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Scottie Pippen Claims Michael Jordan Made “The Last Dance” To Counter LeBron James’ Popularity Amidst Explosive Allegations

Published 11/02/2021, 11:35 AM EDT

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In it’s incredible 75-year history, the NBA has seen some legendary teams. While the Celtics and Lakers have the most titles, in the last three decades, perhaps the most dominant team to ever play in the league were the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls.

With one of the biggest stars in Jordan on their side and perhaps the most balanced supporting cast containing players like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the Bulls were undoubtedly the team to beat in the 90s.

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Their six championships in six Finals appearances certainly speak of the dominance they had. While the Bulls instantly became a juggernaut, these six titles propelled MJ to be known as one of the best ever.

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Scottie Pippen claims Michael Jordan wanted to pip LeBron James with ‘The Last Dance’

While the Bulls undoubtedly were the most talked about team in the 90s, many new age fans were unaware of Bulls’ real dominance. But all of it changed in 2020. Partnering up with ESPN and Netflix, ‘His Airness’ released ‘the Last Dance’.

The docu-series was hailed by critics and fans alike and safe to say was an instant hit. But everyone wasn’t as satisfied though. One of them was MJ’s sidekick Scottie Pippen. After expressing his displeasure with the series, Pippen, in a recent interview, revealed what he thinks was the real intention behind the release of the docu-series.

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“Michael was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day—and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior.”

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He added, “So Michael presented his story, not the story of the “Last Dance,” as our coach, Phil Jackson, billed the 1997–98 season once it became obvious the two Jerrys (owner Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Jerry Krause) were intent on breaking up the gang no matter what happened.”

This is certainly a damming claim by Pippen. Given that the shooting guard has been pretty public about his displeasure with the 10-episode series, no one can be entirely sure where this animosity is coming from.

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As for the LBJ and MJ debates go, the Last Dance might have had an impact though. Over the years, LeBron’s championships and his playoff performances have solidified his candidature to be called as the GOAT.

But ever since the release of the docu-series, the debates have swung in the favor of ‘His Airness’. Who do you think is the GOAT? Let us know in the comments section down below.

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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