Tag: backfires

The 2020 documentary The Last Dance gave basketball fans an inside look at the Chicago Bulls’ iconic dynasty. While it mesmerized many, Scottie Pippen saw things differently. The film, centered heavily around Michael Jordan, left the Bulls legend feeling overshadowed. Pippen even slammed it in his memoir, Unguarded, writing that it glorified Jordan while sidelining the contributions of teammates.

Fast forward to the documentary’s release, and Pippen’s frustrations didn’t go unnoticed. He admitted, reaching out to Jordan, and expressing his dissatisfaction directly. Reflecting on it during an interview with The Guardian, Pippen said, “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.”

Despite the spotlight on the team’s legacy, Pippen felt the broader story was lost in Jordan’s shadow. Not only that, Pippen later suggested the documentary felt more like a self-promotion effort by MJ. “I thought it was more about Michael trying to uplift himself and to be glorified,” Pippen stated. He even argued it backfired by exposing Jordan’s intense, often unflattering personality.

However, this topic came back when Scottie Pippen took to X, asking for documentary recommendations. “What’s the best documentary to watch right now? Give me some top picks,” he posted.

The internet, of course, had jokes. Flooding the replies, fans sarcastically suggested one title over and over: The Last Dance.

Fans bring Michael Jordan to troll Pippen over documentary feud

It didn’t take long for fans to bring up The Last Dance when Scottie Pippen innocently asked for documentary suggestions. “The last dance. Surely I’m not the first to say it,” one fan quipped. Another piled on, writing, “Idk if you ever heard of it but The Last Dance was amazing.”

This trolling isn’t new, though—it stems from Pippen’s well-documented gripes about the series. He’s often argued that the documentary painted the 1997-98 Bulls season as “Michael’s story,” overlooking the team’s collective journey. While their coach, Phil Jackson, aptly named it “The Last Dance” as the dynasty approached its end, Pippen believes the film ultimately became a tribute to Jordan, rather than the farewell the team deserved.

Not stopping there, Pippen once claimed Jordan’s control over the documentary’s narrative was a major problem. “Michael deserved a large portion of the blame,” he said. “He was the leading man and the director.” With such creative power, Pippen felt Jordan had the perfect chance to highlight the team’s efforts but chose not to. Instead, the documentary spotlighted Jordan’s personal version of events, leaving the contributions of others in the shadows.

However, fans weren’t ready to let Pippen’s frustrations slide.

 

The jokes kept rolling in, with comments like, “Oh man, you checked out The Last Dance yet?! Pretty solid, seen it a few times myself, highly recommend!” and “Last dance might interest you.” While the internet took jabs at Pippen, Jordan had a different take, expressing nostalgia for those days.

Reflecting in 2021, Jordan told Today Australia, “I think it was [a] genuine time… we were competing, pushing each other.” MJ also admitted it made him “sad” when their era ended, highlighting the bittersweet nature of their partnership.

However, as one fan cheekily suggested, “Have you seen The Last Dance? Not bad,” Pippen himself doesn’t think the Last Dance is bad as a documentary.

Speaking at Real-World Asset Summit in New York two months ago, he surprisingly said, “I thought it was very positive. I felt, at that time, we needed something positive and good to watch on TV. I felt the documentary was great, I didn’t have anything to do with it, which I was a little disappointed in, but it was a great documentary, it won some awards.”

Time, it seems, has softened his view—at least a little.