Before Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen became teammates in 1995, they didn’t share the best relationship. A lot of it had to do with their on-court rivalry in the late 80s and early 90s. The fact that Rodman played for the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons and Pippen played for the Chicago Bulls might give fans an understanding as to why they are at loggerheads with each other.
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In 1991, the Bulls swept the defending champions in the Eastern Conference Finals, years after failing to get past them in the playoffs. What happened next was one of the reasons why Michael Jordan and Co. shared a sense of resentment against Isiah Thomas and the Pistons for a long time after the incident.
After the tough loss that sealed the series, the Pistons had walked off the court without shaking the Bulls players’ hands. However, there is more to the story.
During the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals between the Bulls and the Pistons, things got heated between Rodman and Pippen. In the fourth quarter of the final game of the series, Rodman shoved Pippen to the ground during a play. The wound was so bad that the Bulls star had to get six stitches.
Later on, Pippen sat down for an interview with Arsenio Hall, where he addressed Rodman’s shove against him and the Pistons walking off the court without shaking hands after the defeat. Pippen said in the interview:
“We (him and Dennis) haven’t done anything… since they left the floor even before the game was over. None of them congratulated us except John Salley. He was professional and manly enough to do that.”
He also remarked that, except Salley, everyone in the Pistons squad thought the Bulls had lucked out. But Pippen gave a savage answer to the doubters and said that the Bulls had swept the Pistons. If it were the Finals, they would have brought the broom into the arena.
However, Rodman and Pippen would eventually reunite.
Coach Phil Jackson made Rodman apologize to Pippen
In 1995, Rodman was traded to the Bulls from the Spurs. However, knowing that there was bad blood between Dennis The Menace and Pip, coach Phil Jackson called both players to Jerry Krause’s house.
He made Rodman apologize to Pippen in order for Dennis to succeed with the Bulls.
After the two superstars made up, the rest was history. The Bulls won three more championships with Rodman, making them arguably the greatest team to ever be assembled.
