Michael Jordan had a good relationship with Charles Barkley, but disliked his poor work ethic.
By the end of the 1997-98 season, after winning six championships in eight years, the Chicago Bulls disbanded. With that, Michael Jordan retired for the second time, and Scottie Pippen was about to sign a big contract somewhere else.
Playing second fiddle to the controversial GOAT for nine or ten years was one thing, getting a significantly lower pay was another. And for what he accomplished that year, he deserved at least a top five salary in the league.
But what he was getting made him the 122nd best player in the NBA while leading his team to a championship behind MJ. So as soon as the Chicago dynasty disbanded, Scotty decided to team up with Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston.
The Houston Rockets had Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen in 1998-99 and still lost in the first round of the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/dAxad09y7O
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) May 22, 2020
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Michael Jordan warned Scottie Pippen against teaming up with Charles Barkley
Barkley joined two-time NBA champions Olajuwon in 1996 to chase the ring. Pippen tried his luck teaming up with the former MVP. It’s also no surprise he came too late to sign a $67.5 million contract over five years.
Jordan somehow advised Pippen not to team with Barkley a year ago. But he didn’t pick it up. He knew it as soon as he teamed up with Chuck and ended up in a bad environment instead of a Big Three candidate team.
“You should have heard Michael[Jordan]say a year ago that Charles will never win a championship because he doesn’t show dedication,” Pippen told ESPN, Barkley said. He expressed disappointment at Pippen’s desire to leave Houston after just one season.
Scotty had to leave and the Big 3 of fading superstars never worked. By the drop in points, it dropped the most out of the three.
Ultimately, the Rockets were able to trade Pippen to the Blazers before the 1999-2000 season began. The Portland team made an immediate impact as the eventual champion he nearly defeated the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
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Barkley eventually stopped chasing the ring and retired in 2000. He struggled with injuries and failed to maintain fitness, keeping him out of reach with his former players.
Chuckster chose Mike that year and quickly became one of the game’s funniest analysts. Meanwhile, Pippen turns out to be a bitter old man who seems to hate everyone, including Jordan.
