Scottie Pippen Calls Phil Jackson's Toni Kukoc Play A "Racial Move"

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Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen believes Jackson's play call was racially motivated.

Back in 1994, Scottie Pippen was forced to play without Michael Jordan for the very first time. Pippen was thrust into the superstar role for the Bulls and for the most part, they had a decent season. While they were eventually eliminated by the New York Knicks, there is no denying that Pippen had a formidable campaign without Jordan. However, his playoff run was sullied after a bizarre moment in the dying moments of a game in the Knicks series. Head coach Phil Jackson drew up a play that had Toni Kukoc taking the final shot. Kukoc went on to score the bucket although Pippen was so mad that he wouldn't even play the dying seconds.

Now, in a new interview with GQ, Pippen is speaking out about the moment and he is still upset about it all. In fact, the NBA legend accused Jackson of drawing up a play that was racially motivated. Simply put, Pippen believes Jackson wanted a white European to get the glory.

Scottie Pippen Calls Phil Jackson's Toni Kukoc Play A "Racial Move"
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"I don’t think it’s a mystery, you need to read between the fine lines. It was my first year playing without Michael Jordan, why wouldn’t I be taking that last shot?" Pippen said. "I been through all the ups and downs, the battles with the Pistons and now you gonna insult me and tell me to take it out? I thought it was a pretty low blow. I felt like it was an opportunity to give [Kukoc] a rise. It was a racial move to give him a rise. After all I’ve been through with this organization, now you’re gonna tell me to take the ball out and throw it to Toni Kukoc? You’re insulting me. That’s how I felt."

This is certainly quite the accusation to make and throughout the interview, Pippen continued to voice his displeasure over the situation. The entire ordeal was documented in "The Last Dance" although Pippen feels like his side wasn't properly heard. With this new interview, he has made a massive statement.

Scottie Pippen Calls Phil Jackson's Toni Kukoc Play A "Racial Move"
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

[Via]


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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