When “younger brother” Scottie Pippen was drafted by Pat Riley’s Heat, Michael Jordan once took it personally

Modified at 20:18 GMT on September 25, 2023

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990s and didn’t even need support for it. Jordan was fearless, he was vindictive, and to many, he was so obsessed with winning that they didn’t hesitate to call him crazy. He has a habit of taking almost everything on and off the field to himself just to motivate himself for the next game.

That’s exactly what happened when the Miami Heat got physical with the Bulls in Game 4 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals.

Miami trailed 3-0 in the series, and head coach Pat Riley couldn’t imagine himself getting swept in the series. In the next game, the Heat led by Riley were completely in trouble, and their physical fitness surprised the Bulls. To Pat’s credit, Miami won Game 4 of the series and avoided a sweep.

Game 4 against the Heat left Jordan and the Bulls traumatized not just physically but mentally. While Scottie Pippen told The Washington Post that the Bulls’ manhood was tested, Jordan said it became a personal thing for him. Speaking of the knot on Pippen’s head, Jordan also called on the Bulls to unite as a family in the next game.

“Scotty had a knot in his head, and I had a knot in my head. Dennis was knocked down, and we were knocked down,” Michael Jordan said.

“When your brother is picked up, it’s time for the whole family to be reunited,” he stressed.

Michael Jordan didn’t let this go, and maybe Riley knew he had awakened the ruthless killer. The Bulls went back to Chicago and Jordan, and the Bulls hit them so hard that the entire game, the Miami Heat didn’t even come close. Jordan was ruthless and used his physical precision to lead the Bulls to a 100-87 victory in the series.

Scottie Pippen accuses Michael Jordan of self-glorification in ‘The Last Dance’

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen accomplished a lot together and were two of the most important figures in laying the foundation for arguably the greatest NBA dynasty. However, their recent feud has made so many headlines that it’s hard to imagine they were ever good friends.

After “The Last Dance” was released, Scottie Pippen told The Guardian that the documentary was more about Jordan’s accomplishments than the Bulls’ accomplishments as a team. Pippen also accused Jordan of glorifying and promoting himself in the documentary.

If their complaints about the documentary weren’t enough, the romantic connection between Scottie’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen and Michael Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan made things even more serious. They have been dating since 2022 and recently announced that they are getting married.