What strikes your mind when Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan are discussed? Uncomfortable distance, yes! Considered Robin to his Batman once, Scottie Pippen didn’t take much time turning into Joker in his scathing attacks against Mike. A certain sense of dislike for His Airness from Pippen has been evident for quite some time now. And with so much in the air, you can’t keep the world away from commenting on it. Now Byron Scott has used it to elevate Showtime Lakers over the Chicago Bulls in one aspect: camaraderie.

When Scott recently appeared on All the Smoke, he didn’t hesitate to highlight the stark difference between his Lakers and Michael Jordan’s Bulls. “look at somebody these other teams that played back in those eras they can’t stand each other. You know what I’m saying I mean as great as Chicago was you got Scotty and you know kind of I can’t say Michael cuz, Michael ain’t said really nothing” Scott remarked, subtly calling out Pip. His comment was barely out of his mouth before Matt Barnes jumped in with, “Scottie been tripping, bro.”

And let’s be real—Barnes isn’t wrong. Pippen has been taking shots at Michael Jordan for years now, and it’s not just him. Even Horace Grant and Luc Longley joined him on the No Bull Tour last year, a tour that was supposed to be about reconnecting with Bulls fans but ended up feeling more like an anti-MJ campaign. If there was ever a question about the fractures within that Bulls dynasty, this pretty much answered it.

Now, let’s flip the script and talk about Mike. Despite all the criticism Pippen has thrown his way, MJ has never once downplayed Pip’s role in their six championships. He’s done the exact opposite. “I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen, and that’s why I consider him my best teammates of all time,” Jordan once said. “Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen.” But instead of appreciating that praise, Pippen somehow took the opposite route as always. He went on to say he would’ve won six titles even without MJ—an opinion that didn’t sit well with most fans.

Now, let’s circle back to the Showtime Lakers. The difference in camaraderie between the two teams couldn’t be more obvious. Take Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for example. He once picked Oscar Robertson as the best point guard he ever played with, but later made it clear that Magic Johnson was his ultimate choice. “I played with him… We won five championships together. He’s my best teammate… I can’t put anybody else in front of him,” Kareem said. The difference needs no explanation.

And Magic? The respect has always been mutual. When asked to pick the greatest center of all time, he didn’t go with Shaquille O’Neal—he chose Kareem. “This man could dominate you with both hands. When they have to change the game because of you, that is greatness,” Magic said, also highlighting Kareem’s insane college dominance with three NCAA championships in a row. And that’s how you want your teammates to be, right?

And this bond wasn’t just between Magic and Kareem—it extended to guys like James Worthy and the rest of the Showtime squad. Decades later, their connection remains as strong as ever. Meanwhile, the Bulls? Let’s just say that if there was ever a championship team that defines ‘it is complicated’, it’s them.

The Pippen-Jordan saga is more than just what meets the eye

During an appearance on Gimme the Hot Sauce, the podcast hosted by fellow Bulls alum Stacey King, Pippen made a bold statement—calling Jordan a “horrible player.” Yes, you read that right. The player with 6x NBA Finals MVP, 5x NBA MVP, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, 10x Scoring Champ, 3x Steals Leader, and countless other accolades was called a horrible player. But Pip seems to have his reasons.

The conversation started with a debate about the greatest player of all time. But Scottie shut that down quickly, saying he doesn’t believe in a single GOAT because basketball is a team sport. Then, he brought up Jordan’s early years with the Bulls—before Pippen arrived. According to him, Air Jordan wasn’t exactly a team-first guy. “He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1. He’s shooting bad shots,” he continued.

The comments can seem unfounded by many, for the Bulls no. 33 the dislike for fellow 23 is deep. While opinions are personal, but statements like these make it understandable why Byron Scott would blame Pippen for running what the Chicago Bulls could have had and the Showtime Lakers have: camaraderie.