Scottie Pippen denies rift with Michael Jordan over ‘The Last Dance’ portrayal
Scottie Pippen denied rumors that his portrayal in ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary angered him and caused a rift between himself and Michael Jordan.
Jordan notably called Pippen “selfish” in one episode for delaying offseason surgery on an ankle injury until after the start of the 1997-98 season. There was also a focus on Pippen’s refusal to enter the final seconds of Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals because coach Phil Jackson didn’t draw up a play for him. Given the fact that Jordan had the final say over what made it into the final cut, there were various reports that Pippen was angry and hurt by how he was portrayed.
On Tuesday, Pippen denied the stories, stating that he “wasn’t upset” about the documentary or his role in it.
“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago?” Pippen told Dan Gelson of the Associated Press. “It didn’t bother me at all. It was an opportunity for our younger generation that hadn’t seen or knew anything about basketball in the ’90s.”
It’s worth noting that Jordan also praised Pippen throughout the documentary, but there were some less-than-flattering things said publicly that seemed to indicate a rift. Perhaps Pippen really was hurt but doesn’t want to air that publicly. As it is, he’s downplaying any issues.
