The previous a number of years have seen Scottie Pippen share brutally sincere ideas on Michael Jordan, his former Chicago Bulls teammate. Since revealing he “wasn’t too happy” with ESPN’s The Final Dance, Pippen hasn’t minced phrases about Jordan. He most lately mentioned MJ throughout a wide-ranging interview and, in the course of the dialogue, he claimed that even when he by no means performed with His Airness, he’d nonetheless win six championships. That prompted Draymond Inexperienced to share his opinion, and the Golden State Warriors vet didn’t maintain again.
Scottie Pippen lately spoke with Valuetainment Media’s Patrick Guess-David and shared this takes on numerous matters. At one level, Guess-David posed a hypothetical query: how profitable would Pippen had been if he’d been drafted by the Dominique Wilkins-led Atlanta Hawks as an alternative of the Chicago Bulls in 1987. Pippen then stated, “I nonetheless get my six” and later opined that Air Jordan would win two or three with out him. That interview (which is presently on YouTube) subsequently went viral.
Within the aftermath, Draymond Inexperienced caught wind of the corridor of famer’s sentiments and reacted on his personal sports activities program – The Draymond Inexperienced Present with Baron Davis. Inexperienced, who admitted to having grown up watching the Bulls squads of the ‘90s appeared lower than enthused by the feedback made by the extremely regarded, former small ahead:
What’s improper with Scottie, man? Any individual obtained to test on Scottie, man. I grew up watching them [Bulls] groups. I’m a giant Scottie fan. I don’t know what Scottie going by way of, however I ship my love. … While you begin making feedback like Scottie has been currently, individuals begin to keep in mind you for these feedback and never essentially for being Scottie Pippen, and I don’t like that, you already know what I’m saying? Individuals attempt to downplay who you’re and what you’ve accomplished due to the feedback you’ve made currently, and I simply don’t need to see individuals doing that to Scottie, as a result of Scottie is for rattling certain Scottie.
After voicing his disapproval of The Final Dance in 2021, Scottie Pippen – through his memoir, Unguarded – stated Michael Jordan “ruined” the sport of basketball. He additionally later known as him a “horrible” participant. Throughout this newest interview, Pippen additionally emphasised that he and Jordan “by no means have been nice mates” although he did praise him for his affect on the sport. Draymond Inexperienced addressed these feedback throughout his present as effectively and tried to make sense of them:
He stated him and Michael Jordan ain’t by no means sit down for dinner. To me, it sounds prefer it’s coming from a spot of ache, you already know what I’m saying? He’s feeling like MJ sort of by no means perhaps [showed] him the love that he in the end [thought] MJ ought to present, and he’s like outwardly on the lookout for that and saying issues to downplay it versus simply saying… I really feel like he’s crying out and saying what he’s actually crying out for and about. Make that occur. Any individual get MJ and Scottie collectively.
Scottie Pippen’s feedback about his former teammate have drawn the ire of some NBA veterans. In 2021, Charles Barkley clapped again at Pippen’s preliminary MJ feedback and accused his fellow Dream Staff member of “big-game searching” to promote his e-book. The late Jerry West additionally responded to the “horrible” sentiments. West – who known as Pippen “a hell of a participant” – couldn’t perceive why the NBA champ would take photographs on the Jordan Model founder.
Basketball followers can proceed to debate amongst themselves whether or not “Pip” would nonetheless be a six-time champion with out his longtime, on-court companion. All of the whereas, I’m curious as as to whether the seven-time All-Star will say extra about his skilled relationship with Michael Jordan.