Scottie Pippen Was Provoked Into Hating Michael Jordan by Unknown Naysayers, Last Dance Director Suspects

‘The Last Dance’ garnered love from fans all around the world, but not so much from Scottie Pippen. The 7x All-Star could not have been more open about his displeasure with the docuseries. But on what grounds? Pip believed the series spotlighted Michael Jordan, while undermining his and others’ contribution to the team. However, the docuseries’ director Jason Hehir believes these were now Scottie Pippen’s own opinions.

During his appearance on ‘Pablo Torre Find Out‘, the 41-year-old director tried establishing Pip’s unfamiliarity with the series. He claimed if he was standing in front of Pippen, the ex- Chicago Bulls star would not even know who he was. In fact, he believes there is a possibility that the 7x All-Star never saw the documentary in the place. “I think he’s been told by several people they did you wrong and all that, but I would bet a lot of money that he did not sit down and watch all 10 hours of that doc…” Hehir said. He further even invited Pippen to discuss things out on the podcast.

The 41-year-old director had earlier also expressed his regret in an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. He stated he’ll probably never get to talk about the series with Pip again. He further mentioned he regrets Pippen feeling bad coming out of the series. But he also believes if everyone feels great about a documentary, then one probably did not do his job right making it.

It’s no secret now that while ‘The Last Dance’ hyped up Michael Jordan’s already celebrated legacy, it also caused a rift between Mike and Pip. “The final two episodes aired on May 17. Similar to the previous eight, they glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates,” Pippen wrote in his memoir ‘Unguarded’. He further alleged that Jordan himself was responsible for this, as the producers granted him editorial control during the final post-production phase.

“He was the leading man and the director,” the 7x All-Star added. Now, it’s true that Michael Jordan did not win any ring prior to Pippen’s arrival on the team. But there is no denying that ‘His Airness’ started dominating the NBA ever since he stepped into the league. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of his journey has been his initial struggles against the Celtics and Pistons. However, Pippen believes Mike got himself hyped up in the docuseries over the others. While there have been multiple instances of Pip taking shots at MJ since the docuseries came out. His ‘No Bull Tour’ allegedly remains the subtle yet highest degree of attempt in this.

What was the No Bull Tour and what were the after-effects of it

While the 7x All-Star was perceived as the leading face of the tour, it also included his former teammates, Horace Grant and Luc Longley. The tour was said to be born out of Pip’s Pippen’s desire to reconnect with the fans. However, a majority section of the fans and some analysts like Stephen A. Smith believed the tour to be a resistance of sorts to ‘The Last Dance’.

Who do you think would have had the most dramatic reaction to the tour? Stephen A. Smith, yes. Although the ESPN analyst praised Scottie for his past achievements, he came down heavily on him for focusing on the negatives. “You know good and damn well you were no Michael Jordan. Stop it,” he said on the PBD Podcast.

Smith also highlighted how MJ has in multiple instances stated he would not have 6 championships without Pippen. The fans on social media also severely criticized the 7x All-Star for his tour being an anti-Michael Jordan move. And it seems all the backlash had its effect on Pip, visible from his appearance on ‘Today’ with Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo.

Not only did he term Jordan as the greatest player in basketball, but also praised ‘The Last Dance’. “I thought it was a special moment for us to really relive some of the greatest time in basketball history and more so have an opportunity to see what team basketball was like,” he said. The 7x All-Star’s dual stance on the docuseries furthers Jason Hehir’s claim that Pip’s opinion is based on external opinions.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.