Scottie Pippen damages Bulls legacy with continued assault on MJ

These days, it seems Scottie Pippen can’t seem to stay out of the news for all the wrong reasons. After winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, a once beloved local legend seems hellbent on tarnishing his legacy with the team. This time, he’s making headlines for his harsh comments directed at none other than Michael Jordan himself.

Pippen didn’t hold back when criticizing the GOAT, and at this point, it’s hard to feel like it’s not personal for him. Whether this is because of his negligent treatment in The Last Dance documentary, or if it’s due to a sense of resentment for not having the same financial success and iconic status as his former partner, or even just because Jordan’s son is now romantically involved with Pippen’s ex-wife, it’s hard to say.

One thing’s for certain, however, and that’s that these comments only serve to make Scottie look bad, not Mike.

“I seen Michael Jordan play before he came to play with the Bulls, you guys seen him play” Pippen said, “He was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with.”

This latest insult to Bulls legend Michael Jordan has once again made Scottie Pippen look foolish in the eyes of NBA fans.

The irony of his comments is that Jordan was incredibly successful at taking those bad shots. In fact, the year before Pippen joined the Bulls, MJ averaged 37.1 points per game. That ridiculous mark would be Jordan’s first of 10 scoring titles, and he only got more efficient from there. While Scottie was riding the bench as a rookie, Jordan only got more efficient with an average of 35 points per game on 60.3% true shooting.

Sure, maybe Jordan cutting down on his shot attempts and embracing team basketball was what helped the Bulls finally make the leap to contender status, but to act like Chicago only got to where they were because Scottie was there has me feeling just a bit incredulous. This was Jordan’s team through and through, and the numbers fully support that claim.

As a result, the replies to this video are of course filled with thousands of commenters laughing at the ridiculous nature of Pippen’s comments. He has once again opted to become the punching bag for easy jokes, instead of soaking in his legacy and keeping to himself in retirement.

Whether he’s constantly flip-flopping on the GOAT debate, or making controversial statements to spark just a little interest in his book sales, Pippen has proven time and time again that his word means little to him and he’ll say or do just about anything to make a quick buck or be in the limelight for even just a brief moment.

I truly hope this Bulls legend gets the help he needs to get himself back in the right state of mind, but throwing his former teammate and fellow Chicago icon under the bus is not going to make people give him the credit he believes he deserves. Decisions like this will only serve to backfire and tarnish his own legacy.