Pippen Writing Memoir, Tells His Side of Story

[camby23]

Jordan stans:

- Pippen was overrated
- 90s Bulls was not a superteam

also Jordan stans:

- 96 Bulls would sweep 2016 Warriors, beat easly 16-18 Warriors and every great team from 10's

[magicman1978]

No, that doesn't happen without approval. Generally, the author will write a synopsis for their own book. In this case, I would understand if the publisher did it - however, they would still have the author approve it. Especially in a case like this where it may cause some controversy.

Honestly, I'd need to actually see the book to have more of an opinion on it but I think there's a good chance that they took over marketing of it 100% and Pippen was like 'sure, whatever you think will sell the most copies'. So I don't think they asked for his express approval of it so much as Pippen had already given them leeway to handle that side of things.

The chances of them not providing a synopsis to Scottie for review are 0% (that would go against standard operating procedures for a book publisher like Simon and Schuster). Whether or not Scottie cared to closely review it, I don't know. And if he didn't care to closely review it and was ok with whatever the publisher is saying to sell the book - then the point of him being petty stands. The chances of him making a significant amount of money from the book sales on this are fairly low anyways.

[Peregrine01]

Glad that he is. Jordan is deified to such a degree that his costar for all 6 of their titles together gets crapped on by the public again and again. Phil Jackson even said that he thought Pip was even more impactful than Jordan in their second three-peat. He could never score and take over the end of games like Jordan did but he held the team together in a way that Jordan never could. One of the most underrated players in NBA history.

[KodiakBear]

Jordan stans:

- Pippen was overrated
- 90s Bulls was not a superteam

also Jordan stans:

- 96 Bulls would sweep 2016 Warriors, beat easly 16-18 Warriors and every great team from 10's

That is the problem with the goat debate. Jordan is the greatest ever, but the arguments have turned into "this guy is the greatest because his teammates weren't good and that guy played with great teammates." Reality is you need a great team to win a championship. And of course Jordan does have some cultlike followers that think you could plug him into the 2011-2012 Bobcats as a player instead of their owner and they'd win the championship.

[jpengland]

I don't blame him

The Last Dance was a Jordan propaganda machine. Fun to watch but surely infuriating for anybody else involved.

This is a cathartic process and he makes some cash

[Michael Jackson]

I wore a Pippen shirt to school prolly 2 out 5 days in school and I’ll hands down read his book. I loved him more than MJ. Because of his personality though he is going to receive criticism over it and that is fair. If you or I wrote a book we would get a bunch of WTF’s but we still can do it and it isn’t wrong to do it. You accept the WTF’s and move on and cash your checks (which in my case I would likely owe the publisher money for embarrassing them with the trash I wrote]

I think Pippen has his quirks as a person but personality wise he's the one guy everyone from those teams seemed to actually like. He's often portrayed as the big brother in terms of how he'd look after guys and make sure they were ok. So sure he does likely feel he hasn't been given his due over the years but I think he deserves more credit for being a guy who actually worked toward team chemistry and it was more than him just being a great second banana and jack of all trades on the court.

Dude definitely had his warts as a teammate. He looked like a good cop because MJ was the epitome of being a prick, yet Pippen gave up on his teammates so he isn’t the ultimate player. Hell in the olympics he said Kukoc could never play in the NBA knowing he was coming to the team. I get his attitude about it, he felt unwanted not just with Toni but also with the attempted trade for Shawn Kemp and later TMac.it’s understandable for sure but to be an all time great you have to transcend some of that stuff. You can’t sit out a final shot or purposely put off a surgery to get back at the team. I mean you can but it does go on your legacy…

Pippen helped the Bulls though when he came back as far as a mentor for sure. He couldn’t play anymore really but him being around helped those guys. He has oft been underrated too and his frustration is genuine but he did a lot to hurt his narrative too.

[Michael Jackson]

I hear you loud and clear on that.. I would just posit that if Pippen only played with MJ until the first retirement he could have been an MVP after that… I do believe he needed the toughness and work ethic MJ taught him early on. I get feeling raw during the 2nd three-peat as still being considered a jordanaire…. While MJ was hated he did get the most out of guys, Pippen didn’t have that persona, he is more of a Kawhi type talent imho.

