Former teammate of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, John Salley, recently appeared on an episode of The OGs Podcast. While talking about his former teammates, Salley claimed that the friendship between Jordan and Pippen had been over since 2004.
Salley made it abundantly clear that Pippen and Jordan would never be able to get back on the “same page” again. When asked about it further by Udonis Haslem, he said, “It’s been over. It was over before the video. At 2004, I knew it was over.”
“Scottie got cool on me, too. I thought I was good with Scottie,” he added. “He changed on me, too. That’s cool, though.”
John Salley spent a large part of his career playing against Michael Jordan as a part of the Detroit Pistons. However, halfway through the 1995-96 season, Salley joined the Chicago Bulls and went on to win a championship with the team that season.
The Chicago Bulls ruled the 90s. Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls created one of the greatest dynasties the NBA has ever seen. But it is clear to all that they were not a one-man show.
Bulls forward Scottie Pippen was one of the most talented forwards of his generation. Pippen combined with Jordan to form one of the most lethal duos in the league. This led to some tremendous success for the franchise as they completed two three-peats.
Although Pippen and Jordan had immense success as teammates, there was a lot of friction between the two. This was mainly born out of jealousy from Pippen’s side.
As part of pushing the agenda regarding his legacy, Pippen even admitted that he was as great of a player as MJ. Salley has also attested to the forward being the more skilled player in this regard.
The dynamic between the two progressively deteriorated as the Bulls’ dynasty came to an end. Former Chicago player Dennis Rodman also addressed that the beef was primarily born out of Pippen’s need for recognition.
Unfortunately, this matter continued to take shape in different ways. Following the release of The Last Dance docuseries, Pippen made several comments about Jordan.
He mentioned that they last spoke when the docuseries came out during the pandemic. He has since gone on to say he won’t mend the relationship with him and Phil Jackson.
Pippen’s recent remarks about Jordan come as a shock, considering the positive statements he’s made about his teammate in the past. From calling him the GOAT to admitting MJ carried him for 11 seasons, the Bulls forward very clearly held his teammate in very high regard.
Although the circumstances and fallout are unfortunate, both Scottie and MJ benefitted greatly from pairing up together.
During his time with the Bulls, Scottie Pippen recorded an average of 18.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He also received 7x All-Star nods and 10x All-Defensive team accolades.
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan had one of the most illustrious careers of any NBA player in history. Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, Jordan built an infallible legacy that is bound to stand the test of time to many, fans and players alike.
