NEWSLETTER
Is Scottie Pippen ready to let bygones be bygones?
The Chicago Bulls legend is currently overseas for a speaking tour with former teammates Horace Grant and Luc Longley. Joining the Today Show Australia to promote the event, Pippen fielded a handful of questions about the good old days. Likewise, the hosts couldn’t help but ask about The Last Dance documentary, which Pippen surprisingly praised:
“I thought it was special,” Scottie Pippen said. “I thought it was a special moment for us to really re-live some of the greatest times in basketball history. More so have an opportunity to see what team basketball looks like.”
Of course, Pippen has become known in recent years for leading the charge against the docus-series portrayal of the NBA’s greatest dynasty. He took aim numerous times at Michael Jordan, calling out his ego and diminishing his on-court accomplishments. However, when asked this time around whether Jordan was the best to ever do it, Pippen didn’t hesitate to respond:
“For sure. You look at the MVP’s he was able to achieve. But I think it was all brought from us being successful as a team. Obviously, someone is going to bring those accolades home. But, yeah, he was the greatest player definitely in basketball,” Pippen said.
While it may not have been the perfect response, this is pretty easily the nicest thing we’ve heard Pippen say publicly about Jordan in years. Then, if we tie it to his shockingly tamed take on The Last Dance, it’s hard not to wonder if Pippen’s petty tide is finally starting to turn. Time tends to heal all wounds, right?
Pippens’ reaction to the 90s nostalgia has undoubtedly put a damper on conversations about that era. Nobody demands that everyone be best friends, but something as great as the Chicago Bulls’ run should only be celebrated by fans and players alike. Jordan and Pippen are known as the most dynamic duo in NBA history. One would hope this is something the two can cherish as they get further and further from the glory days.
Pippen’s change of tune continued when they asked him about the end of the team’s iconic tenure. With another opportunity to slam the franchise and management served on a silver platter, he chose the high road:
“It was to some degree,” Pippen said when asked whether it was hard to see the front office move in a new direction. “But I think at that point they were sort of ready to move on from that nucleus of players. And I think as professionals we’ve seen that happen year in and year out … it was kind of tough for us to leave that championship nucleus, but we had to pick up and move on.”
For what it’s worth, this recent Scottie Pippen interview appears to be representative of the recent Australian speaking tour. The three players advertised the event as an unfiltered conversation about what really happened during the 90s – with Grant even referring to The Last Dance as a “bullsh*t documentary.” But we might be able to declare that as nothing more than a marketing tactic.
Mark K of CHGO attended the event and shared that the three stars (Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Luc Longley) didn’t trash Michael Jordan or the docu-series. Instead, they merely reflected on the good times had by all. You can read what Mark K had to say here.
Unfortunately, despite these encouraging comments by Pippen, I don’t think we’ll see him and Jordan sitting courtside together at the United Center any time soon. Let’s not forget that Pippen didn’t show face or even send a video message at the Ring of Honor Ceremony. But, hey, perhaps this is a sign he can be at least cordial moving forward. I’ll take that.
You can watch Scottie Pippen’s full interview on the Today Show here …
