Surrounded and supported by friends, family members, mentors and former teammates and coaches with the Lakers here for a game, the Bulls will retire Scottie Pippen's No. 33 with a banner to hang near the ceiling of the United Center. It is a fitting honor for a man whose grace and flair on the court eventually wore down and triumphed over the turnovers off and on the court.

That's because no great player has been viewed with such ambivalence, mocked at times for his position Jordan's shadow and the flaws in his play if not his personal makeup, but at the same time revered by those close to the game for his ability to unify and his ultimate basketball soul.

"Jordan always felt Pippen was something special," longtime Bulls assistant Tex Winter said. "Michael realized how easy it was to play with him and how he helped make his teammates better. It's often said Jordan needed Pippen and Pippen needed Jordan. I'm not sure Jordan didn't need Pippen more than Pippen needed Jordan."

Pippen certainly belongs among the greats of the game. He was named to the league's all-defensive first team seven straight times, eight overall. He was an All-Star seven times and was MVP of the All-Star Game in 1994 when he led the Bulls to 55 wins the season after Jordan's first retirement. To go with the six NBA titles, he won two Olympic gold medals, starring for the greatest team ever assembled, the 1992 Dream Team. He played in 208 playoff games, second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and ranks among the top four all-time playoff leaders in steals (No. 1), blocked shots and assists.

More than anything, those steals, blocked shots and assists define Scottie Pippen as a basketball player.