Were any of you in Chicago before the Bulls started winning championships? I was. Jordan was recognized as being the "greatest" before he had won a single championship. He was shunned by other players during his first All-Star game because he came into the league so successfully. In those days, his greatness had nothing to do with championships. In fact, Doug Collins got fired as coach because he couldn't lead the team from Point A to Point C (the championship). Those darn Pistons (Point B) got in the way three years in a row. So, if you link Jordan's greatness to his championships, then you have to link his greatness to Phil Jackson too.
Based on the logic I often read here, most of you would not have acknowledged Jordan as the greatest during his first 6 years. However, most of us who were there did. The championships just confirmed it.