Getty Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen watch a Bulls game in 2011.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are arguably the greatest duo in NBA history. They won six championships and went undefeated in the Finals and three-peated twice in the ’90s. Both Chicago Bulls legends are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Most Bulls fans assumed Jordan and Pippen were close friends since they had incredible chemistry on the hardwood and always spoke glowingly about each other. However, it turns out that wasn’t the case.
Pippen admitted in his new book, Unguarded, that he and Jordan never had a close relationship and former Bulls big man Charles Oakley believes the two NBA icons will never talk again after everything that has transpired over the past few months.
Charles Oakley: ‘It’s Over’ Between Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen
Oakley played with Jordan and Pippen on the Bulls in the late ’80s and is close with both of them. The one-time All-Star recently told Bill Simmons on the Bill Simmons Podcast that he doesn’t think MJ and Pip will speak to each other again.
“No, I think it’s over,” Oakley said. “It wasn’t great from the get-go.”
Pippen is upset at Jordan over how ESPN’s The Last Dance docuseries turned out. The Arkansas native wrote in his book that the documentary was a Jordan puff piece and didn’t tell the proper story about the Bulls’ dynasty.
In the popular documentary, Jordan — who had editorial control — called Pippen selfish for delaying his ankle surgery on purpose and requesting a trade in 1997-98. The Last Dance also covered the Bulls’ 1994 playoff series against the New York Knicks. Pippen refused to go into Game 3 after Phil Jackson drew up the game-winning shot for Toni Kukoc instead of him and was heavily criticized. Jordan was playing baseball at the time, so Pippen wasn’t happy that his blunder was featured in the documentary.
“But on that court, Scottie did a lot,” Oakley said. “But Scottie felt like he was left out of there and he felt like Jordan wouldn’t have six rings if it wasn’t for him.”
Pippen destroyed Jordan multiple times in his book as his way of seemingly retaliating to The Last Dance. The seven-time All-Star not only criticized His Airness’ leadership skills, but he also said Jordan ruined basketball and revealed that he never offered his former teammate condolences after James Jordan was murdered in the summer of 1993.
Scottie Pippen Said Some Polarizing Things About Michael Jordan
Pippen wrote Jordan “wanted everything done for him” and that “LeBron James was the greatest player this game has ever seen” in his book. He also stated that he regrets not giving Jordan condolences after his father was murdered.
Pippen and Jordan won three championships before James Jordan was killed and three more after the funeral. Pippen had numerous chances to talk to Jordan, but he never did.
“I may go as far to say Mike ruined basketball,” Pippen wrote. “In the 80s on the playgrounds you’d have everyone moving the ball around — passing to help the team. That stopped in the 90s. Kids wanted to be ‘Like Mike.’ Well, Mike didn’t want to pass — didn’t want to rebound, or defend the best player. He wanted everything done for him. That’s why I always believed LeBron James was the greatest player this game has ever seen — he does everything and embodies what the game is truly about.
“Michael’s father, James Jordan, had been murdered. The two were inseparable. When I heard the news, I should have reached out to Michael right away. Instead, I went through the Bulls’ PR department, and once they told me no one from the organization had been in contact with him, I gave up. Having lost my own dad three years before, I might have been able to offer Michael some comfort. To this day, he and I haven’t spoken about his father’s death.”
Pippen wrote in his book he has plenty of friends and doesn’t get too upset that he and Jordan aren’t close. Jordan has several friends as well and is busy running the Charlotte Hornets.
However, it’s undoubtedly sad to see two of the best teammates of all time feud after never saying a bad word about each other when they played.