AP Photo by Robert Baker, FileScottie Pippen's Monday comments on Monday, The Dan Patrick Show, were not addressed by Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls legends.Pippen said that he believed Jackson's decision in 1994 to draft a play for Toni Kukoc in Chicago's playoff series against New York Knicks was racist.Pippen said that Jordan also made a selfish decision when he began a baseball career after the Bulls won their third consecutive title in 1993.Patrick spoke out on Tuesday about the situation. He stated that he reached out to Jackson, Jordan and other people to discuss the situation. Jordan and Jackson declined to comment.Jackson was the first to speak out. Pippen said that he was unhappy because the Bulls had become Jordan's team after Jordan retired. Jackson was almost always a good friend to Jordan, but he wasn’t getting the same treatment."I don't think it is a mystery. You need to see between the lines. This was my first year without Michael Jordan. Why wouldn't I take that last shot? You're going to insult me and tell you to get it out! It was a very low blow. It was an opportunity to give Kukoc a lift. It was a racial move that gave him a lift. After everything I've done with this organization, you're going to tell me to get the ball and toss it to Toni Kukoc. You are insulting me. This is how I felt.Pippen also mentioned a somewhat icy relationship between Jordan and him. Pippen said that he and Jordan shared an "impeccable", court-based dynamic and mutual respect. They didn't usually exchange pleasantries off the court.Many were shocked by Pippen's remarks on Jackson. They pointed out that LeBron James was referred to as his "posse" (a term that can have racial undertones).Many also looked back at Jackson's relationship to Carmelo Anthony while they were together with the New York Knicks. Jackson was often harsh about Anthony's best player in the Knicks, and his opinions on Anthony have not changed much.Pippen's appearance in The Dan Patrick Show is a reminder of the difficulties involved in maintaining a championship contender for a long period of time in the NBA. It is not an easy task to balance all the personalities and keep the friction off the court.The Last Dance gave an insider's view of some of the drama that took place behind the scenes when Chicago won six titles in just eight years. There was more to the story than what the documentary suggested.
