Scottie Pippen doubts Luka Doncic's championship ceiling with the Lakers, saying star power alone won't seal a title in a deep West and that depth and sacrifice shape champions. Doncic's 2024 Finals run was extraordinary, but Pippen questions whether that style can repeat in today's game.

He notes the era's rule changes favor offense and shooting, describes the modern game as positionless and more open, and argues that the Lakers still need a supportive cast and a team-first mindset to contend for a title.

Scottie Pippen ranks the 1995-96 Bulls as potentially the greatest on-paper team after a 72-10 run and title, underscoring the era-defining two-way chemistry with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson’s system.

Off the floor, he says the bond wasn’t close, but on the court they were a defensive juggernaut in a league shaped by brutal physicality and hand-checking that’s since eased. Grant and Longley linger in the story as part of that dynasty, while Jackson’s Lakers success is cited as a benchmark for greatness.

Pippen argues basketball was a bruising, hand-check era in the 80s and 90s, and Jokic operates in a different, spread-out, positionless game. Jokic’s vision shines as Denver’s offense centers on him alongside Murray, Gordon and Braun, a modern attack built for pace and spacing. Offseason moves—Porter Jr. to Nets for Cameron Johnson; Saric traded for Valanciunas; Brown and Hardaway Jr. re-signed—expand shooting and depth behind Jokic, signaling continued fantasy upside amid roster tweaks.

USF’s decision to induct Jim Leavitt into the Bulls’ Athletic Hall of Fame while barring him from attending has sparked a debate about legacy, accountability, and whether a program should publicly celebrate a controversial figure. The piece urges the school to either fully honor Leavitt on stage or rescind the honor entirely, arguing the current half-measures leave players, families, and fans in limbo.

The column emphasizes Joel Miller’s pain and the Miller family’s stance, insisting that a Hall of Fame honor cannot be hidden or conditional. It also threads in tributes to Shawn Clark for UCF, a real-world witness mystery in a Miami case, and a cavalcade of schedule quirks and hot takes that ripple into on-field performance and recruiting dynamics for fantasy relevance.

Beyond the Leavitt controversy, the piece ties together NFL and college notes—the Jags, Bucs, Dolphins, Eagles, and Jets in a tapestry of modern football, plus college tangents from Florida State to the Gators and SEC/ACC scheduling shifts—reminding readers that leadership stability and public perception can color fantasy value and betting angles.

Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup leadership leans on Michael Jordan’s team-first playbook. The Northwestern alum, who grew up near Jordan in Chicago, says MJ showed him that champions succeed when a strong supporting cast elevates the stars, not when the stars carry everything alone. This week, Donald’s U.S. squad is expected to lean into cohesion and adaptable rotations to maximize every edge.

The takeaway for fantasy managers: leadership chemistry and flexibility can tilt matchups more than raw talent; expect a rotation-friendly, culture-driven approach from the captain that could lift players who thrive in a shared gameplan.