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Scottie Pippen & Dennis Rodman: Our Bulls would have gone 50-0 during the lockout season

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Former Chicago Bulls stars Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman believe their championship core would have achieved a perfect 50-0 record during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

The 1998-99 basketball season was shortened to 50 games due to a 204-day labor dispute. During a September 3, 2019, appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman claimed that had the Bulls’ championship core remained intact, they would have navigated that condensed schedule without a single loss.

• Pippen and Rodman asserted that the veteran core still “had legs for 50 games,” despite coming off the physical toll of a second three-peat.
• Following the 1998 title, the franchise dismantled the roster: Michael Jordan retired, Phil Jackson left, Pippen was traded to Houston, and Rodman was released.
• The actual 1998-99 Bulls finished 13-37, including a record-low 49-point output in a game against the Miami Heat on April 10, 1999.

The Dissolution of the Championship Core

The Bulls entered the 1998-99 season in a state of total organizational turnover. After securing the franchise’s sixth championship in eight years, the front office moved toward a rebuild rather than attempting to extend the dynasty. While the 1998 championship roster was defined by veteran savvy and continuity, the following year’s squad—coached by Tim Floyd and led by Toni Kukoč and Ron Harper—struggled to maintain any semblance of competitive basketball, finishing with the third-worst record in the league.

I really truly believe that we would have gone 50-0.

The Hypothesis of Unbeaten Dominance

Pippen and Rodman’s assessment centers on the unique nature of the lockout season. By compressing the schedule, the league reduced the wear and tear of a full 82-game campaign, which the two Hall of Famers believe favored a veteran-heavy group that knew how to pace itself and win under pressure. They argue that the front office’s decision to prematurely break up the team robbed the league of a final, dominant performance from a group that remained the standard-bearer for elite basketball in the late 1990s.

Performance of the Rebuilt Roster

The stark difference in results illustrates the impact of the roster exodus. Without the core members who built the dynasty, the organization suffered historic lows. The 1999 team’s struggles culminated in an offensive performance against the Miami Heat that remains the lowest point total for any team in the shot-clock era. This decline stands as a frequent reference point for critics who argue the 1998 team still had championship-level production left in the tank.

While the actual Bulls roster finished that year at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the focus for the franchise now shifts to the upcoming 2019-20 season under coach Jim Boylen.