From Scottie Pippen to Horace Grant: Michael Jordan?s Friends Turned Foes Listed From Bad to Worse

NBA legend Michael Jordan had some feisty rivalries with multiple fellow legends during his time in the league. However, his intensity and desire to win at all costs amidst his other traits have also cost him friendships as well. Jordan was a great player and a leader, but he was arguably not the best teammate. Over the course of his career, MJ has had trouble with some of his teammates. For various reasons, he has had serious feuds with some of his former teammates and friends that have continued over the years.

So let’s look at some of Jordan’s biggest friends turned foes, listed from bad to worse.

Michael Jordan’s beef with Horace Grant

Horace Grant was a very important piece of the Chicago Bulls team that achieved its first three-peat from 1991 to 1993. The forward played a crucial role for the team on both ends of the court. However, Grant almost never gets the recognition he’s due. It could be partly because of his animosity with Michael Jordan. While everything worked in tandem between Grant and Jordan on the court, things were not smooth off it.

After Jordan’s first retirement in 1993, Grant left the Bulls in ’94 and joined the Orlando Magic. In MJ’s first season back, the Bulls faced the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The Magic led by Grant and young superstars like Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway eliminated Jordan and the Bulls. Grant did not hesitate to celebrate the win against his former team, which signaled some feud. However, MJ had the last laugh as he beat the Magic in the Conference Finals the next year.

Notably, the relationship between the two started to derail after the release of the book The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith in 1993. The book talked about the Detroit Pistons‘ strategies to contain Jordan. However, it also had claims about some shocking behind-the-scenes incidents. Notably, the author alleged Jordan punched Will Perdue and intentionally threw hard passes at Bill Cartwright because he replaced one of his friends on the team, Charles Oakley. This caused a major controversy at the time. But MJ’s teammates stood beside him and denied the allegations made in the book. Things did not calm down, though.

There were reports that Grant was the one who leaked locker room stories to Sam Smith. And apparently, Jordan believes that was the case and candidly talked about it in The Last Dance released in 2020. The Hall of Famer openly accused his former teammate of leaking information, which Grant denied. Grant claimed that MJ was lying and also called him a “snitch”. So, the docuseries ultimately brought back the feud between the two or revealed the hostility that has always been there.

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley: Close friends to foes

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were two of the biggest stars in the 1990s. The two competed against each other for accolades. Notably, Barkley won the 1993 NBA MVP award over Jordan. It was certainly not an easy feat to win it during MJ’s prime years. However, the two were very close friends off the court. Both stars love golf and spent a lot of time playing together while trash-talking each other. The two like to gamble as well and have reportedly been on multiple betting trips to Las Vegas over the years.

Furthermore, their friendship was on full display in every show or commercial they appeared together. Barkley played a huge role in Jordan’s iconic Space Jam movie as well. A lot of fans loved seeing the superstars’ chemistry on TV and the big screens. However, things became a bit complicated in 1993. MJ and Barkley faced off against each other thrice in the playoffs and Jordan beat his former friend every single time with an overall record of 12-4.

Notably, Jordan and Barkley went golfing ahead of Game 4 of the 1993 Finals with the Bulls leading the series 2-1 against the Phoenix Suns. MJ reportedly bought Barkley a diamond earring worth $20,000. Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach once revealed the reason behind it. As per Bleacher Report, he said, “Michael responded, ?he won?t get in my way the rest of the series, what?s $20,000 to me? Charles thinks we?re great friends. ?I hate that fat f?.”

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Jordan scored 55 points in Game 4 and eventually clinched the title 4-2. Despite the possible manipulation by MJ and the heartbreak in the Finals, Barkley remained a close friend. But things went south immediately when the Hall of Famer criticized Jordan?for his poor ownership of the Charlotte Hornets. The 6x NBA champion did not take it lightly or “took it personally” as he would say. This ultimately brought an end to their years-long friendship.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s ugly feud

Michael Jordan’s beef with Scottie Pippen takes the #1 spot on our list because of their legendary partnership. They are one of the best duos the league has ever seen, if not the best. Over the course of their time together, Jordan and Pippen won six championships for the Bulls with two different three-peats. There has always been debate about their role in the team’s success. While it is widely considered MJ spearheaded the title charges, many claim that he wouldn’t have been successful without Pippen.

Notably, before Scottie’s arrival, Jordan and the Bulls struggled in the playoffs. However, it was not just Pippen. The same year also saw the arrival of legendary head coach Phil Jackson. On the other hand, during MJ’s first retirement, Pippen, Jackson, and the team clearly struggled. So let’s just say every player and staff contributed to their success. However, MJ and Pippen played bigger roles, and they were indispensable. But Pippen recently shocked everyone when he claimed that Jordan was a “horrible player and horrible to play with” before he joined the Bulls. But things started brewing years back.

On the surface, it looked like Jordan and Pippen were very close friends. However, The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith claimed some friction between the two. Then in 1998, Jordan openly criticized his teammate for postponing his surgery and called him “selfish“. While this might not have sat well with Pippen, things did not blow up. The relationship looked intact as they continued to embrace each other after their retirements whenever they met in public. But things turned sour quickly after the release of The Last Dance.

Pippen, who played a part in the docuseries, was clearly not happy with the portrayal of MJ. He felt that it looked like Jordan single-handedly won all the rings and the series did not give enough credit to him and his teammates. A couple of years after this, MJ’s son Marcus Jordan started dating Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen. This stirred a lot of controversy as well and possibly added fuel to the former teammates’ feud. Furthermore, it looks like Scottie will not stop his jabs at his former teammate with his latest “horrible player” take.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.

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