While Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were once one of the most feared duos in the NBA, their off-court relationship has since fizzled out. Pippen and Jordan have been engaged in a (mostly one-sided) feud for several years now. That spat was set in motion after Pippen revealed his feelings about the docuseries The Last Dance (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription). It’s hard to say if Jordan and Pippen will ever reconcile but, all the while, one of their ex-teammates has a take on how it could happen.
The latest Chicago Bulls alum to share thoughts on the Jordan/Pippen feud is Horace Grant, who not only played with the duo but also won three championships with them between 1991 and 1993. Pippen and Jordan’s relationship came up during Grant’s appearance on the Gimme the Hot Sauce Podcast, which is co-hosted by fellow Bulls alum Stacey King. When asked what it would take for the two hall of famers to get on good terms again, Grant opined that both would have to move past their pride:
I think it’s going to take the egos, to put aside, the pride, to put aside. Once that [happens] that [opens] the doors up to communication. [They’re] two of the best leaders I ever played under…. Of course, MJ, when he was here – I mean, when he was with the Bulls before he retired — [he was] the best leader. And, after that, after he retired, Scottie became that leader, that undeniable leader. But MJ and Pip, put the egos aside and the pride.
Based on Horace Grant’s comments (which are on YouTube), the NBA All Star would like to see his teammates put all of the drama behind him. Grant further emphasized his point as the interview went on, as he made mention of all that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen accomplished together during their days as players. (That included a whopping six championships.) It’s likely that Grant isn’t the only person who feels this way, as surely there are fans who’d love to see the basketball icons patch everything up.
The Pippen/Jordan feud began in earnest when the latter criticized The Last Dance (which Grant also disliked) and blasted his teammate for allegedly using his production company’s creative control on the doc to make himself look good. Since then, Pippen has thrown shade at Jordan on a number of occasions, even going as far as calling him a “horrible” player. Jordan has not spoken ill of his ex-teammate in public since then though, as far as the public knows, he hasn’t made attempts to reach out to Pippen.
A number of Bulls teammates have since spoken out about the feud, with one being Dennis Rodman. In 2023, Rodman expressed his belief that his buddies would eventually squash their beef. However, in 2022, fellow Chicago Bulls alum Charles Oakley declared that friendship was “over” and claimed it “wasn't great from the get-go.” Meanwhile, another former Chicago player, Bill Cartwright, called the whole situation “nonsense” earlier this year, given that the two players were still dwelling on something that happened decades ago.
Considering where everything stands right now, a “kumbaya” moment of sorts doesn’t seem to be in the cards for either Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen at this point. There’s always the chance that some force manages to bring them together. Whether that would be a natural change of heart and removal of pride (as Horace Grant suggests) is anyone’s guess.
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