Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen authored the greatest dynasty in NBA history during their time together on the Chicago Bulls. Despite that, the duo are not close nowadays, as they have engaged in a longstanding beef.
According to one of their former teammates, Craig Hodges, he believes he knows the exact moment where things went south between Jordan and Pippen.
For much of their time together, Jordan was the top option, while Pippen was a close second. Together, they were a perfect match, and it wasn't much of a surprise to see them be named in the NBA's top 50 players of all-time in 1996 during the league's 50th season.
While it may seem obvious that Pippen is a legend, at the time, it hadn't dawned on him. Hodges believes that Pippen's inclusion on this list changed things between him and Jordan, and ultimately led to their still ongoing beef.
"Once Scottie became one of the 50 best, his level of confidence, not necessarily the way he played, he was playing at top 50 before then, he just didn't know it," Hodges said on "All The Smoke."
"He was under the influence of (Michael Jordan) ... He little brother. When he became top 50, it became, 'What? Let's go.' And I think to some degree, that's still there in that little rift they having."
The Bulls attempted to reunite their legendary duo back in 2024 by inducting them both into their first Ring of Honor class, but Jordan opted not to attend the event, with many believing that decision was due to his frosty relationship with Pippen.
So while Jordan and Pippen accomplished quite a bit, they aren't exactly friendly with each other. Hodges is hopeful that will change in the future, but for now, the pair do not appear to be on good terms.