By being the greatest basketball player to ever live did he make his teammates look better. Did he actively make his teammates actually better basketball players, going about it the way that he did? Debatable.
It really isn't imo. You can't be a leader of one of the greatest basketball teams ever (which were an absolute garbage when you came) without being a massive and influential part of that same collective. They will follow or won't, simple as that.
Even if you want to put their transformation mostly to Phil Jackson and his triangle offence it still takes for your leader being able to compromise it's game. And much lesser starts couldn't do it, ask Camelo Anthony.
Not even going into his impact on their mentality, defence, consistency, Pippen and Rodman career.
I do agree there were other ways to do it though.