“He thought he earned that respect”- Michael Jordan reveals what he thought of Scottie Pippen’s decision of refusing to go back in the game
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Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen made a lot of controversy during the 1993-1994 season. With Michael Jordan retiring at that time the forward was the only player left in Chicago Bulls who can take place and fill the gap of Jordan at that time.
The forward for Chicago Bulls made controversies for having a loaded gun in plain view of his car, for which he got arrested and even refused to participate in game 3 of the semi-finals against New York Knicks.
Many of the former players from bulls such as Steve Kerr have told that they had enjoyed playing with Pippen on the court and was great teammate but in the 1993-94 playoffs Pippen would quit on them and sit out of the court.
Michael Jordan puts his views on Pippen refusing to play in 1994 playoffs
In an interview from 1994, the basketball legend talked about his former teammate and what would have been his reaction if he was on the team that day. He even clarified in the interview about their relations that both of them have an understanding of each other.
“You wouldn’t miss that. I think umm…. I think that was a part of Scotty and his maturity in a sense of where he thought he was he wanted that last-second shot, he thought he earned that respect because at the time I was there he was throwing the ball there so when I left it’s like we should he should switch places he should take that shot,” said Michael Jordan in the interview.
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How things are between the two veterans?
Besides being playing in the same team during the 1990s the two have been rivals at some point as they both were in competition with each other though, and there were multiple reasons for this bitter relationship such as Pippen not getting due credit for his performance which Jordan clearly tells in the interview as well.
The incident has been covered in Pippen’s memoir as well about the two and their relations but over the years things look quite settled between the two veterans. However, Pippen’s experience in memoirs with Michael Jordan could possibly spark another controversy so it would be interesting to see the events that will unfold in the future.
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Mohnish Sabharwal
(342 Articles Published)