Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen doubled-down on his accusations of racism against Phil Jackson during an explosive interview on “The Dan Patrick Show,” on Monday, citing Jackson's treatment of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
First, Patrick asked Pippen — who has been promoting his new memoir and bourbon — about a quote Pippen gave to GQ calling Jackson's decision in 1994 to draw up a last-second shot for Toni Kukoc (while Michael Jordan was playing baseball) “a racial move.” Pippen infamously refused to check into the Game 7 in protest, which he continues to get flak for, including from Kevin Durant last week.
Patrick told Pippen that “by saying it was a racial move,” he was “calling Phil Jackson a racist,” which Pippen said he no problem with. Patrick then flatly asked Pippen if he believed Jackson was racist, to which Pippen replied “Oh, yeah.”
The Hall of Famer then brought up Jackson authoring a book, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul in 2004 — in which Jackson famously called Bryant “uncoachable” — before returning to the Lakers' sideline in 2005.
“Do you remember Phil Jackson left the Lakers and then wrote a book on Kobe Bryant and then came back and coached him? I mean, who would do that? You name someone in professional sports that would do that. I think he tried to expose Kobe in a way that he shouldn't have. You're the head coach. You're the guy who sits in the locker room and tells the players ‘this is a circle, and everything stays within the circle, and that's what team is about.' But you as the head coach, opening up, and now you go out and try to belittle at that time one of the greatest players in the game?”
Patrick posited that Jackson's actions may have been rooted in disloyalty rather than racism.
“Well that’s your way of putting it out,” Pippen responded. “I have my way…I was in the locker room with him, I was in practices with him—you're looking at him from afar.”
ICYMI: Here's @ScottiePippen full appearance from the 3rd Hour of Today's showhttps://t.co/jNKJzq3XV9
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 28, 2021
Jackson coached Bryant to two more titles and the two developed a deep bond over the years.
“I’m sure Kobe was pissed when I wrote in ‘The Last Season’ that he was uncoachable,” Jackson said in 2015. “And, yes, we were often at loggerheads. He wanted more freedom and I wanted him to be more disciplined. This is a normal source of friction thing between coaches and players on just about every level of competition…But when I came back for my second stint with the Lakers, Kobe and I worked it all out. I gave him more of a license to do his thing, as long as it stayed within the overall context of the triangle. And we did win two more championships. Anyway, I’ve always seen Kobe as a truly great player, an intelligent guy and a remarkable person.”
“His philosophy of the game and philosophy on life is something I’ve adopted,” Bryant said in 2016. “I carry it with me.”
Pippen isn't the only NBA star to levy charges of racism against Jackson. In 2016, when he was president of the Knicks, the 11-time champion coach rankled LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony by referring to James' inner circle as a “posse.” Jackson later said he regretted the word choice. Kind of.
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