While Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen may have brought the Chicago Bulls franchise six championships, their relationship off-court was a rocky one. That was highlighted during The Last Dance, where teammates explained that Jordan was the hard-nosed leader, while Pippen was supportive and personable. Despite their difference in leadership styles, they thrived together on the court.
During Jordan’s hiatus from basketball to pursue baseball, a clip of Pippen sitting on the sidelines pointing at the Jordan logo became popularized. At the time, long before social media, it went “viral” with fans taking note.
Despite Jordan’s eventual return and the pair winning another three straight championships under Phil Jackson, the tension after Jordan’s retirement can’t be denied. Without Phil Jackson to serve as the wise paternal figure, things began to spiral out of control.
Jordan’s Last Dance documentary only strained the relationship further, with Pippen feeling as though he and his teammates weren’t given proper credit. In his tell-all memoir, Unguarded, he disputed Jordan’s account in The Last Dance, calling himself merely a “prop” in Jordan’s story.
According to Stephen A. Smith, Jordan and Pippen’s relationship was strained long before The Last Dance. He spoke on PBD Podcast this week to discuss things:
“When it comes to Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan feels betrayed. When Scottie revealed in his book his feelings for Michael Jordan and how he didn’t even give his condolences in person to Michael Jordan. I was on the phone with Michael Jordan that day” …
“Michael Jordan’s words were, ‘I hope it’s worth it. I hope it’s worth it for him.’ And he literally said, I have nothing else to say.”
Looking at uncertainty surrounding Scottie Pippen’s relationship with Michael Jordan on the heels of The Last Dance
When the promotional videos for The Last Dance surfaced, many assumed the focus would primarily be on the Chicago Bulls final season. While the docu-series centered around the team’s final season, it was Jordan who was the main focus.
That resulted in many fans theorizing that the rocky relationship between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would only be amplified. After the documentary aired, Pippen revealed in his memoir that Jordan texted him to clear the air.
As he wrote in his book, Jordan was condescending in the docu-series and deserved blame given his role as director of the film. In the previously mentioned memoir, he wrote:
Stephen A. Smith says Michael Jordan feels betrayed by Scottie Pippen for not offering condolences after his father's murder
MJ’s quoted words are, “I hope it’s worth it for him. I have nothing else to say.”😳
(Via @PBDsPodcast / h/t @NBABeyondCourt )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 30, 2024
“I was nothing more than a prop. His ‘best teammate of all time,’ he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried. Michael deserved a large portion of the blame for the omissions. He was the leading man and the director.”
Nevertheless, in 2020, before the release of his memoir, Pippen indicated in an interview with The Guardian that the series didn’t bother him. While he indicated that it may not have been entirely accurate, he wasn’t upset or bothered by the way things were portrayed.
“I wasn’t upset about it. [The Last Dance] didn’t bother me at all. It was an opportunity for our younger generation that hadn’t seen or knew anything about basketball in the 90s.”
Despite these conflicting accounts, in Pippen’s memoir, he wrote that Jordan apologized, indicating there may have been more at play behind the scenes.
Moreover, with Stephen A. Smith indicating that Jordan was unhappy with how Pippen handled the death of his father, there may still be some animosity.
