Scottie Pippen Told Michael Jordan He Was ‘Disappointed’ With How ‘The Last Dance’ Documentary Turned Out: ‘I Don’t Know What You Are Selling’

NBA icon Scottie Pippen told Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan he was “disappointed” with how “The Last Dance” documentary turned out. 

“The Last Dance” came out in 2020 and Pippen wasn’t a fan of how he was portrayed. 

“Michael and I caught up two days after he sent the text,” Pippen wrote in his book. “I didn’t hold back: ‘I was disappointed in the documentary. It didn’t shine a good light on me. You were promoting The Last Dance but switched it to the Michael Jordan documentary. I don’t know what you are selling. Was I great or was I a villain?’

“I asked why he had allowed the 1.8-seconds game to make the final cut. He didn’t say much other than to apologize and acknowledge that if it were him, he, too, would be upset. I didn’t press any further. I knew it would do no good. After we hung up, Michael and I were in the same place we were before we spoke, cordial toward each other, even warm, but I also felt the distance between us that has always been there.”

Jordan and Pippen won six NBA championships and three-peated twice while going undefeated in the NBA Finals during the 90’s. They are universally recognized as the greatest duo in NBA history. 

The Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz (twice) for their six NBA titles. Jordan won all six Finals MVPs. 

Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks next to Pippen, while Pippen averaged 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks alongside Jordan. Both players are in the Hall of Fame. 

In two stints with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks. He won five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, 10 scoring titles and three steals titles. 

Pippen also had two stints with the Bulls. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks. Pippen made seven All-Star teams, 10 All-Defensive teams and seven All-NBA teams as a member of the Bulls. 

One of the top two-way players in NBA history, Pippen took several shots at Jordan in his book over “The Last Dance” doc. 

“On and on it went, the spotlight shining on number 23,” Pippen wrote. “Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. I was nothing more than a prop. His ‘best teammates of all time,’ he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried.

“On second thought, I could believe my eyes. I spent a lot of time around the man. I knew what made him tick. How naive I was to expect anything else. Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his ‘supporting cast.’ From one season to the next, we received little or no credit whenever we won but the bulk of the criticism when we lost. Michael could shoot 6 for 24 from the field, commit 5 turnovers, and he was still, in the minds of the adoring press and public, the Errorless Jordan.”