Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were the iconic duo on the court. They had an unbreakable bond and knew how to assist one another. Nonetheless, it seems like Pippen didn’t really like playing second fiddle to Jordan over the years. Having watched the Last Dance documentary, the 56-year-old lashed out at MJ for glorifying himself over the team. Following this, the pair have been at a crossroads, despite Jordan not responding to Pippen’s words.
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During their time together, Pippen and Jordan combined for a historic run in the NBA. Although Pippen was never really that close to Jordan, he always had enormous respect for what Jordan did for the sport. One of the best ever guard-forwards, Jordan became the franchise’s most prolific scorer. However, a star is only as good as his team, and ‘His Airness’ had a potent one. But in his memoir ‘Unguarded’, the 7-time All-star has destroyed Jordan. Regardless, the respect factor that was mentioned above will always remain intact.
Scottie Pippen pens heartfelt story about Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen’s ‘Unguarded’ revealed some deep secrets of the Chicago Bulls squad. He has taken a hit at numerous stars of the previous era. Nevertheless, the book also had some heart-touching moments and behind-the-scenes stories. In one such tale, Scottie spoke about a tough time in Jordan’s life. The incident happened in 1993 when ‘His Airness’ lost his father, and subsequently lost interest in the sport. In fact, he even retired after this, only to come back after a couple of years.
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Pippen quoted in his book, “Another opportunity, if you can call it that, came during the summer of 1993, and I feel horrible every time I think about it. Michael’s father, James Jordan, had been murdered. The two were inseparable. When I heard the news, I should have reached out to Michael right away.” However, he didn’t. Instead, he asked the Bulls department, who had no news of Jordan. “Having lost my own dad three years before, I might have been able to offer Michael some comfort. To this day, he and I haven’t spoken about his father’s death.”
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It is extremely unfortunate what happened to Jordan’s father. Regardless, it was a wonderful gesture from Pippen to extend a helping hand to his teammate, and someone who he partnered with to provide tons of memories for fans. Regardless of their personal differences, they will always have a certain amount of care for one another!