The rivalry between Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan is one that every NBA fan keeps tabs on. In Pippen’s memoirs, he accused Jordan of stealing the spotlight and undervaluing their Bulls colleagues. Pippen also charged Jordan with underrepresenting their colleagues due to his claimed editorial sway over the Last Dance documentary series. Jordan, however, has stated that he immensely respects and appreciates his former teammates, and that the documentary was a true representation of their time while playing for the Chicago Bulls.

However, Pippen’s charges have exposed the ongoing rivalry among the two legends. However, things weren’t always this hostile with the duo. Meanwhile, a Houston Rockets legend, Kenny Smith admits how he was jealous of Scottie Pippen. The reason? Michael Jordan. Kenny also claimed that his team would “Smack” MJ.

Kenny Smith revealed how Michael Jordan made him jealous of Scottie Pippen

In a recent episode of the podcast ‘Thru The Ringer’, the host, Tate Frazier had 2x NBA champion, Kenny Smith on his podcast. Frazier bought up Smith’s book, ‘Talk of Champions: Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir.’ The book talks about the champions in his life. The book provides a detailed insight into the big moments in their lives. The book starts with the first chapter centered around Michael Jordan, a North Carolina legend. Smith had played with Jordan before. Somehow, he also ended up receiving a campus tour from him. 

The host found this story pretty interesting. However, what intrigued him about the book is its first line. It read, “I’m jealous of Scotty Pippen.” Frazier asked him why he was jealous of Scottie Pippen. Kenny Smith’s story was quite interesting.

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Kenny Smith revealed how Pippen was the fifth pick in the NBA draft. Smith was the sixth. When Kenny was around someone that possessed the same traits as Jordan had in college, it propelled Kenny to play better. He then revealed why he was jealous of Pippen.

He said, “I also knew that he was going to be able to be around the greatness of Jordan. That will propel him to new heights. He went on to say that with him being a New Yorker, he likes when others talk to his face and propels him to play.” He continued, “And it just I was jealous that Scottie was getting it. And I was like, man, this kid is getting all of the good stuff, man.
He’s going to be a better player and here we are like the top 75, top 50 player all time.”

“People Forget”: Michael Jordan and the Bulls Were “Too Small” to Win 8 Championships in a Row, Says Rockets Legend

It was the opportunity of being around and learning from Jordan that made Kenny Smith jealous of Scottie Pippen. However, as much as he looked up to Jordan, Kenny Smith didn’t shy away from making bold claims about ‘His Airness.’

Kenny Smith made a bold claim about Michael Jordan

Kenny Smith, the former point guard for the Houston Rockets, claims that his team would have defeated the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. That is if Michael Jordan hadn’t retired in 1993.  Many believed that Jordan’s absence helped the Rockets win in 1994 and 1995. However, Smith felt that his team would have been able to upset the Bulls. Even if Jordan was on the roster.

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Smith stated that he believed the Rockets’ size advantage would have decided the series. When Jordan left the Bulls, Horace Grant, and Dennis Rodman were absent from the roster as well. With Houston’s powerful center, Hakeem Olajuwon, Smith believed the Bulls were too small to compete with.

He then stated boldly, “We would’ve smacked them.”

What are your thoughts on this? Despite of Kenny Smith’s claims, the Chicago Bulls defeated Houston Rockets in the NBA finals.