National Basketball Association

Scottie Pippen's career reexamined after he criticizes fellow Bulls legend Michael Jordan

Published Nov. 4, 2021 4:13 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

"The Last Dance," might have been the name of the documentary, but some folks are still making moves even after the music stopped.

The 10-part miniseries, which aired from mid-April to mid-May 2020 on ESPN, documented Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s, with an emphasis on Jordan's final season with the Bulls.

Scottie Pippen, a six-time champion with the Bulls and Jordan's longtime teammate, dismissed the documentary as little more than serving as a "pedestal" for the "Errorless Jordan."

"He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried," Pippen said in an excerpt of his upcoming memoir "Unguarded," via GQ.

Among other things, Pippen also said Jordan "was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day — and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior."

While the LeBron vs. Jordan debate is one that has, and will, be discussed time and time again, Pippen's comments also opened a dialogue about his achievements.

A Hall of Famer in his own right, Pippen made seven All-NBA teams, 10 All-Defensive teams and seven All-Star teams in his 17-year career. He also won two gold medals at the Olympics, first as a member of the 1992 "Dream Team" and again in 1996. 

But playing alongside a player many consider the GOAT, Pippen has often been referred to as the "Robin" to Jordan's "Batman."

Is he off base? On Thursday's episode of "Undisputed," Skip Bayless made no bones about his opinion of the "overrated" Pippen.

"To me, he is one of the more overrated players in NBA history," Bayless explained. "Because I saw it up close and personal with my own eyes and my own gut feelings. … He was a talented player. He was a very good player. But, he was also, in the end, mostly a product of Michael Jordan … He was one of the top 50 players. There's no way he's one of the top 50 if he were the alpha and the leader … on another team."

Skip Bayless on Scottie Pippen's career: He is one of the more overrated players in NBA history I UNDISPUTED

After Scottie Pippen had some harsh words for Michael Jordan, Skip Bayless explains why he believes Pippen is 'one of the more overrated players in NBA history.'

During his first 11 seasons with the Bulls, Pippen averaged 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game and shot 48.3% from the field. Over the course of the '90s, Pippen was the only player to average 18-plus PPG, 7-plus APG and 5-plus APG.

After the Bulls dynasty broke up after 1997-98, Pippen played six more years in the league. He had one season with the Houston Rockets, four with the Portland Trail Blazers and returned to the Bulls for one final season before calling it a career.

Pippen averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game at a 43.6% shooting clip in those six seasons.

Bayless pointed to that drop in production for Pippen, without Jordan consistently by his side, as a case for Pippen being overrated. 

However, Shannon Sharpe argued Pippen's career is underrated due to it being overshadowed by a generational player in Jordan.

Whichever side of the fence you fall on regarding Pippen's career, one thing isn't up for debate: He wasn't a fan of the documentary a year ago.

"Living through it the first time was insulting enough," Pippen said in the excerpt. 

Now, he's saying — or writing — his piece.

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Basketball Association

Chicago Bulls

Skip Bayless

Shannon Sharpe

Skip and Shannon: Undisputed