The Chicago Bulls were a dominant dynasty over the course of the 90s, with Michael Jordan achieving his GOAT status after helping the Bulls win six championships, and three-peat twice.
One of the key moments during that dynastic run was Michael Jordan’s notable pass to Steve Kerr for a game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1997 Finals. While the common knowledge is that Michael Jordan passed to Kerr because he trusted him as a shooter, Scottie Pippen has recently suggested that the reason Michael Jordan made the statement about passing to Steve Kerr, because the cameras were rolling. (3:10)
DP: ".. By saying it was a racial move then you're calling Phil Jackson a racist…"
Pippen: "I don't have a problem with that."
DP: "Do you think Phil was?"
Pippen: "Oh yeah…"
Exchange with @ScottiePippen on Phil's decision to have Kukoc take final shot against the Knicks pic.twitter.com/pH2aDLMDcQ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 28, 2021
Scottie Pippen: What do you mean, Phil set up a play for Steve Kerr? He didn’t set that play up for Steve Kerr, he set that play up for Michael Jordan.
Dan Patrick: I thought in the huddle, Mike says I’m going to throw you the ball, you’ll be open at that foul line. Phil had nothing to do with that?
Scottie Pippen: Man, you don’t wanna get this show started, because it will take us a long time. You know all the cameras that sitting in that huddle who they were working for? You know who Michael was speaking to when he said that right? That was planned. That was speaking to the camera. That wasn’t speaking out of what we were gonna have to do, what the play is gonna be. That was speaking to the camera. Had John Stockton not came down, trust me. That was building his own documentary, because he knew he was controlling the cameras.
There is no question that this is a bold claim by Pippen, and it is certainly something the basketball world hasn’t heard about. It seems strange to think about the idea that one of the most well-known moments in basketball history wouldn’t have happened if John Stockton hadn’t decided to double Michael Jordan. Scottie Pippen seems to suggest that Jordan would have shot it if he was in single coverage and that the statements were for the camera. While neither Steve Kerr nor Michael Jordan have commented on Pippen’s claim, the mere possibility of that being possible is jarring, to say the least.
