“Everybody wants to be king": Dominique Wilkins discusses Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen feud with Marcus-Larsa's future on the horizon
Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins advised Scottie Pippen to put aside his grudge against his former Chicago Bulls teammate, Michael Jordan, as Pippen continues to make snide remarks about MJ.
In a VladTV interview, Wilkins expressed his views on the iconic Bulls team that secured six championships during their dynasty. He acknowledged the greatness of Jordan and Pippen but also emphasized that the team's success relied on their collective contributions.
“When I hear (Pippen) saying (Jordan) didn't win any rings until (he arrived), I'm saying to myself, ‘What's really going on with Scottie?’" Wilkins said. "Anybody who knows now basketball is like, you don't win those rings without Jordan."
Wilkins said that Jordan is the greatest player when considering all-around skills, and he also said that Jordan and Pippen should reconcile and put their differences aside.
“You know, sometimes, everybody wants to be the king, and everybody can't, you know," Wilkins said. "Like I said, whatever issue that he got going, them two got going, I mean, ability to make some sense.
"You talk about 20, 30 years removed, come on, you gotta let go of that stuff, man, because what are you going to accomplish out of it, really? What do you get out of it?”
Another significant aspect of the Jordan-Pippen feud is that it's complicated by the fact that Jordan's son, Marcus, is in a relationship with Larsa, who is Pippen’s ex-wife.
Larsa and Scottie got married in 1997, but their relationship hit a rough patch, leading to their separation in December 2021.
Dominique Wilkins discusses Bulls' formula to winning
A crucial factor in the Chicago Bulls' dynasty was the willingness of the Bulls' role players to embrace and fulfill their designated roles, Dominique Wilkins said.
“Would Jordan win six rings without Scottie?" Wilkins said. "Probably not, but at the same time, you don't even get in that position without MJ, period. I mean, anybody who knows the game, looking like, and anybody who played against Mike, you know how fierce of a competitor he was.
“Now, they had great pieces to that Chicago team. They had a great Scottie Pippen, yeah. Horace Grant. You had (Toni) Kukoc. You had (Steve) Kerr and (John) Paxson. Yeah, you had a great nucleus on that team. So, all these people and everybody, right, man, everybody accepted their role, that was the difference.
"But Scotty is dealing with something else, man, I don't know what it is. I wish I could tell you."