February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA superstar Michael Jordan was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won’t take the opportunity to reconcile with each other.
The New York Post’s Justin Terranova reported Friday that both Jordan and Pippen have decided not to participate in the Chicago Bulls’ Ring of Honor festivities this week. For the first time in Bulls history, the Bulls have established a Ring of Honor and will pay tribute to many franchise greats, including Jordan and Pippen, in the inaugural 2024 Honors.
Terra Nova reported that both Jordan and Pippen informed the Bulls in advance that they would not participate. Dennis Rodman, the third member of the Bulls’ Big Three of the mid-1990s, was expected to attend but ended up not showing up.
Ring of Honor festivities include a gala on Thursday and a halftime ceremony on Friday at the Bulls’ game against the Golden State Warriors. Terranova added that those in attendance Thursday included Phil Jackson, Toni Kukoc, Luke Longley and Ron Harper.
Jordan posted a video message wishing the other honorees well and expressing disappointment that he couldn’t attend.
Michael Jordan sent this message ahead of our Ring of Honor celebration: pic.twitter.com/0HjOFFpXUj
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 12, 2024
Jordan and Pippen, two of the most iconic players in Bulls history, have been embroiled in an ugly feud over the past few years. Pippen was reportedly angry about how he was portrayed in the Jordan-led ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.” He has since made several minor attacks on Jordan in the media.
There are other dramatic layers here that explain why neither Jordan nor Pippen was in attendance. Pippen was once an ambassador for the Bulls but was fired by the team in 2020. His ex-wife Larsa is also now dating Jordan’s son Marcus. While the two former partners may still be able to bury the hatchet at some point, one member of the old Bulls team isn’t convinced they will.