Scottie Pippen felt 'belittled' by Michael Jordan's 'The Last Dance' doc, questions mention of final shot
Pippen spoke about the infamous 'final shot' in the 1994 NBA playoffs against the Knicks, during which he did not return for the final 1.8 seconds of the game
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen says he felt "belittled" in Michael Jordan’s "Last Dance" documentary and says his new book is an attempt to give fans his "side of the story."
Pippen, 56, joined the "TODAY Show" on Monday to discuss his book "Unguarded," in which he writes about his take on MJ’s documentary and why he felt the contributions of him and other Bulls members of that era were dismissed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don’t think I come across as bitter," Pippen explained. "I think I come across as telling my side of the story. Everyone is always talking about my career and how it went, and I wanted people to hear it from my side, and I wanted people to know about my relationship with the organization, with my teammates as well."
From left, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc were big parts of Bulls teams that won three straight NBA titles from 1996 to 1998. Jordan and Pippen were members of the first "three-peat" team, which won titles from 1991 to 1993. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Pippen said Jordan reached out to him after learning that he wasn’t pleased with his portrayal of the Bulls team.
"I think someone had let him know that I wasn’t very happy with some of the stuff that was put in the doc, and I think he wanted to reach out and sort of hear it first hand from me," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pippen spoke specifically about the documentary's focus on the infamous "final shot" in the 1994 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks, during which Pippen did not return for the final 1.8 seconds of the tied game after head coach Phil Jackson designated the last play of the game to Toni Kukoc.
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"I felt like at that time, it was a moment for me to stand up for myself," he said. "As a player, you’re out in the heat of the moment competing, and I felt like at that time — that was my team. I felt like I had stepped up to a leadership role that I should’ve been respected more from Phil, who [is] someone I had sort of grew with, with the Bulls."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Head coach Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls coaches during a game in the 1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers circa May, 1991 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
Pippen said that unlike what many believed, he was told to sit on the bench — not that he refused to rejoin the game.
"I played with Michael my whole career, and I never had a chance to take that shot, and I think I created a lot of those moments for him to take those shots as well. So I felt like that was my time to be the top player on that team, and I don’t think that Phil gave me that respect."
"I think my legacy is already set," he continued. "I think I was belittled a little bit in the documentary. I felt like the 1.8 seconds should’ve never been in the documentary. Michael Jordan wasn’t a part of that team."
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Michael Jordan (L) and Scottie Pippen (R) of the Chicago Bulls talk during the final minutes of their game 22 May in the NBA Eastern Conference finals aainst the Miami Heat at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game 75-68 to lead the series 2-0. (VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images)
Pippen said he hopes that basketball fans can see him for what he is: one of the greatest of all time.
"I want people to remember me as a great player. … I don’t want people to look at me as a player that was below anybody. There’s a lot of great players in this game. You can’t put any one player at the top. Basketball is a team game," he said.