Former Bulls player Scottie Pippen was interviewed on “The Last Dance.”
Photo by Dick Raphael/NBA
Why anyone in Tasmania should care about Scottie Pippen’s hurt feelings is beyond me, let alone why anyone in greater Australia knows who Pippen is, let alone Ho Join Les Grant and area relic Luke Longley, both of whom once shared the same shower room as Michael Jordan.
Instead, the trio plan a “No Bull” tour on the other side of the world, promising to tell the stories no one asked to hear, a look at what it was like before Roomba and online dating.
There is nothing sadder than yesterday’s glory longing for today’s reality. I know that’s the way it is in Chicago, every generation has its memorable moments. Dynasties may fade and return elsewhere, but here we will always have the ’85 Bears, and of course MJ.
Jordan’s image is so enduring that his self-defined “supporting cast” might get some use out of it, although I doubt the curiosity of people in Hobart or Sydney is as great as their indifference.
However, let’s acknowledge that Grant and Longley, and especially Pippen, have an obligation to “set the record straight” and that Jordan was selfish, a terrible teammate, and a manipulator of a team’s true history, if Jordan wasn’t on top.
This little talking point in Australia seems to stem from the Netflix miniseries The Last Dance, which follows Jordan’s final year with the Bulls and focuses on Jordan rather than Pippen, Phil Jackson, Tex Wen Even Dennis Rodman, the carnival freak
According to Pippen in his autobiography, the series “celebrated Jordan but did not give enough credit to me and my proud teammates.”
Of course there is, otherwise there wouldn’t be a miniseries. And, let’s be honest, without Jordan, there would be no Pippen, Grant or Longley, all of whom would be lost in the ephemerality of time and not peddling beyond today’s International Date Line.
Because the show coincided with the start of the coronavirus quarantine, it received more attention than usual, a testament to apathy toward the long list of sports movies about the real Babe Ruth or the fake Lance. Armstrong or the stupidity of the old lady trying to meet Tom Brady.
There are many in-season programs, some of which are conducted while the season is still ongoing; While Tiger Woods is still waiting, there may be no sports stories yet to be revealed.
The sports stories retold require there being illness, injury or some kind of inspiration, overcoming adversity or prejudice, tragedy (Jordan had his), the underdog being favored, and there may never have been a greater overmatch than Jordan.
We’ll still laugh at “Brian’s Song,” or cheer for “Rudy,” or recite Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, or even sympathize with Tonya Harding and her severed skate strings, but I think that’s mostly Credit to Margot Robbie.
Despite detailing content from 22 years ago, the pandemic and Jordan’s overwhelming persona remain as vibrant and brilliant as we remember, catapulting the miniseries to international attention.
A lot happened during that time: the rise of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the humiliation of the Athens Olympics, NBA rosters filled with immigrants, Jordan embarrassing himself with ill-advised returns, and Jordan’s failure as an owner Absolute incompetence.
Pippen was constantly sulking and whining, which not only diminished respect for him but also added to the monotony. I’ve told this story before, but I’m telling it again.
After the Barcelona Olympics, my wife Jay and I drove through the Pyrenees to France. We stopped for lunch in a small town called Foix. The only English-speaking waiter was Rene, according to his name tag. He brought us our order and asked where we were. We told him.
Oh oh, he was excited. “Drim Tim,” Rene said.
Que? Dream team?
“Oops,” he said. Don’t tell me, I said. Michael Jordan.
“Oh, yeah, he’s very nice,” he said. “But to me, Scottie Pippen.”
Rene pursed her lips and kissed his fingers, and I wondered if I should eat my bouillabaisse.
That’s the point. Pippen is telling his story on the wrong side of the world.