"The documentary was solely built and controlled through Michael Jordan" - Scottie Pippen said The Last Dance was the reason for his hiatus from ESPN
While 'The Last Dance' documentary garnered immense success as a sports documentary, Scottie Pippen perceived it as a portrayal of Michael Jordan's heroics at his expense. Not only was the 7-time All-Star disappointed by the documentary's focus, but it was also why he took his hiatus from ESPN talk shows.
Pippen talks about his hiatus from ESPN
During his interview with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, Scott revealed that he opted to take a break from appearing on ESPN's The Jump after the release of The Last Dance, expressing his disinterest in repeatedly discussing events from over 20 years ago on television.
"I think I kind of took myself away from being in the public eye during the documentary," Pippen said. "I don't know if people even recall, but I was working for ESPN when the documentary came out and took a little hiatus because I didn't want to have to relive telling the story about what happened 20 years ago."
Scott on issue with The Last Dance
As MJ was portrayed as a larger-than-life character, Pippen voiced his dissatisfaction with the sports documentary, arguing that it failed to give due credit to many great players and coaches who played a part in the Chicago Bulls winning six championships in the '90s.
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He highlighted the magnitude of those issues, revealing that he felt compelled to come forward and address them from a team standpoint.
"I did feel like that the documentary was not really about The Last Dance because I feel like that it was a lot of footage that was taken that was going to be really praising one of the greatest teams that really ever been put together in the NBA and really praise a lot of the people that was a part of that great team," Pippen added. "I feel like that the documentary was solely built and controlled through Michael Jordan."
Whether through his memoir 'Unguarded' or in interviews, Pippen was determined to assert his side of the 'truth' and highlight his significant role in the Bulls' dominance in the '90s. However, despite his statements, it remains challenging for basketball fans to place him on the same pedestal as His Airness.
