“People are going to start remembering him for the dumb sh*t he’s saying instead of how great he was as a player.” That was Matt Barnes’ blunt take on Scottie Pippen, who has been vocal about his frustrations with Michael Jordan since The Last Dance dropped. While Pip continues to take short, Lakers legend Byron Scott thinks there’s more to the story—something much more personal.

During Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, one of his co-hosts tried to dig into why Pippen keeps bringing up his past with Jordan. “So I was just about to add in. Is it because his wife is getting more media love nowadays than he is? So he has to go out there…” Before he could finish, Scott jumped, “Or is it because MJ’s son… because MJ’s son…” And everyone knew where this was going.

But why does he feel that? “I don’t understand it because our team back in the day, our team, is still extremely close. We love each other, we support each other,” he explained. “Yo, Magic [Johnson] has something, B, I need you there, we there, you know, Coop, James, any of us, you know. We’re there for each other, right?”

And it’s true. When Johnson retired in 1991 after his HIV diagnosis, it left Scott shocked. “This is without a doubt the toughest situation I’ve ever faced as a player,” he said at the time via NYT. “You look for him to kind of yell at you, ‘Let’s go, B; let’s get it going.’ He’s not there. It’s just weird right now.”

It was heartbreaking for Scott, who flourished alongside Magic, Worthy, and Kareem. He credited them for his growth, saying their support helped him develop into a key part of the Lakers’ success. That kind of camaraderie was about respect, not just winning.

And that’s why Scott found the Pippen-Jordan fallout so disappointing. “So for me to see this when it start coming out, it broke my heart because they was such a dynasty and you’re ruin…, I wouldn’t say you’re ruining it but you’re putting some bad feelings out there.”

And it’s the same reason Scott thinks Showtime Lakers were better than the 90s Bulls.

Scott uses the Pip-MJ feud to highlight the Showtime Lakers

Byron Scott recently appeared on All the Smoke. He wasted no time pointing out the stark contrast between his Lakers and Michael Jordan’s Bulls. “Look at some of these other teams that played back in those eras. They can’t stand each other,” he said. Then he took a direct jab at the ongoing drama. “I mean, as great as Chicago was, you got Scottie and… I can’t say, Michael, cuz Michael ain’t said really nothing.”

Before Scott could even finish, Matt Barnes chimed in. “Scottie been tripping, bro.” And he’s not wrong. Pippen hasn’t just been critical of Jordan—he’s been on a full-blown crusade. Horace Grant and Luc Longley joined him on the No Bull Tour last year, a tour meant to celebrate their Bulls legacy. Instead, it felt more like an anti-MJ roadshow.

But here’s the thing—Jordan has never dismissed Pippen’s contributions. In fact, he’s gone out of his way to give him credit. “I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen, and that’s why I consider him my best teammate of all time,” MJ once said. “Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen.”

The contrast between the Lakers and the Bulls couldn’t be more obvious. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once named Oscar Robertson the best point guard he played with, but later made it clear Magic Johnson was his real best teammate. “We won five championships together. He’s my best teammate… I can’t put anybody else in front of him,” Kareem said.

And Magic? He returned the love, calling Kareem the greatest center ever. That’s how teammates should be—lifting each other up, not tearing each other down.