Scottie Pippen is preparing to tell his side of the story following his dissatisfaction with Michael Jordan's docu-series, The Last Dance. In an Instagram post promoting his upcoming memoir, UNGUARDED, the six-time NBA champion claimed he would tell "stories I've kept to myself for years."
Pippen was outspoken in his criticism of the MJ and ESPN docu-series documenting the Chicago Bulls' dynasty throughout the 1990s. The Hall of Famer took issue with his greatness and contributions not being documented as heavily as Jordan's and confronted his former teammate over the way he was portrayed.
"I don't think it was that accurate in terms of really defining what was accomplished in one of the greatest eras of basketball, but also by two of the greatest players -- and one could even put that aside and say the greatest team of all time," Pippen said in a December 2020 interview. "I didn't think those things stood out in the documentary. 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...I told him I wasn't too pleased with it. He accepted it. He said, 'Hey, you're right.' That was pretty much it."
In the description of his book, Pippen directly responds to The Last Dance and takes some of the credit for the Bulls' championships as well as Jordan's legacy. He also refers to himself as "the real leader" of the locker room during Chicago's two three-peats.
"Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners -- let alone six -- hanging from the United Center rafters," the description reads. "There's no The Last Dance documentary. There's no 'Michael Jordan' as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them...Pippen details how he cringed at being labeled Jordan's sidekick, and discusses how he could have (and should have) received more respect from the Bulls' management and the media...He discusses what it was like dealing with Jordan on a day-to-day basis, while serving as the real leader within the Bulls locker room."
Scottie Pippen's UNGUARDED will release on November 16.
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