ESPN's Stephen A. Smith ripped six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen for his recent comments about his old teammate and all-time great basketball player Michael Jordan.
Pippen created some controversy during his appearance on a podcast last week when he suggested that Jordan was a "horrible player" in his first few years in the NBA.
"He was horrible to play with, he was all one-on-one, he's shooting bad shots," Pippen said on former Bulls teammate Stacey King’s "Gimme the Hot Sauce" podcast.
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Jordan has yet to respond to Pippen's claims.
But, Smith passionately defended Jordan and hinted that Pippen's recent comments could have something to do with his ex-wife. Larsa Pippen has been romantically linked to Jordan's son, Marcus, since late 2022.
"But is it personal, Scottie? Is it just about basketball? Is it about the son dating the ex-wife? Not passing judgment, just saying you're wearing your bitterness on your sleeve for a reason. It ain't cool, it ain't right, it is beyond wrong. Whether you like it or not it is total betrayal. You don't need to sink to these lows, bro. You really should be ashamed of yourself."
In the lengthy monologue, Smith mentioned that he does respect Pippen, but he also pointed out that he believed that the seven-time All-Star should be "ashamed" by his recent remarks.
"I saw what Scottie Pippen had to say, and I was pretty stunned," Smith said. "I really, really was. We all know Scottie Pippen was a great player, one of the greatest to play the game of basketball, there is nothing to take away from his greatness as a player. But he was second fiddle for a reason, because anybody with eyes - it doesn't even require 20-20 vision - knew there was Michael Jordan, and then there was everybody else."
Smith then mentioned the impact that Jordan left on the NBA.
"The great Larry Bird called Michael Jordan 'God in gym shorts’. That is who Pippen is talking about, that guy. We are talking about a dude who took the NBA into a different stratosphere. People could ask if Jordan was horrible, what does that make you? But Scottie Pippen doesn't deserve that. But he deserves to hear the truth and several truths come to mind."
The "First Take" host also accused Pippen of being envious of Jordan.
"Scottie Pippen, you are not one, but you sound like a damn fool. An ignorant dude who don't know the game. We know better than that. We know how brilliant you are, how knowledgeable you are so it only brigs two other things to mind about you bro - envy and bitterness. Those are the two things. No 1, you aren't Michael Jordan, you knew that when you left the game, when you wore Jordan sneakers on the court. You didn't hate him when you needed him.
"Your feelings were hurt about the Last Dance? Because Jordan had editorial control, according to you? You want to hold that against him? Don't hold it against Jordan, hold it against broadcast journalism and television."
The Chicago Bulls won six NBA titles between 1990 and 1998, in what was arguably the greatest run in North American sports history. The unprecedented run was spearheaded by Jordan, but Pippen played a vital role as the No. 2 player on the team.
