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Black America Web
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Chicago Bulls 3-Point Specialist Craig Hodges Wants Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen To End Their Beef, ' We Too Old For The Sh*t'
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Getty Images / Craig Hodges / Michael Jordan / Scottie Pippen Craig Hodges wants his former Chicago Bulls teammates, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, to end their ongoing beef. On a recent episode of Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson's podcast, All The Smoke , Hodges, arguably one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, not named Steph Curry, touched on a range of topics while reflecting on his career. Following the release of ESPN's Jordan-produced fantastic sports docuseries The Last Dance , sports fans were shocked to learn that Jordan and Pippen are not besties. The latter did not feel how he and his fellow teammates were portrayed in the docuseries, which he touched on in his 2021 memoir, Unguarded . 'Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his 'supporting cast,'' Pippen wrote. 'From one season to the next, we received little or no credit whenever we won, but the bulk of the criticism when we lost. Michael could shoot 6 for 24 from the field, commit 5 turnovers, and he was still, in the minds of the adoring press and public, the Errorless Jordan.' Pip was also BIG MAD about how much Jordan was paid to do The Last Dance . 'To make things worse, Michael received $10 million for his role in the doc while my teammates and I didn't earn a dime, another reminder of the pecking order from the old days. For an entire season, we allowed cameras into the sanctity of our locker rooms, our practices, our hotels, our huddles… our lives .' Craig Hodges On The Jordan/Pippen Beef Hodges touched on the beef between two of the league's 50 greatest players, telling the podcast hosts that he wants them to end their beef. Per Newsweek : 'He was under the influence of 23 [Jordan],' Hodges said, explaining that Jordan took Pippen under his wing and helped him grow into the All-NBA superstar he would eventually become. 'So he [was] the little brother. I think to some degree, that's still there, in that little rift they're having, but, lord willing, it'll come together, because everybody's got children and grand babies now, man. We too old for that s—.' During the episode, Hodges also touched on how he was effectively blackballed from the league following a visit to the George H.W. Bush White House in 1991 that Michael Jordan skipped for what he said at the time were scheduling conflicts with a family vacation. The Last Dance documentary would reveal that to be false and that Jordan was playing golf with James 'Slim' Bouler. Bouler would be charged with money laundering and drug charges, and Jordan revealed, while testifying 12 months later, that the $57,000 check he wrote Bouler, which was a loan for a golf-driving range, was actually to cover his gambling debts. Hodges speaks of being singled out following the jumpshot moment, and after his letter, he wrote to Bush. Damn. It was a very insightful interview. We hope MJ and Pip bury the hatchet; we can't have these two beefing forever. You can see more reactions in the gallery below. Chicago Bulls 3-Point Specialist Craig Hodges Wants Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen To End Their Beef, ' We Too Old For The Sh*t' was originally published on
Newsweek
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Former Bulls Champion Begs Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen to End Rift
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Hall of Fame former Chicago Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan may have been historically simpatico on the hardwood during their 11 years together, but they were never quite best friends off it. In recent years, it appears their relationship — which was always collegial, but which Pippen claims was never incredibly close — has fizzled. Pippen took exception with the Jordan-produced "The Last Dance" ESPN docuseries, covering the dynastic-era Bulls during Jordan's tenure on the team. As he explained in his 2021 memoir "Unguarded" (as excerpted in GQ Sports), Pippen, one of the best players of all time in his own right, was frustrated with the way the show depicted Jordan's relationship with his teammates. "Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his 'supporting cast,'" Pippen said. "From one season to the next, we received little or no credit whenever we won but the bulk of the criticism when we lost. Michael could shoot 6 for 24 from the field, commit 5 turnovers, and he was still, in the minds of the adoring press and public, the Errorless Jordan." Michael Jordan (L) and Scottie Pippen (R) of the Chicago Bulls talk during the final minutes of their game 22 May in the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat at the United Center... Michael Jordan (L) and Scottie Pippen (R) of the Chicago Bulls talk during the final minutes of their game 22 May in the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Pippen, along with Horace Grant and Luc Longley, will be speaking more about "The Last Dance" in Australia. More Vincent Laforet/AFP via Getty Images Pippen was also frustrated about the six-time league MVP's compensation. "To make things worse, Michael received $10 million for his role in the doc while my teammates and I didn't earn a dime, another reminder of the pecking order from the old days. For an entire season, we allowed cameras into the sanctity of our locker rooms, our practices, our hotels, our huddles... our lives." Pippen appeared on Patrick Bet David's "PBD Podcast" in Jan., where he expounded on the early dynamic. "I just think Michael is a very difficult person to deal with," Pippen said. "I played with him for years so I know that when it's time for you to move in you direction, then go in your direction. Don't sit there and try to... stretch it that the relationship is not where it was or not what it used to be, and it's never going to be the same. So why try and make something out of nothing?" More Chicago Bulls News: Bulls' Lonzo Ball Reveals Massive Injury Update Just Before Playoffs It's been surprising over the last few years to discover just how strained the relationship between dynamic duo has always been. Pippen conceded elsewhere during the pod that he and Jordan hadn't spoken since 2020. Now, it appears that even some of Jordan and Pippen's teammates are sick of their drama. 3-point specialist guard Craig Hodges, who was with the pair between midway through the 1989-90 season and 1991-92, spoke on former longtime NBA wings Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson's podcast "All The Smoke" about the conflict. 'We too old for that sh*t.' Craig Hodges discusses the turning point in Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen's relationship ALL THE SMOKE with the former Chicago Bull is available on YouTube! — All the Smoke (@allthesmokeprod) May 2, 2025 "He was under the influence of 23 [Jordan]," Hodges said, explaining that Jordan took Pippen under his wing and helped him grow into the All-NBA superstar he would eventually become. "So he [was] the little brother. I think to some degree, that's still there, in that little rift they're having, but, lord willing, it'll come together, because everybody's got children and grand babies now, man. We too old for that s---." In his 12 seasons with Chicago, Pippen averaged 17.7 points while slashing .481/.327/.693, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per bout. He and Jordan won six titles in eight years together. Although he never won an MVP award, Pippen finished among the top 11 in vote recipients six times, including two top-five finishes. More Chicago Bulls News: 'Near Mint Condition' Michael Jordan Bulls Card Could Fetch Astronomical Amount at Auction The 6-foot-8 University of Central Arkansas alum was a seven-time All-Star, a 10-time All-Defensive Teamer, a seven-time All-NBA honoree, and a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team. Pippen is one of the great all-time players in the league, and it's unfortunate that he felt the documentary in any way diminished just how important his contributions were to the Bulls' legendary run. Between their two three-peat championship stints (first in 1991-93, and again in 1996-98), Jordan and Pippen were the only two roster constants. Hodges was a critical component of Chicago's initial two titles in his own right. The 6-foot-2 Cal State Long Beach product logged parts of four seasons with the Bulls, winning his championships with the franchise in 1991 and '92. He logged averages of 6.2 points on .436/.404/.856 shooting splits, and his role as a spot-up sharpshooter helped endear him to Chicago. More Chicago Bulls News: Michael Jordan Opens Another Free Health Clinic in Native North Carolina Chicago Set to Retire Derrick Rose Jersey Next Season Bulls Championship Banners Damaged by Pyrotechnics of Metal Band Disturbed Drake Claims Michael Jordan Lost $20K on Ping Pong Because He Couldn't Stop Gambling For more Chicago Bulls and NBA and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
