"Is it easier to play with a herniated disc or to play with the flu?" - When Scottie Pippen downplayed Michael Jordan’s iconic 'Flu game'
Feeling undervalued by the lack of recognition he received in The Last Dance, Scottie Pippen was determined to ensure that his side of the ‘truth’ was heard. Therefore, there’s no denying that his memoir 'Unguarded,' served as a direct response to the sports documentary.
In his book, the 7-time All-Star didn’t hold back in criticizing Michael Jordan for making sure he appeared as a larger-than-life character in front of modern-day fans. If that wasn’t bad enough, Scottie felt Michael, who had the editorial control over the project, downplayed the contribution of all 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 wrote, as per CBS Sports. "From one season to the next, we received little or no credit whenever we won but the bulk of the criticism when we lost."
Pippen downplayed Jordan’s flu game
Adding fuel to the fire, Pippen used his platform on Sirius XM NBA Radio to diminish Jordan’s legendary ‘flu game’ during the 1997 NBA Finals, despite the fact MJ dropped 38 points.
Scottie redirected attention to his own trials, notably playing through a herniated disc injury during the 1998 NBA Finals. The small forward mentioned that the pain he experienced was so excruciating that had the series been stretched to a decisive Game 7, he wouldn’t have featured in it.
"I'm gonna ask you this - is it easier to play with a herniated disc or to play with the flu?" Pippen asked. "I don't see many bad back games, but I do see flu games. Flu? Come on."
Pippen claimed he was a ‘better teammate’ than MJ
It wasn’t just Jordan’s flu game or the characterization of it, but Pippen criticized the six-time Finals MVP’s leadership style and stated how he was irked after witnessing Jordan justifying getting onto his own teammate only for the sake of getting the best out of him. Put simply, Scottie found it 'cringeworthy' to see how Michael treated his teammates.
Additionally, the 6’8” forward expressed confidence in his memoir that he was a better teammate than the five-time MVP, as he constantly uplifted the morale of his teammates and instilled unwavering self-belief in them—just a complete crash of one of the best partnerships in the history of the NBA.
