Details About Scottie Pippen And Michael Jordan's Fractured Friendship
Widely considered two of the greatest basketball players of all time, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan aren't as close as they once were.
After being drafted into the NBA in 1987, Pippen embarked on an extraordinary career with the Chicago Bulls. During his tenure with the team, Pippen achieved many career-defining moments, including six championship wins and seven NBA All-star titles. The athlete attributes his success to his talent on the court and, most significantly, his doggedness in achieving his goals. "I was a dreamer ... I had a purpose and a place that I was going to eventually get to," Pippen once said in an interview with CNBC.
However, hardly can there be a conversation about Pippen's successful run at the Chicago Bulls without mention of his teammate Michael Jordan. Together, Jordan and Pippen dominated the court, proving themselves to be one of the most formidable basketball duos of the time. "All of the success that we achieved was because we came together and thrived as a cohesive unit, one that was on the same page and working towards that ultimate goal," Pippen told Forbes of his collaboration with Jordan. Despite their long history together, Pippen and Jordan — dubbed the Robin and Batman of basketball — have since had a falling out. Here's all we know about their fractured relationship.
Scottie Pippen criticized Michaal Jordan's 2020 documentary
Scottie Pippen's relationship with Michael Jordan turned sour in 2020 after ESPN released the final version of "The Last Dance." The 10-episode docuseries chronicled Jordan's rise to the spotlight and particularly his impressive career with the Chicago Bulls. But while the documentary featured interviews from Jordan's former teammates, including Pippen, the former Houston Rockets player was not too pleased with the final narrative portrayed. "They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates," he wrote in his 2021 memoir, "Unguarded," as noted by GQ Sports. In the book, Pippen accused Jordan of using him and his difficult upbringing as a prop for the documentary.
Speaking to The Guardian in December 2020, Pippen faulted the narrative that Jordan was the greatest player in basketball history. According to Pippen, Jordan's impressive career with the Chicago Bulls could not have happened without him and their other team members. "I don't think it was that accurate in terms of really defining what was accomplished in one of the greatest eras of basketball, but also by two of the greatest players — and one could even put that aside and say the greatest team of all time," he explained.
Though he did not comment on Pippen's allegations, Jordan had previously credited his success with the Chicago Bulls to his former teammate. "I didn't win without Scottie Pippen, and that's why I consider him my best teammate of all time," Jordan said in "The Last Dance," as noted by Sports Illustrated.
Scottie Pippen says Michael Jordan was a terrible teammate
Michael Jordan might think of Scottie Pippen as his best teammate, but the seven-time NBA all-star does not share similar sentiments. Appearing on Stacey King's "Gimme the Hot Sauce" in March 2023, Scottie opened up about playing with Michael, whom he described as a terrible teammate. "He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1, shooting bad shots," Scottie shared. "All of a sudden, we become a team, and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was. He was a player who was really not at the top of his category." Team spirit was not the only thing Michael was lacking, as Scottie also alleged that the Charlotte Hornets owner was also a terrible player.
And while the rift between the two men dates back to 2020, it seemingly escalated after Scottie's ex-wife Larsa Pippen began a relationship with Michael's son Marcus Jordan in 2022. Though Larsa, who was married to Scottie for 21 years, claims to have met Marcus independently of her ex-husband, she has continued to face backlash over her relationship with the younger Jordan. None of this seems to matter as the "Real Housewives of Miami" star claims to have received Michael's blessings. "Yeah, I feel like we're great, yeah. We've spent holidays together... it's good. We're in a great place," Larsa said of Michael and his family during an appearance on "Tamron Hall Show."