Scottie Pippen Says People Glorified Michael Jordan & Didn’t Give Him Credit

Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan spent ten seasons playing and building the 1990s legendary Bulls dynasty together, they are still regarded as one of the best pairings in all of sports. In his new serialized autobiography “Unguarded” the NBA Allstar gives insight on his relationship with Michael Jordan.

Pippen recalls that he and MJ were never close friends and still aren’t. Among many other observations, he noted that Jordan would’ve never become a superstar if it wasn’t for him and that he was always a better teammate than MJ.

In another recently released exclusive excerpt from his memoir, Pippen recalls being “upset” with Jordan over how he and the other members were portrayed in The Last Dance documentary series:

In the fall of 1997, a documentary crew to followed Chicago Bulls as they went for their sixth NBA title in eight seasons. What resulted was stunning portrait of one of the sport’s most iconic athletes and a celebrated team. However, some players felt overshadowed by Michael Jordan‘s grandeur. Pippen complains about the mistreatment he suffered at the cost of making Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time.

“They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates.”

“How dare Michael treat us that way after everything we did for him and his precious brand. Michael Jordan would never have been Michael Jordan without me, Horace Grant, Toni Kukoc, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Bill Cartwright, Ron Harper, B.J. Armstrong, Luc Longley, Will Perdue, and Bill Wennington. I apologize to anyone I’ve left out. 

“I’m not suggesting Michael wouldn’t have been a superstar wherever he ended up. He was that spectacular. Just that he relied on the success we attained as a team—six titles in eight years—to propel him to a level of fame throughout the world no other athlete, except for Muhammad Ali, has reached in modern times.”

The Chicago Bulls was a magic formula that worked very well for many years. However, it will be incorrect not to give credit when its due. Whether Pippen likes it or not, Michael Jordan will always be a GOAT. For those curious, “Unguarded” will be released November 9.

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