Is Scottie Pippen ready to let bygones be bygones?
The Chicago Bulls legend is currently on a speaking tour overseas with former teammates Horace Grant and Luke Longley. Pippen joined Australia’s Today Show to promote the event and answer some questions about the good old days. Similarly, the host couldn’t help but ask about the “The Last Dance” documentary, which Pippen greatly appreciated:
“I think it’s special,” Scottie Pippen said. “I think this is a special moment for us to really relive some of the greatest times in basketball history. More importantly it’s a chance to see what team basketball is like.”
Pippen, of course, is best known in recent years for leading the charge against the docuseries’ portrayal of the NBA’s greatest dynasty. He repeatedly targeted Michael Jordan, exposing his ego and belittling his achievements on the court. However, when asked this time if Jordan was the best player of all time, Pippen responded without hesitation:
“Definitely. You look at the MVPs he’s won. But I think it all comes from our success as a team. Obviously, somebody’s going to take those honors home. But, yeah, he’s definitely the best player in basketball. Great player,” Pippen said.
While it may not be the perfect response, it’s certainly the best thing we’ve heard Pippen say publicly about Jordan in years. And then, if we tie that to his shocking tameness in “The Last Dance,” it’s hard not to wonder if Pippen’s little tide is finally starting to turn. Time tends to heal all wounds, right?
Pippen’s reaction to ’90s nostalgia certainly puts a damper on discussions about that era. No one is asking everyone to be best friends, but something as great as the Chicago Bulls should be celebrated by fans and players alike. Jordan and Pippen are known as the most dynamic duo in NBA history. One hopes this is something the pair can cherish as they move further and further away from their glory days.
When they asked Pippen about the end of his iconic tenure with the franchise, Pippen continued to change his tune. Given another opportunity to rail against franchising and management services, he took the high road:
“It is, to a certain extent,” Pippen said when asked if it was difficult for the front office to see the new direction. “But I think by then they were ready to move on from their core players. I think as a professional, We see this happen year after year…it’s a little hard for us to be away from that championship core, but we have to pick ourselves up and keep going.”
It’s worth mentioning that this recent interview with Scottie Pippen represented a recent Australian speaking tour.The three players promoted the event as an unfiltered conversation about what real Taking place in the 1990s, Grant even called The Last Dance a “bullshit documentary.” But we can probably claim that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
CHGO’s Mark K attended the event and stated that the three stars (Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Luke Longley) did not disparage Michael Jordan or the docuseries. Instead, they just reflected on the good times everyone had.You can read what Mark K had to say here.
Unfortunately, despite these encouraging comments from Pippen, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him sitting courtside with Jordan at the United Center anytime soon. Let’s not forget that Pippen didn’t show up for the Ring of Honor ceremony or even send a video message. But hey, maybe this shows that he can at least move forward in good faith. I’ll accept it.
You can watch the full interview with Scottie Pippen on the Today Show here…