Things didn’t go as planned for the Chicago Bulls as their inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony was held without two of the best players in basketball history. For unknown reasons, legends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen decided to skip the awards show, adding even more fun and drama to their famous feud.
The two have informed the team in advance but have not publicly stated the reason for their absence. Nonetheless, Jordan recorded a video about it and played it during the ceremony.
“I’m so sorry I can’t be here tonight,” Jordan said in a video posted on social media.
“Believe me, I’m very grateful and very honored.”
Jordan and Pippen had a long history of feuding, dating back to their playing days. Their rivalry took another turn recently when Jordan’s son Marcus dated Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa. The two were married for nearly two decades and divorced in December 2021. About a year later, reports surfaced that Larsa was dating Marcus.
Pippen was also unhappy with the “The Last Dance” documentary, complaining that it only glorified Jordan and didn’t give enough credit to his teammates. Pippen stated in his memoir that Jordan had final editorial control and it was his decision. During the 1997-98 season, when Pippen missed time due to tendon surgery, Jordan accused him of being selfish. Later, Pippen fired back, criticizing Jordan for his unexpected first retirement in 1993 at the age of 30.
In the past, Pippen even called Jordan a “terrible player,” adding “He was always one-on-one and shot the ball terrible.”
Jordan and Pippen were the stars of the Chicago Bulls’ historic 1995-96 NBA season. They are widely considered the greatest team in NBA history, setting the NBA record for most regular season wins and winning the championship with a record of 72 wins and 10 losses.
The regular season record was broken by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who achieved a record of 73 wins and 9 losses, but lost in the 2016 NBA Finals. The connection between the two teams is that Bulls point guard Steve Kerr was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors during the 1995-96 season.
They were the first NBA team to win 70 regular-season games, ranked No. 1 in the division, conference and entire NBA, and also posted a league-best 39-2 home record. They are the only team in NBA history to win more than 70 games and win the NBA championship in the same season.
Jordan and Pippen were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, and head coach Phil Jackson coached the Eastern Conference. Jordan also won his second All-Star Game MVP award. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the Year, averaging 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. At the same time, Pippen averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Jordan and Pippen were both selected to the NBA All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive Team. The Bulls defeated the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, then defeated the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and then defeated the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. In the 1996 NBA Finals, the Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics to win their fourth NBA championship in six seasons.