“Dishonest” Scottie Pippen Reminded of Bitter Shaq & Kobe Memory as Heated Rant Takes Over Popular American Show

“You can’t ask me who’s the goat between LeBron and Michael. Neither one of them are GOATs,” said Scottie Pippen, triggering a wildfire in the NBA world. When the Bron-MJ Goat had gone to the slumber party amid the intense NBA season, 6x NBA Champ further triggered it with a new take. “Magic Johnson to me is a bigger goat than anybody,” added Pippen, giving a new spin to the tale. Amid the chaotic reaction to the twisted take, Stephen A. Smith packed a heavy punch.

The veteran NBA analyst is a certified Michael Jordan supporter. He unapologetically defends MJ in the GOAT debate. However, on this occasion, Smith defended both legends, as the former Bulls forward attempted to delegitimize the reputation that Jordan had earned over the years. 

Speaking in the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the 57-year-old saved the best for last in the one-hour-long show. He began his carnage after playing a brief video clip of Carmelo Anthony, taking Scottie Pippen’s case on his podcast show. Without a doubt, Melo rained down his criticisms on the legend. “You done been in the bunker with MJ. You done been in the trenches with this guy, you signed up for the breakfast club for 6 years. Like, you was part of that. Don’t take that away from the guard,” exclaimed Melo on his show.

In response, A. Smith gave a shout-out to Melo for being “real” and mincing words. And added, “He’s (Melo) honest. Scottie, it’s not that he’s dishonest, is that he’s bitter now.” Following that, Smith took center stage, trying to figure out why Scottie Pippen would make such a statement.

After listing out the potential reasons like his recent beef with MJ after the release of The Last Dance, Smith purposely reminded Pippen of his bitter experience from the 2000 Western Conference Finals. “When Michael Jordan retired… You took your talents to Portland that you couldn’t close the deal and Shaq and Kobe put you up (in) Game 7,” said Smith, smoothly injecting a sharp knife. What was it all about?

What was Scottie Pippen’s bitter past with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal?

Before we take a peep into the 2000 WC Finals Game 7, let’s find out why Stephen A. Smith decided to bring it up. So, Smith picked up a thread, saying that Pippen was “bitter” for various reasons. That’s why he decided to drop a controversial take on the GOAT debate. Smith dropped a list of incidents that may have left Pippen bitter and one of them was him taking his talents to Portland Trail Blazers after Michael Jordan‘s retirement.

Alright, now heading into the past, we have to agree on the fact that Scottie Pippen recorded a dip in his performance since MJ moved out. Nevertheless, the star forward was an influential player in the Blazers fold. In fact, during the Shaq-Kobe Lakers dynasty, the Portland side troubled the LA side.

The year was 2000, the same year Shaquille O’Neal won the MVP, one vote short of a unanimous decision. The trophy was destined to be in the Lakers’ hand until the Blazers in the WC Finals almost shook the dream up. After winning two games in a row, the Blazers forced Game 7.

Most importantly, the team looked like it would win three in a row. After a slow first half, the Blazers headed to the locker room with a 3-point lead. Following that, the team caught fire, orchestrating a 29-19 run in the third quarter and ending it with a 13-point lead. Just when everyone thought the Lakers’ run would end, the team made 31-13 in the last quarter and won the game in surprising fashion.

On the other end, Pippen took the brunt of the attack, as he struggled with shooting, recording 3-10 from the field. It would have been a different story had Pippen been to the Finals. It would have left a serious stain on the MJ GOAT debate. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.