Scottie Pippen says Michael Jordan ‘horrible to play with’ before he joined Bulls
FILE – In this May 7, 1995, file photo, Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (45) and forward Scottie Pippen (33) walk back to the bench during a timeout in the closing seconds of an NBA basketball playoff game in Orlando. (AP Photo/Robert Baker, File)
Scottie Pippen’s animosity towards former teammate and NBA legend Michael Jordan is still very much apparent, it seems.
In what was supposed to be a discussion about LeBron James being the best player in the NBA, the former Chicago Bull took a swipe at Jordan during his sit-down podcast guesting in Stacey King’s “Gimme The Hot Sauce.”
“I’ve seen Michael Jordan before I went to play for the Bulls. You guys saw him play. He was horrible to play with,” said Pippen.
“He was all one-on-one, he was shooting bad shots then all of a sudden, we became a team, started winning and everyone forgot who he was.”
‘Greatest statistical guy’
FILE–LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
The basketball legend’s remark came during the age-old question of who is the better player between Jordan and LeBron.
The former Portland cager went as far as to say that the current Los Angeles star will be the “greatest statistical player” to grace the hardwood when all is said and done, not Michael.
In fact, it is not even close, according to him.
“LeBron will be the greatest statistical guy to ever play the game of basketball. There’s no comparison. None. Does that make him the greatest player to ever play the game? I’ll leave that up for debate,” he said.
Pippen, who won six NBA championships with Jordan and the Bulls, already has held anger towards his legendary former teammate in the past.
Most recently, the 1987 first rounder lashed out at the Chicago legend’s documentary “The Last Dance,” back in 2020.
In his memoir titled “Unguarded,” Pippen revealed that he was mad with the way Jordan portrayed himself in the six-part docu-series, not giving credit to him and his fellow Bulls en route to the 1996-1998 three-peat.
“He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried.”
Jordan and Pippen were part of Chicago’s historical three-peats in 1991 to 1993 and 1995 to 1998 under the tutelage of legendary tactician, Phil Jackson.
