Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen rips Michael Jordan on ‘The Last Dance’

There was a lot that came out of the hit 10-part documentary series highlighting all-time great shooting guard Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls‘ title-winning team from the 1997-98 season “The Last Dance”. Insight into Jordan’s life on and off-the-court (as well as on the baseball diamond) surfaced from this docuseries in the midst of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.

Controversy also emerged from The Last Dance, including some new drama between the likes of Jordan and Hall-of-Fame forward Scottie Pippen. With the memoir soon to release from Pippen on Nov. 9, there was some that got out about his rift with his former teammate Jordan concerning the portrayal of others on The Last Dance, thanks to a piece from GQ.

Pippen looked to have a problem with how much control Jordan had over the docuseries and the amount of positivity and praise that it should upon him throughout the 10 parts. It sounds like Pippen feels like others deserved more credit than they got in the docuseries.

Reported rift forming between former Chicago Bulls’ Hall-of-Fame teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

Here’s more on what this piece shed light on concerning Pippen and Jordan.

"Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. 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.On second thought, I could believe my eyes. I spent a lot of time around the man. I knew what made him tick. How naïve I was to expect anything else.Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his “supporting cast.” From one season to the next, we received little or no credit whenever we won but the bulk of the criticism when we lost. Michael could shoot 6 for 24 from the field, commit 5 turnovers, and he was still, in the minds of the adoring press and public, the Errorless Jordan."

The fact that Jordan was very “condescending” in this and apparently wanted to give nearly all of the love and spotlight to himself looks to be the main issue Pippen took here. But the Pippen memoir and his media tours since the book was announced this year have taken issue with a number of other big-time stars around the NBA landscape from his playing days in the league.

Pippen has managed to stay in the thick of the media spotlight this year, despite the length of time since The Last Dance was released. The release of his memoir is sure to draw an even brighter spotlight in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see what is included in this book.

What is sure to be mentioned is more on how Pippen felt like he and his teammates deserved more of the credit for all of the titles that the Bulls won during the dynasty years of the 1990s. This piece from GQ did mention that Pippen “spoke to a number of my former teammates who each felt as disrespected” just like he did.

It is also interesting that Pippen brought up Jordan earning roughly $10 million from The Last Dance while his teammates “didn’t receive a dime”. If that is true, it is easy to see why Pippen could have a qualm with Jordan in this respect. Granted, previous reports stated that Jordan won’t pocket anything from this docuseries and it will all go to charitable causes.

Pippen’s memoir is set to release on Nov. 9, and he’s sure to stay in the thick of the media spotlight as that date approaches and in the days and weeks that follow. The seven-time All-Star and six-time NBA Champion has definitely stayed in the thick of the headlines lately.