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Scottie Pippen’s Instagram followers recently added another layer to the controversy surrounding him and former Chicago Bulls teammate Michael Jordan. Long a criticizer of Michael Jordan and Netflix’s "The Last Dance" documentary, Pippen is currently on the "No Bull Tour" alongside former teammates Luc Longley and Horace Grant.
He posted a cryptic post on Instagram, which arguably had a motivational message:
"Never expose your next step. Just step. A fish with a closed mouth never gets caught."
This was accompanied by the following caption:
"Silence is golden… let your steps speak."
Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife, Larsa Pippen, had until recently been dating Michael Jordan’s 33-year-old son, Marcus Jordan. The couple had their own Spotify podcast and had appeared to be going largely strength-to-strength. However, the two broke up in the buildup to Valentine’s Day.
This was not enough for fans to not bring it up, as they responded by referring to the former relationship to troll Pippen.
One fan claimed that he had crossed MJ via the tour and the comments following the release of "The Last Dance." Most took the opportunity to troll him, as fans suggested that he should simply keep quiet about topics related to Michael Jordan.
While Instagram users might have had their say, there is little doubt that Pippen has every intention to continue in the same vein.
The ongoing "No Bull Tour" has already led to criticism from fans and critics alike, despite it being presented as a means for fans to connect to some of the Bulls’ former players.
Scottie Pippen's 'No Bull' tour seen as an attempt to malign Michael Jordan
There are multiple reasons why the tour has been criticized heavily by fans. Instead of it merely being a means to get closer to Bulls fans, fans have seen it as an attempt to malign Michael Jordan. Both Horace Grant and Pippen had called out the documentary for ignoring the Bulls’ other players multiple times.
Grant even called it deceptive during the promotion of the "No Bull Tour":
"Many people would like to ask us about that deceptive documentary; instead, get the tickets and you’ll hear plenty."
Most notably, Gilbert Arenas had hilariously claimed that he did not want to hear the Bulls stars complain about what MJ did or said to them, especially if it eventually led to championships:
"I don't wanna hear you motherf***ers b***h about what someone said or did to you, if it led to a ring. Because you're calling us losers and we don't know how to win. And you guys would win, complaining about winning, sends a bad message."
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith went a few steps ahead:
“Scottie Pippen is going to embarrass himself. Everybody knows he’s not Michael Jordan. He never was. His refusal to participate in a game because Phil Jackson didn’t call on him is well-documented. … Even Michael Jordan refers to him as his greatest teammate of all time.
"But he persists in objecting to his portrayal in the docuseries, which is a major error.”
So, it's fair to say that at least a part of the NBA community believes that the "No Bull Tour" is needless and a result of the apparent feud between the former teammates.
