Tension continues to grow between the stars of one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties.
Scottie Pippen called former Chicago Bulls teammate Michael Jordan a “horrible player” during an appearance on fellow Bulls teammate Stacey King’s podcast “Gimme the Hot Sauce” Friday. Pippen made the comments while talking about who is the greatest player in NBA history. Pippen said he doesn’t believe in the sport having a greatest of all time because it is a team game, then mentioned Jordan’s time in Chicago before Pippen joined the team.
“I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to the Bulls. You guys have seen him play. He was a horrible player,” Pippen said.
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Pippen: Michael Jordan was ‘horrible’ to play with
The six-time NBA champion continued to speak on what it was like playing with “His Airness.”
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“He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1. He’s shooting bad shots,” Pippen said. “All of a sudden, we become a team and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was.
“He was a player that, really, winning wasn’t at the top of his category. It was scoring.”
Pippen also said Jordan’s scoring priority “wasn’t in the documentary,” referring to the “Last Dance” documentary aired on ESPN in 2020.
Jordan played his first three seasons in Chicago before the Bulls acquired Pippen with the 5th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. During those three seasons, Jordan averaged 31.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and five assists per game. In 1986-87, Jordan averaged a career high 37.1 points per game. The Bulls made the playoffs those three season, but never made it past the first round.
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Pippen congratulates himself for impact on Bulls
One day after his appearance on King’s podcast, Pippen emphasized the impact of his NBA career through an Instagram post.
“From humble beginnings to 6 championships, 2 gold medals, Hall of Fame, and leading the Bulls franchise with the most playoff wins. Here’s to the unsung heroes… Cheers!” Pippen wrote.
Pippen leads the franchise in team playoff wins with 123, while Jordan is second with 119.
Scottie Pippen’s feud with Michael Jordan
A dynamic duo in their 10 seasons in Chicago, Pippen’s relationship with Jordan has strained in recent years. Following the “Last Dance,” Pippen criticized how he was portrayed in the documentary and how Jordan “couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried.” He also said the documentary was released because Jordan wanted to prove how larger-than-life he was compared to LeBron James.
“They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates,” Pippen said in November 2021.
Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan relationship
The connection between Pippen and Jordan now goes beyond their past on the court. Pippen’s ex-wife and mother of his four children, Larsa Pippen, is in a relationship with Jordan’s son, Marcus. Larsa Pippen stars on the reality show, “Real Housewives of Miami,” and speaks about her relationship with the younger Jordan.
