This is one way to avoid embarrassment.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen both chose not to attend the Bulls’ first Ring of Honor gala, which included 13 players, coaches and executives.
According to the “Chicago Sun-Times”, Bulls president Jerry Reinsdorf said of Jordan and Pippen, “I actually don’t know how much effort went into this.” Jordan and Pippen are the Bulls. The star player of the six-time championship dynasty in the 1990s.
An average of 9 live NBA regular season games are watched per week on ESPN, available through Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“Obviously it would be better if everyone was here, but we know not everyone can be here. I believe Michael recorded something.”
According to the “Sun-Times” report, Jordan and Pippen told the Bulls in advance that they would not participate in the game, and another star Dennis Rodman was expected to be present, but did not show up.
Pippen has filmed Jordan publicly several times since the release of the 2020 “The Last Dance” documentary, which tells the story of Jordan and other members of the Bulls as they documented the dynasty.
Pippen was unhappy with how he was portrayed in the documentary.
“I watched Michael Jordan play before I came to the Bulls; you guys watched him play,” the Hall of Fame forward said on the “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast in May 2023.
“(Jordan) was a terrible player. It was horrible to play with him. He was all one-on-one and shot the ball terrible. All of a sudden, we became a team and we started winning and everyone forgot of his existence.”
Bucks beat Celtics | 01:05
Pippen was fired from his role as Bulls ambassador in 2020, and efforts to repair the relationship reportedly failed.
The festivities also include a halftime celebration of Friday night’s game against the Warriors, where former sharpshooter and current Golden State head coach Steve Kerr will be in attendance Thursday.
Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Phil Jackson, Artis Gilmore, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Bowen B. Love, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Tex Winter were all enshrined — along with players from the 1995-96 team that won a record-breaking 72 games.
Jackson, Kukoc, Luke Longley and Ron Harper all participated in Thursday night’s event.
Jordan sent a video thanking the organization and expressing his disappointment at not being able to attend.
“I’m sorry I can’t be here tonight, but I don’t want to let that stop you guys from having fun,” Jordan said in a video played Thursday night.
“Believe me, I’m very grateful and very honored. To the fans, you have supported me since I stepped foot in Chicago.
“Even today, I still see a lot of Chicago fans. So, I think we made a big impression and made a difference in Chicago’s championship run.
“Every time you look up to the rafters, I hope you always remember where we were and where we are now. We will always be champions.”
– This article was originally written by the New York Post and is reprinted with permission