Why Charles Oakley Thinks Michael Jordan And Scott Pippen's Relationship Is Beyond Repair
It's becoming more apparent that there's no love lost between Michael Jordan and former Chicago Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen. In 2020, when the documentary "The Last Dance" hit the airwaves, Pippen publicly expressed his disappointment over how he was portrayed. While Jordan sang his praises on the series, people close to Pippen revealed that he felt "wounded and disappointed" by how the documentary seemed to undermine his efforts on the court.
"I thought Scottie was being selfish," Jordan said on Episode 2 of the documentary, referring to how Pippen delayed his foot surgery and missed the first part of the NBA 1997-98 season. But, at the time, Pippen was growing frustrated over how he was underpaid and that rumors about him getting traded kept going around. In his memoir "Unguarded," Pippen wrote about how he thought the documentary "glorified" Jordan, and put him "on a pedestal," while "not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates."
Pippen even added that many of their teammates echoed the same sentiment. "I spoke to a number of my former teammates who each felt as disrespected as I did," the book read, according to an excerpt obtained by GQ. "How dare Michael treat us that way after everything we did for him and his precious brand. Michael Jordan would never have been Michael Jordan without me, Horace Grant, Toni Kukoc, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Bill Cartwright, Ron Harper, B. J. Armstrong, Luc Longley, Will Perdue, and Bill Wennington."
Charles Oakley thinks Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen may 'never speak again'
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were partners in crime on the court back in their heyday, but now, Charles Oakley, who also played for the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s, believes they will never go back to the way they were, especially after the damage the documentary caused.
"I think he feels like they didn't present him more in 'The Last Dance,'" Oakley said on the Bill Simmons podcast, according to People. He said that their other teammates got more air time than Pippen, which was unfair for the athlete, who contributed so much to the team's success. "I think they did Dennis Rodman more than Scottie and Steve Kerr. But my thing to that is, Kerr did way more off the court than Scottie. Dennis probably has, too. But on that court, Scottie did a lot more than both of them, but Scottie felt like he was left out of there ... And he felt like Jordan wouldn't have six rings if it wasn't for him."
In his book, Pippen revealed how Jordan reached out to him and asked if they could talk. "What's up dude? I'm getting word that you're upset with me. Love to talk about it if you have time," the NBA legend sent via text message. Given how things are, it's clear that nothing was resolved. Oakley said that Pippen and Jordan's relationship is now irreparably damaged. "No, I think it's over," he said. "Yeah, I think it's over. It wasn't great from the get-go."
Scottie Pippen is still haunted by his infamous '1.8 seconds game'
One of the most infamous moments in Chicago Bulls history came on the night of May 13, 1994, when Scottie Pippen sat out the final 1.8 seconds of a crucial game against the New York Knicks. It was Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Bulls and Knicks were tied at 102. Pippen, the star player for the Bulls at the time, refused to play following an objection to coach Phil Jackson's ruling.
As Jackson wanted Toni Kukoč to take the final shot with Pippen inbounding, the latter would sit out in a move that would ultimately blemish his entire career. The situation was eventually documented in "The Last Dance," of which Pippen was not a fan. "I asked why [Michael Jordan] had allowed the 1.8 seconds game to make the final cut," Pippen wrote in his memoir, "Unguarded" (via SportsCasting). "He didn't say much other than to apologize and acknowledge that if it were him, he, too, would be upset. I didn't press any further. I knew it would do no good."
In an interview with Today, Pippen said he felt "belittled" by the documentary's portrayal of the incident. "I felt like the 1.8 seconds should've never been in the documentary," he told the outlet. "Michael Jordan wasn't a part of that team. He didn't talk about how he left the team right before training camp," he further added. Ultimately, Kukoč won the game.