Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan have been making headlines since romance rumors first surfaced last September.
Now that the couple is rumored to be looking for a wedding venue, you might think it’s all smooth sailing for their relationship. Although the relationship between the two is in full swing, the two have also received criticism from all sides.
On the surface, their 16-year age gap seemed to be the problem, but basketball fans stressed there was a deeper family feud brewing behind the scenes.
More details about the couple’s relationship came to light after Marcus Jordan’s father – NBA legend Michael Jordan – expressed his dissatisfaction with the relationship.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen feud
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Scottie Pippen (right) poses with Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls in 1996.
Now, to understand the connection between these four, it’s important to note the relationship between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have known each other since the early days of their NBA careers in the 1980s and were initially friends.
The basketball duo were icons on the court, winning a combined six league titles while playing for the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s.
Scottie Pippen retired two years after Michael Jordan in 2003, but even then the two remained friends.
When they were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, both stood proudly for each other, praising and saying good things to each other every chance they got.
But that all changed with the release of the 2020 ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.”
After watching the 10-episode series, co-produced by Jordan Productions, Pippen was furious.
Although the show was supposed to reflect the Bulls’ 1997-98 season, Pippen criticized the show for focusing too much on Jordan’s personal story.
In his 2021 memoir Unguarded, Pippen didn’t hesitate to throw a punch at his former teammate.
“They celebrated Michael Jordan but did not give enough credit to me and my proud teammates,” he wrote, claiming Jordan “should bear a large portion of the blame” because he had editorial control of the project .
“I was nothing more than a prop. He called me ‘the best teammate ever’. He couldn’t be more condescending if he tried,” he added.
“Michael could shoot 6-for-24 from the field and commit five turnovers and still be the perfect Jordan in the eyes of the adoring media and public… Now I’m in my 50s and my last one 17 years ago game, to see us being degraded again. It’s insulting enough to go through this for the first time.”
John Swart/Associated Press
Michael Jordan celebrates the Bulls’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals on June 14, 1992 in Chicago.
Marcus Jordan and Larsa Pippen start dating
Three years after the feud between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen became public knowledge, Michael Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen have announced their relationship.
Scottie Pippen has been married to Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa Pippen (née Younan) since 1997 and has been married for 24 years.
Their relationship was the center of bizarre rumors, with Larsa Pippen thought to have cared for Marcus when he was younger, a claim he later denied, after criticism of their 16-year age gap.
“I feel like a lot of people think we’ve known each other our whole lives,” Larsa said on a July episode of the pair’s podcast, Separation Anxiety . “Like I celebrated your fifth birthday or something—no.”
Marcus chimed in: “I think it’s one of those things where I have to restrain myself from commenting on social media because that’s the most common thing people say is, ‘Oh, you used to look after me,’ or we We’ve known each other since I was young. Really young or something.”
He added: “…it’s funny how people who don’t know or are misinformed obviously make assumptions…I’m grateful for this podcast because it’s an opportunity to set the record straight.”
In a recent interview on Pablo Torre Finds Out, Larsa and Marcus explained why their unexpected romance worked.
“It’s embarrassing,” Larsa, 49, said. “It’s weird. I understand. But to us, it’s not weird.”
She added: “It might be weird to the world because our last name is so well known in basketball history.”
While admitting that “aesthetically it’s probably not great,” the TV personality admitted that the pair’s relationship was too good to give up on because of the outside noise.
“There’s a lot of upside, the downside is our last name, that’s just the way it is,” she said. “I don’t care about my ex or Marcus’ dad. We’re both adults.”
The “Real Housewives of Miami” star and the Trophy Room founder met through mutual friends at a party in Los Angeles in 2019 and became friends.
However, things started to heat up towards the end of 2022, and by November, Pippen joined the Jordan family for Thanksgiving.
Michael Jordan expresses disapproval
The 60-year-old former basketball player made no secret of his displeasure with his son dating Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife.
While the NBA legend was having dinner with his wife in Paris, TMZ took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of Marcus and Larsa’s relationship in July.
In a video outside the Matignon restaurant, Michael scoffed at the question before simply replying: “No!”
Although his answer was brief, the basketball icon made his feelings clear.
This story first appeared on Nine Honey and is republished with permission.