The former Chicago Bulls two-guard said his coach made a “racial move” during a 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks.
Scottie Pippen got time today.
The former Chicago Bulls two-guard and current memoir author delivered a few poignant hot takes in the direction of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and his old coach, Phil Jackson.
With the latter, he doubled down on comments he made in a recent GQ interview while appearing on The Dan Patrick Show. The titular host asked Pippen to elaborate on what “racial move” Jackson made by not giving him the last-second shot in a 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks.
For clarity, Pippen infamously refused to return to the game with 1.8 seconds left after learning he would not get to take the go-ahead shot. Instead, Croatian forward Toni Kukoc ended up hitting the game-winner for the Bulls. “By saying a racial move, then you’re calling Phil a racist,” Patrick inquired to Pippen.
“I don’t got a problem with that,” Pippen replied, to which Patrick eagerly followed up, asking, “Do you think Phil was or is [a racist]?”
Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion and newly inducted celebrity alcohol purveyor, with his own bourbon called Digits, said he believed his 1994 Bulls team should have been his because he was “on pace” to become an MVP that year and was “next in line” to lead the team after Michael Jordan retired to play baseball.
A defensive and statistical behemoth, Pippen was always considered the “Robin” to Jordan’s “Batman,” as the second-best player on the two-time, three-peat championship winning team that dominated the 1990s. “One year without Michael Jordan. Can I get one shot? Like, I’m doing all the dirty work, Pippen said. “Why would Toni, who was a rookie, get the last-second shot and you put me out of bounds? That’s what I mean racial.”
Patrick contended that the play-call doesn’t necessarily mean that Jackson is racist. But in response, Pippen clapped back, saying, “Well, that’s your way of putting it out, and I have my way.”
“I was in the locker room with him. I was in practice with him. You’re looking from afar.”
While neither Jackson nor Jordan have responded directly to Pippen’s commentary, the NBA Hall of Famer is no stranger to delivering smoke, having rebuked Jordan and flamed Barkley in recent weeks. in the name of causing conversations in the sports world.
Black Twitter was here for all of it and shared a few reactions, which you can read and watch for yourself below.
