Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen has had many different nicknames given to him over the past few decades. For fans, he is a legendary player and for Michael Jordan, he was the greatest teammate. He even stated that in the 10 episodes long docuseries, ‘The Last Dance.’ However, Pippen later shared that they were never close. He called out his former teammate for many things that happened during their double three-peat. As Stephen A. Smith remembers, there was particularly one thing out of all, that might have upset MJ.
And it was Pippen admitting that he intentionally didn’t offer his condolences to Jordan after his father’s death. He has also expressed his regrets for his actions. Before revealing Jordan’s reaction, Smith speculated that while MJ had never been bothered by any comments before, he felt “betrayed” by Pippen’s action.
“How he (Pippen) didn’t give his condolences on purpose, Michael Jordan’s words were ‘I hope it’s worth it for him I have nothing and he literally said I have nothing else to say’ and I know Michael Jordan well enough to know what that means,” Smith said during the latest episode of the PBD Podcast.
In his memoir, ‘Unguarded’, Pippen expressed his disapproval of how The Last Dance portrayed him. However, even if he expressed his remorse for not offering his condolences, some including the ESPN analyst claimed that their relationship might not be salvageable after this.
“Pippen crossed the line”: Stephen A. Smith
James Jordan Sr.’s death was one of the most heartbreaking and life-changing moments for Jordan. MJ’s father was shot and murdered in July 1993 in North Carolina. It proved to be a watershed event in the legend baller’s life. Jordan retired from the NBA in October of the same year to deal with the pain and went to seek solace in playing his father’s favorite sport, baseball.
In an episode of First Take, Smith predicted that this odd gesture by Pippen might have severed his relationship with Jordan for good. He said, “Michael Jordan never even thought about that until he saw it, and then he realized, ‘Wait a minute, you didn’t give me condolences on purpose. I didn’t even think about this.’ He’s (Pippen) crossed the line. Him and Jordan, it’s over. Take it from me. It’s over.”
The duo’s feud was recently in the spotlight again after Pippen announced his ‘No Bulls’ tour earlier this year. While many expected it to be an anti-Jordan scheme, the event turned out to be great, and highly appreciative of the Bulls’ journey to victory. But now, the analyst’s First Take has only revived the classic court friction of the NBA.