"He's embarrassing himself" - Stephen A. Smith slams Scottie Pippen for joining 'No Bull Tour' to impair Michael Jordan's legacy
It's safe to say that "The Last Dance" documentary rubbed Scottie Pippen the wrong way, while including some of Michael Jordan's other teammates as well. Interestingly, Pippen joined forces with Horace Grant and Luc Longley to partner with Australia's National Basketball League to give their side of the story. However, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith got on "First Take" to voice out his disappointment with Pippen.
The "No Bull Tour" will begin in Tasmania on Feb. 23 before moving to Melbourne and Sydney. Compared to how the Netflix documentary detailed Michael Jordan's rise in the NBA, including his road to winning six championships, his former Chicago Bulls teammates will be telling a different story.
"Scottie Pippen is going to embarass himself," Smith said. "Everybody knows he's not Michael Jordan, he never was. And the fact of the matter is, no matter what he is offended by, the facts were the facts. ... But he's doing this because he's given resistance to what was portrayed in the documentary series. It's a huge mistake."
Stephen A. Smith wasn't having it with Scottie Pippen and the ones involved in the "No Bull Tour." In the episodes of the documentary, Michael Jordan acknowledged that six NBA titles would not have been a reality if it weren't for Pippen.
However, he questioned his willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team on a few occasions, especially during the time when Jordan wasn't with them during the 1993-94 season.
One moment showcased in the documentary, which Stephen A. Smith also highlighted on "First Take," was when Scottie Pippen sat down during the Bulls' timeout for the last shot in Game 3 against the New York Knicks in the 1993 playoffs.
The game was tied at 102 apiece with 1.8 seconds left. Instead of drawing up a play for Pippen to win the game, former Bulls coach Phil Jackson wanted him to inbound the ball and pass it to Toni Kukoc for the game-winning shot. Out of frustration, Scottie Pippen decided to sit himself out of the play, which resulted in an incredible game-winner from Kukoc.
Scottie Pippen wasn't fond of Michael Jordan's playing style before becoming teammates for Chicago Bulls
Speaking with former Chicago Bulls teammate Stacey King on the "Gimme The Hot Sauce" podcast, Pippen said Michael Jordan was a "horrible player" before forming a duo with him.
"I've seen Michael Jordan play before I came to play with the Bulls," Pippen said. "You guys have seen him play. He was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1, shooting bad shots. And all of a sudden, we become a team and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was."
During the pinnacle of their dominance with the Bulls, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were considered to be a matchup nightmare for rivals. However, as the years went by following their retirement from basketball, their relationship degraded into an off-court beef.
Playing with one of the most competitive and demanding players in the NBA is not for everyone. Despite these traits from Michael Jordan, Pippen found a way to co-exist with him, which eventually led to an incredible basketball dynasty of the Chicago Bulls.
Be that as it may, it seems that the time spent together had some frustrations and tensions that came along with the success.