At this point, it’s been a while since the reported feud between former Chicago Bulls teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen commenced. The situation has mostly been one-sided as Pippen has taken a number of shots at his former on-court partner for a few years now. As a result, it has seemed somewhat unlikely that the two NBA legends might ever touch base and hash everything out. There’s been a new and somewhat surprising development in this situation, though, as Pippen has now paid Jordan a compliment. And it’s a major one.
Scottie Pippen has been engaged in the “No Bull” Tour alongside former teammates Horace Grant and Luc Longley. Together, the trio traveled to different cities in Australia, where they regaled audiences with stories from their time as players. It was also widely expected that the former athletes – specifically Pippen and Grant – might talk smack about Michael Jordan and the docuseries The Last Dance. While in the Land Down Under, Pippen actually stopped by Today to discuss his legacy. During the chat (which is on YouTube), he was asked whether he believes Jordan is the Greatest of All Time. Pippen agreed with that assessment, saying:
Ah, for sure. I mean, you look at the MVPs that he was able to achieve, but I think that it was all brought about from us being successful as a team. Obviously, someone’s going to bring those accolades home. But, yeah, he was the greatest player, definitely, in basketball.
I mean, there are surely plenty of sports fans who would agree with the hall of famer’s comments. Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the NBA’s GOAT, though other players like Kareen Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell are also brought up in the discussion. But, as mentioned, he does indeed have a lot of MVP awards (five, to be exact). What I also appreciate about these comments is that the six-time champion also made note of his entire team’s contribution to the Bulls’ success decades ago. All in all, these sentiments exude a vibe that greatly differs from the tone of the other comments he’s made about MJ during the past few years.
This uneasy situation began when Scottie Pippen shared blunt thoughts on The Last Dance, on which Michael Jordan’s production company had editorial control. Pippen said he was “upset” by the Emmy-winning production because it “glorified” Jordan and didn't give due credit to other members of the team. He even went so far as to say that Jordan “ruined” the sport by establishing a style of play that’s more solo-oriented. Pippen truly made headlines, though, when he referred to his old colleague as a “horrible” player.
Much of the basketball world seemed taken aback by the sentiments. Former NBA star and current pundit Charles Barkley clapped back at his former Dream Team cohort, accusing him of “big-game hunting” in order to sell his memoir. Even the great Jerry West was confused by the “horrible” assertion.
So, despite all of that, could Scottie Pippen’s compliment serve as a step towards a reconciliation between him and Michael Jordan? That’s hard to say. After all, Pippen could just be aiming to be objective even if he does hold any resentment over The Last Dance or anything else. Still, I think many would agree when I say that it would be great to see the two ballers back on good terms again.
