“It’s a Soldier Gone AWOL”: Frustrated by Constant Taunts From Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Bulls Teammate’s “Failure” Brought His Fallout

Stacey King is best remembered for his time as an announcer. Prior to his career as an announcer, he played in the NBA with teams like the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had a rocky relationship with the Bulls and especially Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan.

The two regularly taunted King for his lack of game time and also for his physical shape. King wanted to leave the team and an exit looked unlikely. This frustrated King to the point where he took an extreme step.

Following a team session, he talked about leaving. While most of the team brushed his claims aside, he actually left the team which concerned the Bulls coach Phil Jackson.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s taunts forced a player to leave

During his time in the NBA, Michael Jordan had one of the best trash-talking skills. Scottie Pippen was not far behind as he was known to be a good trash talker as well.

Sometimes, their trash talk did not end well. In one such instance, former Chicago Bulls player Stacey King had enough of Jordan and Pippen and he left the team which was revealed in ‘The Jordan Rules’ book.

Following a team meeting, King threatened to leave. However, Pippen brushed it off as a joke and said, “Sure, sure Stacey. You better be getting taped.” To everyone’s surprise, King actually left leaving Phil Jackson flabbergasted.  Jackson said, “It’s a soldier gone AWOL.”

After King returned, he was assigned a personal trainer to keep his weight in check. The taunts from Jordan and Pippen did not end. During a practice session, King hit out at Jordan and Pippen.

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He said, “I set a screen roll, and these guys, they’re out there dancing around and waving you off.” Despite having a rocky relationship with the team, King ended up with three NBA titles while playing for the Chicago Bulls. 

King was announced as a Bulls announcer this season

Prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, Stacey King and Adam Amin were revealed as the official announcers for the Chicago Bulls. King joined the media industry in 2006 after playing for teams like the Bulls, the Miami Heat, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The former NBA champion is known for his colorful commentary. Phrases like “Sriracha!” and “Gimme the hot sauce!” make King a fan favorite.

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What is your favorite memory of the Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan duo? Let us know in the comments down below.