The Last Dance: 3 main characters from week 1 of Michael Jordan doc
By Josh Wilson
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen‘s story was one that leaves the viewer genuinely sympathetic for his plight. Having grown up in a home with 11 siblings in Arkansas, he always had a dream to make it to the NBA, but as one of his childhood friends himself said in the documentary, no one believed in him, not even his closest confidants.
Pippen, through the luck of a growth spurt and determination to get better and stronger, would end up making it to the NBA, and he ended up being the second-best player on the league’s best team.
Some might have pegged him to be the league’s second-best player in his prime.
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Pippen, however, was not paid at a level that paralleled his play. His contract was well below market value which was great for the Bulls and building a winning team around Jordan and Pippen, but not good for Scottie.
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf put the onus on Pippen for his low pay rate, claiming that he felt as if Pippen should have accepted a shorter-termed contract with the Bulls so he could renegotiate his rate as the salary cap went up. Instead, Pippen signed a lengthy, 8-year extension with the Bulls worth $18 million.
This caused immense friction between Pippen and the Bulls, and eventually led to Pippen demanding a trade out of Chicago.