Michael Jordan won the third NBA Championship of his career in 1993. Most were expecting MJ to continue dominating the league for years. But Mike shockingly announced his retirement from the league.
Jordan returned to the Bulls in March 1995. Speaking about his return, Jordan revealed in an interview with Cheryl Raye-Stout that he would never have returned to the Bulls if the team traded Scottie Pippen during his absence.
“It seems to be a mutual respect,” Jordan told Raye-Stout. “Two years ago, the triangle (of Scottie, Grant & MJ) wasn’t always a perfect triangle. I think two-thirds of it was pretty intact. The other third wasn’t always intact. On the court, you could never tell that. Off the court, we went our separate ways. Now, we’re on the court, we’re off the court. We go together on the court, we stick together.”
MJ added: “When I was away, he missed me being around as much as I missed being around him, which is one of the reasons I came back: to relieve some of that tension …. Once I came back, he didn’t want to be traded, and I wouldn’t have come back if he was traded. It was a mutual understanding, and I think it will continue to be that.”
Jordan then revealed how Scottie was underpaid at the time. Similar to how he was underpaid during his initial days with the Bulls.
“When my contract comes up at the end of this year, if Pippen’s not around, I’m not around,” Jordan continued. “I think it’s the same with him. If I’m not around, I have a feeling that he wants to be gone too. I wish there was some way legally that I could give him some of the money that he totally deserves as a player. He’s totally underpaid.”
“For years, I was underpaid, but I played it out, and I think he’s going to play it out too. At the end of three years, I hope they reward him with a just and fair contract,” the Bulls legend concluded.
At the time, Pippen had a seven-year $19.4 million contract with the Bulls. During Jordan’s absence for one-and-a-half seasons, Pippen blossomed into a superstar. Evidently, he felt he was underpaid by the organization.
So much so that Pippen wanted to be traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 1995, a month prior to Jordan’s return to the team.
The Bulls were offered Dan Majerle, Wesley Person, and two first-round picks for Scottie Pippen. Pippen would have paired up with Charles Barkley in the Valley. It was one of the five times when Pippen was almost traded. Fortunately, the Bulls rejected the trade, and MJ eventually returned to the team.
The duo went on to win three more NBA Championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Pippen ultimately got a five-year $77.3 million contract via sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets after the Bulls won their sixth NBA title in 1998.
Michael Jordan Praised Scottie Pippen In 1995
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s relationship has gotten sour throughout the years. But there was a time when the two superstars were extremely close.
So much so that in 1995, Jordan claimed Pippen was one of the three best players in the NBA. Pippen was averaging 21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 5.2 APG during the 1994-95 season.
A season prior, he averaged 22.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 5.6 APG in MJ’s absence. All things considered, Pippen truly became a star during Mike’s first retirement.
It’s sad to see that the two legends no longer share a close bond with each other. Pippen has taken several shots at his former teammate over the years.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
