Ron Harper compared playing with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers

Ron Harper reflects on his time playing with the stacked Chicago Bulls and the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers.

© Anne Ryan-USA TODAY

Ron Harper was an integral part of the championship runs of the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also fortunate to play with two sets of transcendent duos—Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the Windy City and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in LA. Harper spoke about the differences between his time with these two teams and how they both found success differently.

Legit player

Harper was a legit 6-foot-6 player who manned the point guard spot for the Bulls. His presence helped Chicago create a formidable perimeter presence on both ends of the court, spearheaded by Jordan and Pippen.

"With Scottie and MJ, it was more of guys of my size, same size, so we could do the same thing. We were good offensive players but [with] great defense and passing, too," Harper shared.

On the other hand, Harper's role with the Lakers was a little varied. Though he still started for Phil Jackson, he played more of a mentor role to the likes of Kobe and Shaq, who at that time, had yet to achieve postseason success.

"With Shaq and Kobe, [I was] trying to teach them how to be a part of a basketball team, you know [like], 'You two, gonna need this team. [But] You two are the best players on this team," Harper added.

Not your average role-player

If you only saw Harper play with the Bulls, you would have thought he was just a role player there. But the truth is, Harper was more than that early in his career before a right knee injury limited his athleticism. Before playing for the Bulls, Harper suited up for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging nearly 20 points per game for both franchises.

His Bulls teammate Dennis Rodman knew what Harper could do, saying: "The quiet assassin on that team was that one guy, Ron Harper. Nobody talks about him. He probably could've been the best player ever if he didn't have that knee injury. He was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan to me 'cause he was good."