"That's why he was a little salty about The Last Dance" - Gary Payton gives possible reasons behind Scottie Pippen's tiff with Michael Jordan
Former NBA and Chicago Bulls superstar spoke recently in support of Scottie Pippen in light of controversy surrounding The Last Dance documentary. Pippen was praised by the former Seattle Supersonics guard Gary Payton.
Much has been made of the feud between Pippen and former teammate Michael Jordan. Pippen was reportedly furious about his portrayal in the documentary, complaining that he was shown in a poor light.
Speaking to VladTV, the former defensive juggernaut of the Sonics spoke about the impact Pippen had on the Bulls organization. He also talked about how Pippen changed things around for the franchise along with Michael Jordan. Payton said:
"Scottie Pippen changed a lot of things for the Chicago Bulls. If he wasn't there. I think they wouldn’t won a lot of games because he did guard the best player, he made the big crucial plays, he got the crucial rebounds he got the crucial blocks and things like that. that's why he was a little salty about the last dance."
Payton also talked about how Scottie Pippen gets the recognition he deserves from folks who truly know the game of basketball. Payton continued:
"He's got his credit, he knows what he was, and I know what he was and basketball players know what he was and people who know basketball understand how that Bulls team wouldn't have been the Bulls team without him on it. "
Scottie Pippen's tiff with Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are considered by many as the greatest duo in the history of the game. They have won six championships together, and neither has won without the other on their team.
They formed an incredible duo that dominated the game on both ends of the floor for a very long time. They posted an unblemished 6-0 record in the NBA Finals without a single finals series going the distance.
However, after the Last Dance came out in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the relationship between the two seems to have broken and has become virtually non-existent.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 1991: Michael Jordan scored 30 and @ScottiePippen added 32 as the @chicagobulls beat the Lakers in Game 5 to win their first NBA championship. https://t.co/W4ppO2Ssvo
The relationship between the duo supposedly turned sour when The Last Dance portrayed Scottie Pippen in a bad light.
Pippen complained about not being covered enough in the docuseries as he felt he was featured in a less prominent fashion than the likes of Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman.
Pippen felt he wasn't respected enough, despite everything being stated in the docuseries being nothing but facts.
Pippen, soon after, released a book which conveyed his perspective on things that took place in the 90s with the Bulls. He essentially called head coach Phil Jackson a racist and has lambasted Michael Jordan. Pippen said this about Jackson:
"I felt like it was an opportunity to give (Kukoč) a rise. It was a racial move to give him a rise. After all I’ve been through with this organization, now you're gonna tell me to take the ball out and throw it to Toni Kukoč? You’re insulting me."
At least one of Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen was a All-NBA 1st Team member every season from 1986-87 to "The Last Dance" in 97-98.
Those 12 seasons is the 2nd-longest streak of a team having a All-NBA 1st Team member. The Lakers (16 from 58-59 to 73-74) had a longer streak. https://t.co/1vd7MGiTyc
Former Bulls and Knicks talisman Charles Oakley, who is a very close friend of Michael Jordan, said the comments made by Pippen in his book and subsequent interviews soured his relationship with Jordan.
The duo have been in contact since their respective retirements. Jordan presented Pippen at the latter's Hall of Fame induction in 2010 and Pippen was part of the ceremony during Jordan's induction the year prior.