Scottie Pippen
Bulls.com writer Sam Smith was taken aback by Artūras Karnišovas' assesment of Patrick Williams, relating to a similar speech Jerry Krause gave about Scottie Pippen in 1987.
The implications are HEAVY. Naismith Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers legend Scottie Pippen has never shied away from voicing his frustrations when it comes to how his career, and his partnership with former Bulls teammate Michael Jordan, is remembered in league history.
Now, a new commercial is adding even more fuel to a debate that never really goes away.
In a recently released ad for soda brand Mr. Pibb, Pippen appears to take another subtle (or possibly not-so-subtle) jab at Jordan, who is considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time, or GOAT. The Mr. Pibb commercial is framed around the idea of being labeled “second best,” something that has followed both the drink and Pippen for decades.
Take a watch and decide for yourself if this was a playful jab, a final nod to Jordan’s greatness, or something else:
“When something has been considered second-best for so long, we just blindly accept it as gospel,” Pippen says in the advertisement. “A decade-long plot built on marketing, social media, and multi-part documentaries.”
In the ad, Pippen’s implication is strong.
“When you think about Pibb, you think of what? Second best?” Pippen says in the ad, directly tying the product’s branding to his own legacy.
From there, the messaging escalates. The idea that fans have “blindly accepted” a narrative built on marketing and storytelling feels like a direct critique of how Jordan’s legacy has been shaped—and how Pippen’s has been minimized in comparison.
It doesn’t take much reading between the lines. The “multi-part documentaries” line feels like a clear reference to The Last Dance, the 2020 docuseries that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty and title run in the 1990s while centering heavily on Jordan’s perspective.
Multiple interpretations of the ad says Pippen goes as far as declaring, “Pip is the GOAT,” before being playfully corrected in the commercial’s script.
Whether delivered seriously or as part of the ad’s humor, the message lands the same way to many: Pippen is pushing back against the long-standing narrative that he played second fiddle to Jordan.
So, what are your takes?
A Look Back at Scottie Pippen’s Career
GettyMichael Jordan (L) and Scottie Pippen (R) of the Chicago Bulls talk during the final minutes of their game 22 May in the NBA Eastern Conference finals aainst the Miami Heat at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game 75-68 to lead the series 2-0. AFP PHOTO/VINCENT LAFORET (Photo by VINCENT LAFORET / AFP) (Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images)
Pippen’s hall of fame resume speaks for itself, and explains why he’s considered amongst the best to ever play the game of basketball: six-time NBA champion, seven-time All-Star, a top 75 player in league history.
As has been well addressed and included in GOAT debates, Jordan never won a title without Pippen, which complicates the narrative and adds fuel to whatever debate fire people choose to discuss.
Since The Last Dance aired, Pippen has been more vocal about his legacy, sometimes arguing or insinuating that the documentary gave too much credit to Jordan and not enough to the rest of the team.