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“Michael Jordan ruined the game of basketball”: Scottie Pippen accuses his former Bulls teammate of only being interested in scoring, proclaiming LeBron James as the GOAT

Arjun Julka
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Scottie Pippen accuses Bulls teammate Michael Jordan of ruining the game of basketball. Pippen believed MJ set a bad precedent for the young generation at the time, as the latter never believed in teamwork.

Scottie Pippen’s memoir Unguarded is opening up a swarm of controversies. The six-time NBA champion has left no stone unturned, hurling one after the other accusations at former teammate Michael Jordan. However, the worst was yet to come.

In what many believe, Pippen has gone rogue. The seven-time All-Star has defamed his former teammate Jordan, calling him selfish, condescending, and an ungrateful teammate. Pippen has also targeted stalwarts like Charles Barkley and Isiah Thomas in his new release.

Nonetheless, Pippen seems to have crossed the line recently. The former Bulls forward accused MJ of ruining the game of basketball. Pippen believed Jordan was only interested in scoring the basketball and wanted his teammates to do the other things for him.

Also read: “The 3-peat Chicago Bulls defeats the Kevin Durant-Warriors in six”: Scottie Pippen does a position-wise breakdown to explain how Michael Jordan and co. would beat GSW in a 7-game series

Pippen would once again undermine MJ’s GOAT status, calling LeBron James the greatest ever. The Bulls veteran added unlike Jordan, James contributes in all aspects of the game.

According to Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan wanted everything done for him.

Pippen seems to be opening a lot of old wounds that were in the closet for more than two decades. The 56-year old has publicly defamed his former teammate MJ. However, this time he seems to have crossed the line with his recent statements.

The former Bulls forward accused Jordan of ruining the game of basketball. Pippen added, the 10x scoring champion was only interested in playing offense, and that’s why he considers LeBron James as the undisputed GOAT.

“I may go as far to say Mike ruined basketball,” Pippen wrote. “In the 80s on the playgrounds, you’d have everyone moving the ball around — passing to help the team. That stopped in the 90s. Kids wanted to be ‘Like Mike.’ Well, Mike didn’t want to pass — didn’t want to rebound, or defend the best player. He wanted everything done for him. That’s why I always believed LeBron James was the greatest player this game has ever seen — he does everything and embodies what the game is truly about.”

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Pippen seems to have clearly crossed the line with this one. The Bulls veteran does have the right to express himself. However, hurling such accusations is out of line.

Also read: “I went to Houston to help Charles Barkley win a championship”: Scottie Pippen cites the Phoenix MVPs lack of dedication and a diminished Hakeem Olajuwon for the failure of the 1997-98 Rockets super team

Though MJ has on several occasions stated that he wouldn’t have won any championship without Pippen, the latter believed Jordan was being condescending.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

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Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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