Scottie Pippen is in a strange period. Like someone who had held back too much resentment for years and was unable to control it today. Rather discreet before The Last Dance, Pippen began to show bitterness and regret about certain periods of his career and what amounts to a lack of recognition. And it’s getting very ugly.
The famous night when he refused to resume play because Phil Jackson had prepared a system for Toni Kukoc to take a last second shot rather than him, in particular, is still not digested. So much so that Scottie Pippen went far in criticism. Very far.
The former Chicago Bulls star recently hinted that the choice of Zen Master was racist. Passing through Dan Patrick’s podcast, the Hall of Famer didn’t change their mind and offered a somewhat confusing explanation.
Kevin Durant responds to Scottie Pippen, it shoots dry
“We played a year without Michael Jordan. I wasn’t even entitled to a shot? I had done all the dirty work. Why did Toni, who was a rookie, get that shot at the last minute when it was was Scottie Pippen’s team? That’s what I mean when I say racially driven decision.
I was on an MVP pace that season. Why don’t we put this player that I was in a position to succeed? Michael Jordan was not there. Who should have been next? “
[Dan Patrick intervient : “Si tu décris le choix de Phil comme raciste, alors tu sous-entends que Phil lui-même est raciste”.]
“I have no problem with that. Do I believe he was or is racist? Oh yes. You remember when he left the Lakers and wrote his book where he said bad things about Kobe Bryant and put him down, then came back to coach him? Who would do something like that?
You take that for disloyalty. I interpret it in my own way. I have been in the locker room and in training with him. You can see that from afar “.
Scottie Pippen also sent a scud to Michael Jordan, in line with what he had already mentioned at the time of the release of the documentary The Last Dance. For him, “TLD” does not tell the story of the Bulls, but serves only to glorify MJ.
“Those footage with Steve Kerr, when he told him to be ready, it wasn’t natural. Who owned the cameras Michael was talking to? Michael Jordan. They were working for him, to prepare his documentary, not one. Chicago Bulls documentary.
Scottie Pippen is freewheeling and we still hope things will calm down. It’s always sad to see legendary teams and players tear each other apart like this.
DP: “.. By saying it was a racial move then you’re calling Phil Jackson a racist…”
Pippen: “I don’t have a problem with that.”
DP: “Do you think Phil was?”
Pippen: “Oh yeah…”
Exchange with @ScottiePippen on Phil’s decision to have Kukoc take final shot against the Knicks pic.twitter.com/pH2aDLMDcQ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 28, 2021
Scottie Pippen mourns the death of his oldest son
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