Revisionist history often leads to some accurate perspective, while some other times it leads to wild statements. Scottie Pippen, who spent the bulk of his NBA career playing next to Michael Jordan as his sidekick, once suggested that Kobe Bryant was better than the Chicago Bulls GOAT.

Pippen's comments occurred right before All-Star Weekend, but the interview was uploaded in April, just weeks before the 10-part docuseries “The Last Dance” aired on ESPN. In the interview, Pippen argues a young Kobe Bryant was better than the man he won six rings next to:

“I hate that we didn't tell him just how great he really was,” said Pippen. “Because he strived so hard to be Michael Jordan and when I go back and I look at his videos and I'm like, ‘Damn, he was better than Michael Jordan.'”

Pippen went on to justify why Bryant was better than Jordan in his eyes, noting Kobe came straight out of high school, while Jordan had three years of college instruction under a legendary coach in North Carolina's Dean Smith.

Pippen was quick to point out Bryant worked at his craft incessantly, trying to mimic Jordan's greatness. Bryant won five titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and an MVP in 2008 along with two NBA Finals MVPs. He also earned 18 All-Star appearances throughout his 20 years in the league.

It's worth noting this interview happened fairly shortly after Bryant died in a helicopter accident on Jan. 26. Pippen has also elevated others like LeBron James over Jordan — a move that some have found head-scratching, considering the run he had alongside His Airness for the better part of a decade. There have been rumblings that Pippen isn't happy with his portrayal in “The Last Dance,” so perhaps there's something of a beef brewing.

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