Scottie Pippen and two other members of the Chicago Bulls dynasty are on a multi-city tour to finally combat what they claim are mistruths, misrepresentations, and exaggerations in Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” documentary.
The 10-part documentary was riveting theater and off like a rocket in the spring of 2020. The project soared into the ESPN history books due to the record ratings as the country was mired in the pandemic and, thereby, had an unwilling but captive audience who were craving any sports programming.
The way the MJ-sanctioned documentary mythologized him incensed his former teammates because they believed his amplified legend came at their expense. They felt marginalized and disrespected by “The Last Dance.” And now Pippen, Horace Grant and Luc Longley are coming for revenge on what is now being called the “No Bull” tour.
“A lot of people really want to ask us questions about that bulls— documentary, but just come out and get the tickets and you’ll hear a lot,” Grant exclaimed during the announcement in Longley’s home country of Australia.
''This is going to be a no bull***t tour'' 👀
You won't want to miss this… 13 rings, 1 stage and absolutely NO BULL 🐂
It all starts this weekend, get your tickets now – https://t.co/bZYgB6rFTw ✨ pic.twitter.com/1g2CSazaRU
— NBL (@NBL) February 21, 2024
Fans and sports pundits wonder if the three ex-teammates of Jordan will bring the discussion to the United States after the Australian tour is complete. Undoubtedly, they would have to face and fend off the multitude of Jordan zealots who worship him and feel compelled to passionately defend his legacy.
Stephen A. Smith lambasted Pippen for waging a war that’s already been won by MJ.
“Scottie Pippen is going to embarrass himself,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Everybody knows he’s not Michael Jordan, he never was. And the fact of the matter is, no matter what he is offended by, the facts were the facts. You saw what he did [by] not going in the game because Phil Jackson didn’t call his number. You know he’s a six-time champion, and Michael Jordan calls him his greatest teammate ever. But he’s doing this because he’s given resistance to what was portrayed in the documentary series. It’s a huge mistake.”
Fellow ESPN sports commentator Kendrick Perkins, however, offered some pushback on Smith’s perspective.
“There’s Jordan’s side, there’s Pippen and his teammates’ side, and then there’s the truth,” Perkins said.