Pippen played with Jordan until the first retirement, was then a pretty clear top 5 player the year without MJ. The bulls had a tough year to start year two as they lost Grant, EASILY their second best player, and another all time underrated guy. Pippen's stats were still top 5ish level that year though. 96 comes and Pippen was STILL an MVP level guy, he just had MJ at his absolute most cerebral while still athletic enough to destroy people and fully charged after the time off. Then Pippen started with the back stuff and was never the same guy.

Did MJ get the best out of guys? That's always been the problem with that discussion, it's really hard to judge that. We know that modern work places, that style of tyrant manager doesn't work for most people. Maybe it worked for Pippen, but by almost all accounts it was Pippen who kept those teams together in the locker room, despite MJ. Not the other way around. Pippen in a lot of ways developed to complement MJ. He developed into a point forward to fit in next to MJ. He became the best off ball non center likely in NBA history as MJ liked to be the one on one guy in big moments. Pippen became the good cop to MJ's bad cop. A lot of that was just good luck and fit, but a lot was that Pippen had no other choice. Pippen wasn't going to get 25 shots a night not matter how good he got, so he adjusted his game.

I mean as for the Leonard comment, Pippen was a much more vocal leader. But I still think Leonard should have been MVP his last healthy year on the spurs. A lotta people felt his 2019 playoff run was all time level. I think most people have leonard's peak WELL above Pippens....and back to my point, I'm not sure that's right.

I think MJ was the right guy to get the most out of guys for that era… it wouldn’t work today. Everyone back then was a dirty CP3 type player. The Pistons, Knicks, Heat, Utah etc… it took an Uber Alpha to push through that. I do 100% agree that Pippen evolved into the player he was to fill the holes in Jordan’s game and that’s really why they were one of the best if not the best pairings of all time. I also think Pippen and Jordan both were just as capable to winning with another star… ie put Pip or Jordan on the Ewing Knicks and they both could have won. I think we agree that Pippen impact overall is underrated we just disagree on MJ’s impact on Pip.

[Michael Jackson]

Jordan stans:

- Pippen was overrated
- 90s Bulls was not a superteam

also Jordan stans:

- 96 Bulls would sweep 2016 Warriors, beat easly 16-18 Warriors and every great team from 10's

That is the problem with the goat debate. Jordan is the greatest ever, but the arguments have turned into "this guy is the greatest because his teammates weren't good and that guy played with great teammates." Reality is you need a great team to win a championship. And of course Jordan does have some cultlike followers that think you could plug him into the 2011-2012 Bobcats as a player instead of their owner and they'd win the championship.

Those fans though are clearly unrealistic. Everyone knew he needed Pippen including Jordan himself. He vetoed 2 Pippen trades that Krause wanted to make. Jordan was the Bully who picked on a kid but no one else was allowed to, which is even more sociopathic.

[Cavsfansince84]

Dude definitely had his warts as a teammate. He looked like a good cop because MJ was the epitome of being a prick, yet Pippen gave up on his teammates so he isn’t the ultimate player. Hell in the olympics he said Kukoc could never play in the NBA knowing he was coming to the team. I get his attitude about it, he felt unwanted not just with Toni but also with the attempted trade for Shawn Kemp and later TMac.it’s understandable for sure but to be an all time great you have to transcend some of that stuff. You can’t sit out a final shot or purposely put off a surgery to get back at the team. I mean you can but it does go on your legacy…

Pippen helped the Bulls though when he came back as far as a mentor for sure. He couldn’t play anymore really but him being around helped those guys. He has oft been underrated too and his frustration is genuine but he did a lot to hurt his narrative too.

Every guy has his warts to some degree. Pippen and some of the other guys resented Kukoc because by 95 he was making a million $ more per year than Pippen was after he'd already helped the team to a 3 peat and was established as one of the top players in the league. According to them they moved past that by 96 though. All I'm saying is that I think that he in some ways put more into the team than MJ did during the second 3 peat when MJ was more distant and just wanted to show up for games and tell guys what they were doing wrong in practice.

[chilluminati]

Unguarded is pretty bad title, it is like he is dissing himself

My thoughts exactly

But its' probably that typical sob bs reference to being emotionally unguarded and letting everything out in his book most likely.

