“Scottie Pippen should be ashamed of himself” - Stephen A Smith condemns Scottie Pippen for criticising Michael Jordan
Stephen A. Smith has come to the defense of Michael Jordan following Scottie Pippen's comments in his latest memoir. Pippen, who was Jordan's ultimate teammate, was angry about how he and his Chicago Bulls teammates were portrayed in the "Last Dance" documentary.
In the latest episode of "First Take" on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith defended Michael Jordan from what Scottie Pippen said in his memoir. Smith mentioned that Pippen should be ashamed for even criticizing His Airness. The ESPN commentator added Jordan was already a superstar even before Pippen arrived in the NBA.
"Scottie Pippen should be ashamed of himself," Smith said.
You can listen to Smith's comments in their entirety in the video below:
"Scottie Pippen should be ashamed of himself. ... Do I need to remind anybody of who the hell Michael Jordan was before Scottie Pippen ever arrived?!"
@stephenasmith did NOT hold back 😳 https://t.co/BCVYXD2zrP
Before going full throttle, Stephen A. Smith acknowledged that Scottie Pippen might not be in a good place mentally. For those who do not know, Pippen's divorce from his wife, Larsa, became official this year. He also lost his eldest son, Antron, back in April.
Scottie Pippen had some harsh words to say about Michael Jordan in his memoir
In an excerpt from his upcoming memoir posted on GQ, Scottie Pippen revealed his frustrations and anger towards Michael Jordan. He was upset that the "Last Dance" documentary focused on Jordan's accomplishments rather than how Pippen and his other teammates helped him win six championships.
Pippen was also upset that Jordan received $10 million from the documentary while he and his teammates did not receive a single penny. The Hall of Famer added that the reason for the release of "Last Dance" is to prevent the younger generation from proclaiming LeBron James as the greatest of all time.
"Michael was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day—and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior," Pippen wrote.
Scottie Pippen on Michael Jordan and THE LAST DANCE
Excerpt from UNGUARDED: gq.mn/piYTj4f https://t.co/W2TG15vh1z
Scottie Pippen was also upset about how the Chicago Bulls front office, especially John Paxson, treated him after retirement. Pippen always wanted to help the Bulls franchise as a coach, scout or any position that would make him useful.
However, Paxson never reached out to him until 2010 when Pippen became a team ambassador for the Bulls. Even as an ambassador, Pippen felt like he was just a mascot. He briefly scouted young players for the team, but Paxson never officially hired him for the position.
Pippen parted ways with the Bulls in 2020 after failing to agree a new deal.