On the court, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan helped form one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
The pair were unstoppable with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, leading the franchise to two separate three-peats, first from 1991-93 and later from 1996-98 following Jordan’s brief (first) retirement. In recent years though, their relationship became strained and eventually non-existent. On a recent episode of Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, Pippen said the two last spoke during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, calling their conversation “good, but final.”
Pippen went on to call Jordan a “great teammate” but said the pair “never were great friends.”
“I just think Michael is a very difficult person to deal with,” Pippen said. “I played with him for years so I know that when it’s time for you to move in you direction, then go in your direction.
“Don’t sit there and try to procrastinate or stretch it that the relationship is not where it was or not what it used to be, and it’s never going to be the same. So why try and make something out of nothing? Or try to make something that was never there?”
“I Was NEVER Jordan’s Friend” – Scottie Pippen OPENS UP About His STRAINED Relationship With MJ@patrickbetdavid @ScottiePippen pic.twitter.com/S9K8DtOZus
— PBD Podcast (@PBDsPodcast) January 18, 2025
Pippen’s admission on his and Jordan’s relationship elicited spirited reactions from viewers.
“Pippen is still complaining about this? Move on man,” one person said.
“Crazy. I always thought they were really close friends,” another added.
“Pippen feels so uncomfortable on that chair speaking about MJ. The weight of MJ is too much for Scottie,” a third person said.
“His ex wife probably has something to do for his hatred towards Michael,” a fourth commenter wrote.
“Here we go again,” added someone else.
In the past, Pippen admitted he was hurt by the way he was portrayed in the 2020 ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.” Others have said he harbors resentment toward Jordan because of his ex-wife Larsa’s relationship with Jordan’s son Marcus.
Whatever the reason for the divide, Pippen has said in the past he recognizes he made mistakes along the way, including not reaching out to Jordan after the murder of his father James in 1993.
“I feel horrible every time I think about it,” Pippen wrote in his 2021 memoir. “Michael’s father, James Jordan, had been murdered. The two were inseparable. When I heard the news, I should have reached out to Michael right away. Having lost my own dad three years before, I might have been able to offer Michael some comfort. To this day, he and I haven’t spoken about his father’s death.”
At this point, it doesn’t appear that the two Hall of Famers will be speaking again any time soon either.
Related: Scottie Pippen Announces Decision On Friendship With Michael Jordan