[Michael Jackson]

Dude definitely had his warts as a teammate. He looked like a good cop because MJ was the epitome of being a prick, yet Pippen gave up on his teammates so he isn’t the ultimate player. Hell in the olympics he said Kukoc could never play in the NBA knowing he was coming to the team. I get his attitude about it, he felt unwanted not just with Toni but also with the attempted trade for Shawn Kemp and later TMac.it’s understandable for sure but to be an all time great you have to transcend some of that stuff. You can’t sit out a final shot or purposely put off a surgery to get back at the team. I mean you can but it does go on your legacy…

Pippen helped the Bulls though when he came back as far as a mentor for sure. He couldn’t play anymore really but him being around helped those guys. He has oft been underrated too and his frustration is genuine but he did a lot to hurt his narrative too.

Every guy has his warts to some degree. Pippen and some of the other guys resented Kukoc because by 95 he was making a million $ more per year than Pippen was after he'd already helped the team to a 3 peat and was established as one of the top players in the league. According to them they moved past that by 96 though. All I'm saying is that I think that he in some ways put more into the team than MJ did during the second 3 peat when MJ was more distant and just wanted to show up for games and tell guys what they were doing wrong in practice.

MJ was working out with Harper and Pippen every morning they were meeting at his house. Dudes a prick but we can't really question his dedication. Even if he didn't want to hold younger players hands, he surely didn't sit out to get back at management, which was all Pippen's own fault. Reinsdorf more than once bailed Pip out and JR was straight up with him and told him to not sign that contract because it wouldn't age well... yet Pip refused. I empathize but I can't feel sorry for Pip. Even after Jerry facilitated his biggest contract which he didn't have to do, Pippen trashed him every where he could. Jerry gave him a final payday as a player too that he didn't have to do. After that he paid him to get drunk and sit half court as an ambassador. I mean Reinsdorf is a slug no doubt but the only person he didn't do wrong was Pippen, that's why it was always so odd.

[Cavsfansince84]

MJ was working out with Harper and Pippen every morning they were meeting at his house. Dudes a prick but we can't really question his dedication. Even if he didn't want to hold younger players hands, he surely didn't sit out to get back at management, which was all Pippen's own fault. Reinsdorf more than once bailed Pip out and JR was straight up with him and told him to not sign that contract because it wouldn't age well... yet Pip refused. I empathize but I can't feel sorry for Pip. Even after Jerry facilitated his biggest contract which he didn't have to do, Pippen trashed him every where he could. Jerry gave him a final payday as a player too that he didn't have to do. After that he paid him to get drunk and sit half court as an ambassador. I mean Reinsdorf is a slug no doubt but the only person he didn't do wrong was Pippen, that's why it was always so odd.

I just see it(the book) as Pippen having a story to tell like most other famous athletes. I mean Rodman started writing books back in like the 90's. Most famous athletes have written books or had numerous chances to tell their stories in interviews/docs the way that MJ did with last dance. Phil wrote two books. I think it's good to get Pippen's view on everything that went on.

[Michael Jackson]

MJ was working out with Harper and Pippen every morning they were meeting at his house. Dudes a prick but we can't really question his dedication. Even if he didn't want to hold younger players hands, he surely didn't sit out to get back at management, which was all Pippen's own fault. Reinsdorf more than once bailed Pip out and JR was straight up with him and told him to not sign that contract because it wouldn't age well... yet Pip refused. I empathize but I can't feel sorry for Pip. Even after Jerry facilitated his biggest contract which he didn't have to do, Pippen trashed him every where he could. Jerry gave him a final payday as a player too that he didn't have to do. After that he paid him to get drunk and sit half court as an ambassador. I mean Reinsdorf is a slug no doubt but the only person he didn't do wrong was Pippen, that's why it was always so odd.

I just see it(the book) as Pippen having a story to tell like most other famous athletes. I mean Rodman started writing books back in like the 90's. Most famous athletes have written books or had numerous chances to tell their stories in interviews/docs the way that MJ did with last dance. Phil wrote two books. I think it's good to get Pippen's view on everything that went on.

Don't get me wrong, I am totally reading this book. I don't begrudge him writing it either, just understand the backlash he is getting for the marketing of it.

[trueballer7]

Look at everyone’s second option in the 90’s overall. Pippen was far superior no question relative to its era once adding on the astounding continuity not to mention always have a great 3rd in Grant, Rodman then Kukoc and support cast to go along.

Pippen is a great 2 always will be.

The 90’s was a huge finesse financially speaking. A player got paid $100+ Mill plus relative to today and another got paid peanuts to what he was worth but because of loopholes that actually happened it’s all there.

