Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen.Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Scottie Pippenisn’t holding back.
The NBA Hall of Famer is taking aim at his former Chicago Bulls teammate,Michael Jordan, for his portrayal in the ESPN documentary,The Last Dance, which premiered last year.
In an excerpt published inGQfrom his upcoming memoir,Unguarded, out Nov. 9, Pippen claimed Jordan used the 10-part series to “glorify” himself.
“Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his ‘supporting cast.’ They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates,” Pippen wrote.
Though Jordan referred to Pippen as his “best teammate of all time” in the series, Pippen said in the excerpt that Jordan “couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried.”
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A rep for Jordan did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
This isn’t the first time Pippen has spoken about his growing rift with 58-year-old Jordan, who is now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
During an interview withThe Guardianin December, Pippen said he spoke with Jordan about his reaction toThe Last Danceand why he felt it wasn’t an “accurate” portrayal of the team that won six NBA titles.
“I didn’t think those things stood out in the documentary,” he continued. “I thought it was more about Michael trying to uplift himself and to be glorified. I think it also backfired to some degree in that people got a chance to see what kind of personality Michael had.”
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BeforeThe Last Dancepremiered, Jordan said some of its footage might make him seem like a “horrible guy.”
“When people see this footage,” he said in aninterviewwith The Athletic at the time, “I’m not sure they’re going to be able to understand why I was so intense, why I did the things I did, why I acted the way I acted, and why I said the things I said.”
source: people.com
