Scottie Pippen does not mince words against his coach in the heyday of the Bulls, Phil Jackson: Tuesday in the “Dan Patrick Show”, a major American radio and television talk show, the former lieutenant of Michael Jordan accused the great technician of ” be racist, supporting comments he made in a recent interview with the magazine GQ.
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He refers in particular to an infamous episode of his career, recalled last year in the famous documentary on the epic of the Bulls The Last Dance. The case dates back to the 1994 playoffs, when Pippen (who is black) became the team leader when Jordan first retired. In a timeout in the dying seconds of a decisive game against the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson announced a game system for a shot from Croatian rookie Toni Kukoc (who is white) rather than Pippen. Outraged, the latter had refused to resume the game, an attitude that had deeply shocked the entire NBA.
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“A racial decision”
Scottie Pippen defines Phil Jackson’s choice to give Toni Kukoc the last shot of a game rather than him.
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In GQ, the former Dream Team player from 1992 felt that this was a “Racial decision to raise him in rank” (Kukoc). “When you talk about a racial decision, you call Phil a racist”Dan Patrick said on the talk show. Response from Pippen: “I don’t have a problem with that. ” “Do you think Phil was or is (a racist)? », Insisted the host. ” Oh yes “, replied the six-time NBA champion.
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“Why would Toni, who was a rookie, have to take the last shot, and I would end up out of the game?” This is what I call “racial” “, added Pippen.
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When the host suggested that a choice of play on a shot doesn’t necessarily define a coach as racist, the former player replied: “Well that’s your way of saying it, I got mine. I was in the locker room with him. I was training with him. You watch it from afar. “
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