May 26, 2023, 7:35 p.m
NBA legend Scottie Pippen has stirred the pot recently, and he was back at it on Friday.
The six-time NBA champion appeared with the Chicago Bulls on former teammate Stacy King’s Gimme The Hot Sauce and shot the man many consider the greatest basketball player of all time – Michael Jordan.
Pippen, who played for Jordan for 10 seasons, did not hide his words when he spoke about the level of Jordan’s play in Chicago before his arrival.
“I saw Michael Jordan play before I went to play for the Bulls,” Pippen told King. “I saw him play. He was a terrible player. It was terrible to play with him.”
The Bulls acquired Pippen before the 1987 season, as Jordan played his first three seasons in the league without Pippen by his side. Jordan was an All-Star in all three seasons and even led the league in points in 1986-87.
Not exactly “freaky” by any accounts.
But Pippen believes his arrival, followed by the success of the Bulls, which included an unprecedented six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998, made people forget who Jordan was before his arrival.
“He was individual, he was hitting badly, and all of a sudden we’re a team and we start winning, and everyone forgets who he is,” said Pippen.
Tell us how you really feel, Scotty.
One of the best dynamic duos in sports history, Pippen and Jordan’s relationship has been on the rocks since ESPN aired The last danceA 10-part series about an amazing bullfight with Jourdain at the helm.
Pippen was unhappy with how he was portrayed in the show, as he felt the show focused too much on Jordan rather than the team.
“They glorified Michael Jordan while not paying enough praise to me and my teammates,” Pippen wrote in his diary. Unguarded. Michael deserved a lot of the blame. The producers gave him editorial control over the final product. »
What upsets Jordan’s fans the most is that Pippen not only killed Jordan on Friday, but also paid tribute to LeBron James – who often confronts Jordan in the biggest debate ever.
“LeBron would be the greatest statistician to ever play basketball,” said Pippen. There is no comparison with that. person. »
He then said he wouldn’t pick a side in the Jordan LeBron debate, and also seemed to think that maybe it shouldn’t be a debate at all.
“Would you make [James] The greatest player who ever played this game? Pippin asked. “I will leave this for discussion, because I don’t think there is a great player, because our game is a team game and one player can’t do that.”
Pippen clearly thinks the argument between LeBron and Jordan is silly, but don’t expect her to stop those in LeBron’s camp from using these quotes for years to come as the endless feud continues.
