On the basketball court, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were once a formidable duo; however, it appears that their friendship has deteriorated.

Their alliance dates back to the 1980s, during which time they were both elected into the National Basketball Association; Pippen initially signed with the Seattle SuperSonics and Jordan transferred to the Chicago Bulls. The duo played alongside Pippen in the 1990s and were crucial to the team’s success, during which time the Bulls collected a grand total of six league championships.


Despite the former colleagues’ retirement from the sport, a strong bond appeared to remain between the athletes. They attended each other’s inductions into the Basketball Hall of Fame together and offered compliments whenever the occasion arose. All of that, however, altered in 2020 with the premiere of the ESPN documentary series The Last Dance.

The 10-part series, which Jordan’s production company co-produced, documented the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls season, the latter half of which marked the completion of their second championship three-peat. Although the program documented their accomplishments, it primarily emphasized Jordan’s personal journey, much to Pippen’s dismay.

While Pippen initially maintained that the two athletes had no animosity towards one another, he later disclosed in his autobiography, Unguarded, that the documentary had “exaggerated” Jordan’s greatness and failed to “do justice to me and my honored teammates.”

“In my opinion, he had the right to exert significant control over an aspect that, in my opinion, ought to have been more historically significant, specifically concerning the Chicago Bulls, that team, and its history.” Particularly the previous three seasons. “I simply did not believe it progressed in that way,” Pippen told PEOPLE at a later time.
Although Pippen disclosed that Jordan attempted to reconcile the situation in private, the former NBA player has maintained his public censure of his teammate’s conduct, both inside and outside of the court.

Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan has been romantically involved with Larsa Pippen, the ex-wife of Pippen, since 2022. While Pippen has not commented on his ex-wife’s new boyfriend, Jordan’s July 2023 TMZ interview in which he expressed disapproval of his son’s relationship made headlines.


Detailed below is an account of the connection between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
At the time of Pippen’s 1987 NBA draft, Jordan had already accumulated several years of professional experience. The friendship between the two individuals was initiated when Pippen made his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. Pippen reflects that it was during that period that the two players formed a strong connection; when they were at their peak, it seemed as though they were impregnable.


“Indeed, we established that we felt that way while playing against the Pistons in the late 1980s; at the time, we were just beginning to develop and mature and have one another’s backs. “We defended each other throughout our childhoods together,” Pippen told The Guardian. “It was unique the respect we exhibited on the court and the level of competition we maintained until the very end.” It was this mutual regard that we held for one another, given that our actions required our presence on the court. It was necessary for us to be dominant.”