Scottie Pippen accused his former NBA coach Phil Jackson of being a racist on Monday in the latest of act of candor from the Basketball Hall of Famer.
While appearing on “The Dan Patrick” Show, Pippen was asked about recent comments he made to GQ, in which he said Jackson made a “racial move” by not giving him the last-second shot in a 1994 playoff game against the Knicks.
Pippen infamously refused to return to the game with 1.8 seconds left after learning he would not get to take the shot. Croatian forward Toni Kukoc ended up hitting the game-winner for the Bulls.
“By saying a racial move, then you’re calling Phil a racist,” Patrick asked Pippen.
“I don’t got a problem with that,” Pippen replied, to which Patrick followed up, “Do you think Phil was or is (a racist)?”
“Oh yeah,” the 55-year-old Pippen said.
Pippen, a six-time NBA Champion, said he believes the 1994 Bulls team should have been “Scottie Pippen’s team” because he was “on pace” to become an MVP that year, and he was the “next in line” to lead the Bulls after Michael Jordan retired to play baseball.
Pippen was largely considered the second-best player to Jordan on the Bulls teams of the 1990s.
“One year without Michael Jordan. Can I get one shot? Like, I’m doing all the dirty work,” Pippen said. “Why would Toni, who was a rookie, get the last-second shot and you put me out of bounds? That’s what I mean racial.”
When Patrick suggested that the play-call may not definitely mean Jackson is racist, Pippen responded: “Well, that’s your way of putting it out, and I have my way.
“I was in the locker room with him. I was in practices with him. You’re looking from afar.”
Pippen also condemned the 75-year-old Jackson for being critical of Kobe Bryant in his 2004 book, “The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul,” before coming back to the Lakers in 2005 for his second stint coaching Bryant.
“Who would do that?” Pippen asked. “I think he tried to expose Kobe [in the book] in a way he shouldn’t have. You’re the head coach. You’re the guy that sits in the locker room and tells the players, ‘This is a circle and everything stays within the circle because that’s what team is about. But you as the head coach opening up and now you go out and you try to belittle, at that time, probably one of the greatest players in the game?”
Pippen is no stranger to criticizing his former teammates and coaches, having rebuked Jordan and Charles Barkley in recent weeks.