Despite His Recent Hate For Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen Once Regretted Parting Ways With Bulls Legend: “Miss Playing With Him”

In recent times, Scottie Pippen has launched attacks on Michael Jordan, questioning his legacy. However, there was a period when Pippen openly expressed regret for parting ways with MJ. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Pippen who had joined the Trailblazers after the 1998 season talked about the difficulties of parting ways with the GOAT.

Scottie has fought for his legacy over the years, insisting that his greatness is on par with that of his legendary teammate. His decision to criticize Jordan has not been received well. Many believe that the Hall of Famer is merely throwing a temper tantrum. But, all this started after The Last Dance documentary came out. Throwing a bad light on what was an amicable departure from Chicago.

Despite their differences now Scottie Pippen greatly missed Michael Jordan after they left the Bulls

Following the 1998 season, Scottie Pippen left the Chicago Bulls. And, after an unsuccessful season in Houston, he chose to join the Portland Trailblazers in 1999. In his final season in Chicago, Scottie played alongside the great Michael Jordan en route to winning their sixth NBA Championship. He hoped to continue this success with his new franchise.

However, Scottie’s first season in Portland didn’t end well. While they did reach the Western Conference Finals, they ended up losing to the Shaq and Kobe-led LA Lakers. A major disappointment for Pippen who had been a part of both of the Bulls’ two three-peats.

With the season ending as it did, Pippen could do nothing but reminisce about his past success. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, the six-time NBA Champion went into detail about his time with the Bulls. Specifically, the regrets he had after leaving, how he missed playing with MJ, and how much success they could have had if they stayed together.

“‘I miss playing with him,’ Pippen says of Jordan. ‘I miss our body language out on the court, things we developed together. I miss that we had one another, that intimidation factor that we’d bring to the game. I miss winning.’ Pippen about Jordan after the `99 crash and burn season with Trailblazers.”

Just goes to show how highly Pippen thought of his former teammate.

That being said, times have changed and Scottie has been less than appreciative of His Airness. He brutally criticized Jordan in his new book.

Scottie Pippen didn’t hold back when criticizing MJ in his new book

In 2021, Scottie Pippen came out with his new book Unguarded. The biography covered a variety of topics both personal and professional. But, most notably was his time with the Bulls and Michael Jordan. Back in the day, the two had a very cordial relationship. However, after the release of The Last Dance documentary, things changed.

Pippen felt his legacy was questioned by the documentary which painted him in a bad light. So, he took his chance to share his truth in his book. And, he went in on Michael Jordan, criticizing the GOAT and taking potshots at him.

Safe to say that MJ and Scottie’s relationship looks to be beyond repair. The two are definitely not seeing eye-to-eye anymore, and as things stand it is unlikely to change.