” Hamilton got the privilege of playing alongside Jordan in Washington. That season, Hamilton made the most of his chance, averaging 20.0 points per game, which made him and Jordan the only two Wizards averaging at least 20 points per game that year. It ended up being the best scoring season of Hamilton’s career, securing him a spot with the Pistons the next season. It seems like this was another case of a young player doing everything he could to impress the legend.

13. Quintin Dailey


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1984-1986)

Quintin Dailey was a rising star with the Bulls right before Jordan arrived in 1984, and he continued to impress in his two seasons playing alongside the future icon. For those campaigns, Dailey averaged 16.1 points per game, strictly coming off the bench. He was a starter before Jordan got there and was relegated to sixth-man status after, but it didn’t diminish his offensive numbers. Dailey was Jordan’s first sharpshooting wingman in the NBA, but certainly not his best.

12. Ron Harper


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1994-1998)

A five-time NBA champion himself, Ron Harper was a big part of Jordan’s second run in Chicago, where he won three consecutive rings alongside No. 23. As part of the starting lineup during that historic Bulls era, Harper’s per-game stats pale in comparison to his teammates, but he was still a reliable threat. His best season came in 1997-98, when he contributed 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game, playing in all 82 games that year en route to Jordan’s final title.

11. Jerry Stackhouse


Jordan’s Teammate: Washington Wizards (2002-2003)

A fellow North Carolina Tar Heel, Jerry Stackhouse holds the distinction of being the only teammate of Jordan’s to ever outscore him for an entire season. During Jordan’s final season, Stackhouse actually led the Wizards in scoring, chipping in 21.5 points per game, compared to M.J.’s 20.0. That fact alone ensures him a solid ranking on this list, but Stackhouse also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game that year and played nearly 40 minutes each night, taking some of the slack for the 39-year-old legend.

10. Steve Kerr


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1994-1998)

Before he coached arguably the best shooting team in NBA history in Golden State, Steve Kerr was a lights-out shooter for Jordan’s Bulls. Kerr won three titles alongside Jordan and was a mainstay of the box scores during his second run in Chicago. The consummate bench player, Kerr averaged 8.1 points per game during his four seasons with Jordan, shooting 51 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three-point range during that time.

In the 1997 NBA Finals, Jordan famously passed the ball to Kerr with seconds remaining, trusting his teammate to hit the championship-winning shot, which he did.

9. Orlando Woolridge


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1984-1986)

Like Quintin Dailey, Orlando Woolridge was a legitimate star for the Bulls when Jordan arrived, and he was gone just a couple seasons after the new guy arrived. Woolridge, a 6-foot-9-inch forward, put up very good numbers in his two seasons with Jordan.

For the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, Woolridge was the only Bulls player aside from Jordan to average at least 20 points per game, with him chipping in 21.8 points per game over that span. Woolridge was a very accurate shooter, and he led the team when Jordan missed much of the 1985-86 season with a broken foot.

He’s one of the few guys Jordan ever played with who could keep up with his scoring output, even if their styles didn’t really mesh.

8. Luc Longley


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1994-1998)

Australian center Luc Longley was one of the biggest guys Jordan ever teamed with, and he was a massive part of his second three-peat in Chicago. For four seasons with Jordan, the oft-injured Longley averaged 9.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Longley’s best year with Jordan — and the best of his career — came in 1997-98, when he averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

7. Bill Cartwright


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1988-1993)

The veteran presence on Jordan’s first three title teams in Chicago, Bill Cartwright was also a hugely reliable low-post threat. In the five seasons he spent with His Airness, Cartwright averaged 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His production didn’t finally start to slip until the 1992-93 season, when he was 35 years old. In his first two seasons with Jordan, Cartwright averaged about 12 points and 7 rebounds per game.

6. Charles Oakley


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1985-1988); Washington Wizards (2002-2003)

Jordan’s career and that of Charles Oakley spanned nearly all the same years and they played together at the beginning and end of each. In his three seasons playing with Jordan in Chicago from 1985 to 1988, Oakley averaged 12.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, while playing in at least 77 games every year.

These two truly were a dynamic duo that likely could’ve done great things if they’d stayed together into the 1990s. During the 1986-87 season, Oakley was second only to Jordan on the team in scoring and he led the team in rebounding. Unfortunately, Oakley never got to win a championship.

5. B.J. Armstrong


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1989-1993; 1994-1995)

B.J. Armstrong worked his way up from backup to starter in his five seasons playing alongside Michael Jordan in Chicago, winning three titles along the way. He joined the Bulls as a rookie in 1990, and his stats got better every year until he left the franchise in 1995. During his time with Jordan, Armstrong averaged more than 11 points and 3 assists per game, only missing one regular season game in that entire span.

He’s not as celebrated today as some of Jordan’s other teammates, but Armstrong was undoubtedly one of his most reliable, and hardworking, teammates.

4. Toni Kukoc


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1994-1998)

Probably the best sixth man that Jordan ever played with, Croatian forward Toni Kukoc was a major part of his second run in Chicago that produced three championships. In four seasons playing alongside Jordan, Kukoc averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, all in less than 30 minutes of playing time a night. Kukoc immediately made himself stand out during his second NBA season, in 1994-95, when he contributed nearly 16 points per game off the bench.

3. Dennis Rodman


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1995-1998)

It’s no coincidence that Dennis Rodman only played three seasons with Michael Jordan — and every one of them ended with a championship. Rodman wasn’t much concerned with scoring, but he was arguably the greatest pure rebounder in NBA history, which happened to be the area that was probably Jordan’s weakest.

In his three seasons with M.J., “The Worm” averaged 15.3 rebounds per game to go along with just 5.2 points. When you talk about Jordan and Rodman, you’re also talking about two of the most intense competitors in recent sports history, making them a perfect match.

2. Horace Grant


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1987-1993)

Complete with his signature goggles, Horace Grant was the best big man that Jordan ever teamed with in terms of consistent, all-around production and longevity as partners. Grant spent his first six NBA seasons playing with Jordan, appearing in at least 77 games every season in that span. His production was a major factor behind Jordan winning his first three titles. From 1987 to 1993, Grant averaged 12.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 block per game.

His rookie season — the only one in which he wasn’t a starter — was the only season in that span where he averaged less than 12.0 points per game. During the 1991-92 championship season, Grant averaged a double-double and led the Bulls in rebounds, blocks and shooting percentage.

1. Scottie Pippen


Jordan’s Teammate: Chicago Bulls (1987-1993; 1994-1998)

Who else could it be? A Hall of Famer on his own merits, Scottie Pippen is the only player who was part of all six of Jordan’s championship teams, and the only guy who proved he could match his production nearly every step of the way. With Jordan and Pippen, the Bulls had as good a one-two punch as any team in NBA history.

In the 10 seasons he played alongside Jordan, Pippen averaged 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, with his outstanding 2.1 steals per game being the icing on the cake. Pippen consistently ranked second in team scoring to Jordan during their years together and outdid No. 23 in several other stats, including rebounds, assists and blocks, some seasons.