No, Pippen was not far superior to John Stockton, Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway, Joe Dumars, Tim Hardaway, Chris Webber etc in fact I have trouble accepting that he was even barely superior to others like Derrick Coleman, Larry Johnson, young Garnett, Ray Allen, old David Robinson etc.

- Webber played three playoffs in the 90’s and they didn’t make it out the first round
- Penny had no where near the continuity (4 runs)
- Stockton is close though Jazz weren’t as deep for the most the decade (late 80’s onwards)
- Pippen is better then Tim Hardaway cmon
- Gary Payton is comparable but once again Pippens production is top tier for a 2nd option.

People underrate if anything all the production of Pippen during that decade. The is the best defensive wing during that era had 13 count them 13 20+ PPG series’s not to mention racking up all the assists, rebounds, blocks, steals and at times was guarding the best offensive player.

Pippen is like a bigger, less shooting less efficient more playmaking version of Spurs DPOY Leonard... but for a decade.

People dont underrate anything. Pippen was a superstar role player but he was too pedestrian as a scorer to be anything else but a role player in a winning franchise. You wanted a basket and Mike wasnt playing, you'd give the ball to Kukoc first or to BJ Armstrong. His averages are misleading. So yes, Pippen gave you many solid years, but only because he was never asked to do more than the things he knew how to do well. In fact they won even when he did less. The big dog always delivered.

[Dominator83]

A lot of people will call this whining or whatever but I don't really blame Pippen for feeling the way that he felt. No other sports figure in the US at least has had a fanatical, cult-like fanbase to the level of Michael Jordan. Pippen has had to deal with being overlooked, undervalued, and blamed for shortcomings more than any other star player has.

It's similar to what Lebron's teammates have had to deal with when they're given no credit for winning and all the blame for losses... But Pippen had to deal with that for his entire career and not just a couple of seasons.

To be honest, I was fervent Pippen supporter and was meh on MJ growing up. It was an odd stance that i took growing up in Chicago. So I would dog MJ and point out his flaws (oddly though I had personal experiences with him and he was a great guy). I fully supported Pippen but damn Pip you just constantly shoot yourself in the foot. He was always jealous that MJ got the press but I mean Mike was better. MJ doesn't have 6 rings without Pippen there is no doubt about that, no one will dispute that but Pippen was a #2, it wasn't a 1A and 1B thing. Why is it shocking that the most influential athlete from your sport of all time is getting press?

As for recent Pippen, after Jerry Reinsdorf (albeit he is an evil man) bailed him out of financial issues 2 times (maybe 3) you still and mouth him. While working as an ambassador for the Bulls you go on national TV and dog them... Then try to spin it that they are wrong in the situation. I mean Jerry is an easy target and anyone else bashing him I am behind but with Pip... c'mon man he employed you 2 times he didn't have to... he took care of you even after you drug his name through the mud and influenced the NBA to hate the man (which is deserved just not from Pippen)

This book should be fun though. I 100% get it though MJ is a prick everyone knows it, Pippen and Grant hated how they were portrayed, but no one is really going to care. I'm guessing this is a fund raiser because Larsa needs alimony and or Pippen had another "bad" investment. Pip I will always love you but ungrateful definitely applies.

I'm also sick and tired of everybody blaming J.R. for Pippen being underpaid. Pippen INSISTED on that contract when he had a bad back. J.R. himself said you don't want this you will probably be underpaid in a few years. Pippen said "you won't hear a word from me".

But of course everybody loves to run with the false narrative that the Bulls jobbed him all those years. He wanted that contract, he signed it. Period.

[DCasey91]

I think MJ got glorified way way too much imo. He was a hugely iconic so the global marketing business ploy makes sense. Nike went bananas for example

But as for the actual accomplishments the collective should get more praise/celebration.

Serious on that too. They did some heavy background/foundational work. Krause moves/trades. He basically got the team together, there’s I’d say ten great moves at least. It’s all recorded

Tex, Phil, Pippen the team.

GSW players and organization will be celebrated fondly in time to come

I believe it’s the person overall. Micheal definitely loves the glorification, it’s in the same boat as Lebron for me. Both are special players, but both aren’t supernatural/godlike that’s the false idol stuff that saves them from rightful criticism.

