Scottie Pippen has a lot to say these days and is simply airing out his Chicago Bulls years for all to hear.
In an interview with GQ, published last week, Pippen characterized former Bulls coach Phil Jackson’s decision to give rookie Toni Kukoc the final shot of a playoff game against the New York Knicks in 1994 as “racial.” The six-time NBA champion famously refused to go back in the game.
Pippen was asked to elaborate during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Monday. He spoke at length about all he had done for the Bulls while taking a back seat to Michael Jordan. Patrick eventually pressed him and asked if he believes Jackson is a racist, and Pippen said “uh, yeah.”
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“Do you remember Phil Jackson left the Lakers and went and wrote a book on Kobe Bryant and then came back and coached him?” Pippen asked. “Who would do that? You name someone in professional sports that would do that. I think he tried to expose Kobe in a way that he shouldn’t have.”
Patrick said the things Pippen described would make Jackson “disloyal” rather than a racist. Pippen totally disagreed with that comparison.
“That’s your way of putting it out, and I have my way,” Pippen said. “I was in the locker room with him and I was in practices with him. You’re looking from afar.”
Pippen also went on to talk about that infamous Steve Kerr championship winning shot, and the moment when Michael Jordan tells Kerr to be ready in case he gets double teamed by John Stockton.
According to Pippen, that moment was a staged saying Jordan did it for his own documentary and because those were his cameras and they was always filming.
“You know who Michael was speaking to when he said that, right? That was planned, that was speaking to the camera,” Pippen said. “That wasn’t speaking out of what we’re going to have to do, what the play is going to be. That was speaking to the camera.”
Pippen seems to be harboring a ton of ill will towards Jackson. The same head coach where three hall of famers including Jordan, Bryant, and Shaquille O’ Neal all praise and love. Pippen clearly also has a ton of resentment towards Jordan that not even winning six championships together could resolve.