Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won six NBA championships together, but that clearly hasn't resulted in the two sharing a friendship throughout their retirements. It was reported after the 2020 release of The Last Dance that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in Jordan's documentary, but he refuted those claims.

Pippen even asked reporters why he would be offended by the documentary's portrayal of “anything that happened 30 years ago.” But the Hall of Famer didn't necessarily help his case with a recent advertisement for Mr. Pibb soda. He joked that the only reason he, representing Mr. Pibb soda, isn't seen as the “GOAT” is because of propaganda. That media, according to the commercial, has influenced the public into believing Jordan – presumably representing rival beverage Dr. Pepper – is superior.

It's unknown whether or not the spot was made entirely in jest or in part as a slight to Jordan. But it still inspired a question about their perceived feud to Bill Wennington, an ex-teammate of the two Bulls stars, from SiriusXM NBA Radio's David Shepard. The host asked the big man, who played in Chicago from 1993 to 1999, about his Hall of Fame teammates. Wennington discussed his desire for the two to mend things, emphasizing their situation shouldn't be beyond fixing.

“I would have 'em just start, look at each other, and remember what really happened back then,” the three-time NBA champion told Shepard. “Because there's been a lot between then … And those things, said, done – good, bad, ugly – a lot of things are said. If you're married, or have a brother or sister, you say things when you're angry sometimes, that you know you don't mean. But they hurt. And we've got to get over that. Because we're not going to be here forever.”

Wennington believes Jordan, Pippen should mend fences

The commercial features Pippen in a The Last Dance-esque setting, with a voiceover discussing “a decade-long plot built on marketing” and social media. It cites them as having fooled the public into believing that “Pipp” is second-best, not the “GOAT.” Pippen himself added “multi-part documentaries” to the list of propaganda that has skewed the public's beliefs.

The spot seems to have been made in good humor, even with Wennington implying in the interview that any feud stems from events during and after Jordan and Pippen's playing careers. The center said that the importance of Jordan and Pippen working to mend their relationship boils down to one simple factor: the 1990s Bulls have already suffered several losses.

“We're getting older, and we've already lost a couple of people from that team, coaches and players wise,” Wennington said. “And eventually, it's going to be too late… It's the people that we played with, and people that make life special. And you don't want to say, ‘Ah, I should've said something,' because it's too late, and you can't.”

Regardless of how the ad was intended, Wennington's point is valid. It'd be great for basketball if Jordan and Pippen could make amends.