[KembaWalker]

im sure he needs the money, Larsa seems to have way more going on than Scottie nowadays

[Michael Jackson]

I think MJ got glorified way way too much imo. He was a hugely iconic so the global marketing business ploy makes sense. Nike went bananas for example

But as for the actual accomplishments the collective should get more praise/celebration.

Serious on that too. They did some heavy background/foundational work. Krause moves/trades. He basically got the team together, there’s I’d say ten great moves at least. It’s all recorded

Tex, Phil, Pippen the team.

GSW players and organization will be celebrated fondly in time to come

I believe it’s the person overall. Micheal definitely loves the glorification, it’s in the same boat as Lebron for me. Both are special players, but both aren’t supernatural/godlike that’s the false idol stuff that saves them from rightful criticism.

I think the difference between MJ and Lebron's god like status is this...

MJ took basketball global and changed the image of the league (well Bird and Magic did but MJ blew the doors off) of the cocaine league. It's an impossible feat to replicate, the time of it was just right in out history.

MJ also wears ego better. LeBron wants to be loved too much and then he goes and calls himself the GOAT etc... basically Jordan picked a lane(being an egomaniac prick) and LeBron is trying to drive in 2 lanes.

The Jordan legend did get out of proportion too for sure. He needed that team or he is just another guy who never got rings like Ewing. His will to win was absolutely insane though that is for sure and he was unflappable against adversity. He didn't ever really throw his team under a bus ever but he surely "separated" himself as a god like figure. Hats off to him he backed up all of his big talk.

I think because MJ was just who he was as an egomaniac he was less polarizing than LeBron. I mean LeBron wins six titles in that era with the same Bulls team IMHO and vice versa with MJ being in LBJ's teams I think he has a similar outcome.

Anyway that's totally off topic, then point is that the Bulls were a great team w/o Jordan. Pippen could have possibly won a title with them in 94 himself if the Knicks call went different. The Rockets were shaken that year and looked awful against NYK (i think my least favorite finals I saw) Regardless that didn't happen, but I can't imagine any other team losing the GOAT unexpectedly and still making a run like that (outside of the super teams we have had recently)

[K3nny Pow3rs]

I strongly disagree. Sure he doesn't win 6 titles, but he'd have been the second best wing in the nba and he'd be much more respected as an offensive player and potentially defensive player had he had his own team to run.

Or he could have been disrespected because of his poor offensive showing in the playoffs. There's a reason those poor showings don't get brought up much when people talk about him.

But Pippen's poor offensive showings are brought up endlessly while Jordan's bad games are completely ignored. For example, Last Dance did not mention the time Jordan shot 3-18 against the Knicks while the Bulls were down 0-2 in the series in 93 while Pippen played the game of his life to save the Bulls season. It just said that the Bulls went to Chicago and Jordan led them to victory.

The reason Jordan's poor showings are not brought up is because Jordan is is treated as this flawless legendary figure and people just don't believe that he often had bad games and relied heavily on his teammates during the title runs.

Pippen played "the game of his life to save the Bulls season"?
Its not even clear that Pippen played better than Jordan....
Knicks vs. Bulls 1993, Game 3:
Jordan 22 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3-18 field, 38 minutes.
Pippen 29 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 0 steals, 1 block, 10-12 field, 32 minutes.

[NZB2323]

Jordan stans:

- Pippen was overrated
- 90s Bulls was not a superteam

also Jordan stans:

- 96 Bulls would sweep 2016 Warriors, beat easly 16-18 Warriors and every great team from 10's

I don’t know if anyone can say that any team would beat the 2017 Warriors, and most people who say their team would sweep the 2016 Warriors are old men yelling at clouds.

The 96 Bulls team was stacked, but in 91 and 98 Jordan was the only Chicago Bull who made the all-star team. In 1990 and 1998 Pippen had a migraine and played terribly in the last game of the season. The 98 Bulls are the oldest team to ever win a title, and Rodman was an aging alcoholic who was having Vegas vacations and doing WWE who washed out of the league afterwards. For the last 2 minutes of the 1998 season Jordan scored, stole the ball, and scored again. No other Chicago Bull touched the ball. It’s also the only game in NBA Finals history where a player outscored his teammates. 1998 is one of the years in NBA history where it was the hardest to score, and Jordan had 45 points and his teammates had 42 points.

Pippen’s modern day comparison is Paul George. He is a solid #2 player that you can’t always count on. He lost in the first round in 99 playing with Hakeem and Barkley.