Scottie Pippen Didn’t Like Playing For Bulls Coach Doug Collins: ‘My Biggest Complaint Was How Much Doug Was In Love With Michael Jordan’

NBA legend Scottie Pippen didn’t enjoy playing for Chicago Bulls head coach Doug Collins. 

Collins coached the Bulls from 1986-87 to 1988-89. Chicago went 137-109 under Collins in the regular season and 13-17 in the playoffs. 

“My biggest complaint was how much Doug was in love with Michael Jordan,” Pippen wrote in his book. “He was more of a fan than a coach. Whenever a reporter wrote anything remotely negative about Michael, and granted, it wasn’t often, Doug grew defensive, as if someone had insulted his girlfriend.

“I’ll never forget the quarrel the two lovebirds staged after Michael walked out of practice, claiming that Doug had given the wrong score of a scrimmage. MJ insisted it was 4-4, while Doug said it was 4-3 in favor of Michael’s opponent. No one hated to lose more than Michael Jordan. They made up before long, Michael kissing Doug on the cheek in front of the cameras. I thought it was disgusting for two grown men to act like that.”

Jordan loved playing for Collins, but Pippen wasn’t Collins’ biggest fan. 

According to Pippen, Collins gave Jordan preferential treatment.

“With Doug, it always came down to the double standard he set: one set of rules for Michael, one for everyone else,” Pippen wrote. “Doug deferred to him in every situation, on or off the court. It would make me want to vomit. Michael, recognizing the power he possessed, took full advantage. If he had a commercial shoot or a tee time to make, practice would be set around his narrow window. If practice was running too long, Doug would simply excuse him. 

“The worst was what occasionally took place at practice the day after a game. ‘Michael, you got off today,’ Doug would say. ‘Go take a shower. Everyone else, I want you on the floor right away.’ His rationale for giving Michael a break was that he had expended a lot of energy in scoring 30 points or whatever the total might be.”

The Bulls fired Collins and hired Phil Jackson in 1989. Chicago became a dynasty under Jackson, winning six NBA championships and three-peating twice.

“He was way too animated,” Pippen wrote about Collins. “A coach in the NBA shouldn’t be running up and down the sidelines. In the locker room after the game, his shirt and jacket were drenched with sweat as if he, too, had been playing. None of the assistant coaches, and that included Phil Jackson, who was in his first season with the Bulls, challenged Doug. Which was unfortunate.”

The Bulls went undefeated in the NBA Finals, with Jordan winning all six Finals MVPs. Chicago beat the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz (twice) for its six titles. 

Pippen 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 Chicago. 

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