Pippen tells Jordan his opinions about 'inaccurate' The Last Dance

How did the GOAT react?
Dec 7, 2020

THE Last Dance was one of the best television series that came out this year — and we’re not just saying that because it came at a time when sports had disappeared and we weren’t sure we were getting out of the house anytime soon.

The documentary series, aired on both Netflix and ESPN, currently holds a 96 percent critics’ rating in aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. As early as now, it’s been shortlisted as one of Complex’s top TV series of the year.

Not everyone was happy about the documentary, of course.

Among its most vocal critics is Scottie Pippen, Jordan’s right hand man in the glory days of the Bulls, who found himself revisiting old wounds as the series shot up in popularity.


As the series became must-watch television during the summer, Pippen was reported to be "beyond livid" at his portrayal in the show.

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In an interview with The Guardian’s Andrew Anthony, Pippen aired his grievances once again, just before the year ends.

“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,” Pippen said when Anthony asked him if he found the documentary accurate.

Pippen went on: “I thought it was more about Michael trying to uplift himself and to be glorified.”

The former Bulls forward wasn’t mincing words.


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He wasn’t afraid of telling Jordan, too. And how did the GOAT react?

“He accepted it," said Pippen. "He said, ‘hey, you’re right.’ That was pretty much it.”

Anthony also brought up the salary gap between himself and his teammates during The Last Dance era — an issue that’s haunted Pippen to this day.

But Pippen was quick to balance out the negativity. “I think at the time there were moments when [the issue] was upsetting but also there was so much joy that rose among the pain that I was feeling."

Elsewhere in the interview, Pippen also reflects on the crazy year that the NBA experienced, both with COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. He reckoned that he, too, would have joined as an activist athlete had he been an active player this year.

Pippen’s interview was one of many in a currently running series called The Observer’s Faces of 2020, where notable personalities from this year reflect on our strange time. Other interviewees include The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy, journalist Van Jones, and Hong Kong activist Nathan Law.

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Read the full interview with Pippen here.

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