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Heading into the premiere of The Last Dance, there were reports that the documentary’s subject, Michael Jordan, was worried about the way the public would perceive him and his actions. And while that concern may have been legitimate, it turns out that it wasn’t MJ who should be harboring such a worry, but his partner-in-crime Scottie Pippen.
Yes, while Pippen was woefully underpaid throughout his tenure with the Chicago Bulls, one of my main takeaways from The Last Dance was that his ego was disproportionately through the roof. By all accounts, Scottie Pippen is a good guy and a solid teammate, but there seemed to be moments where he thought that he was Michael Jordan.
That perception seems to be generally widespread, as a report from ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan indicates that the Hall of Fame forward is “wounded and disappointed” by the way he as portrayed in the 10-part docuseries.
Pippen has been notably silent since the documentary began its run last month, and those close to him say he’s wounded and disappointed by his portrayal. One of his most famous ex-teammates — a former fierce rival — has even felt compelled to come to his defense. [via ESPN]
As MacMullan’s article points out, Pippen deserves a world of credit as he “chose a long-term but underpaying contract to assist his large family, including a disabled brother and a father felled by a debilitating stroke”, so it’s tough to criticize him in that regard. Still, it should speak volumes that Pippen is still clearly sensitive about the way his side of the story was told.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com