That’s one way to avoid the awkwardness.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen both opted not to attend the Bulls’ inaugural Ring of Honor gala that featured 13 players, coaches and executives being inducted.
“I actually don’t know how much effort went into it,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said of Jordan and Pippen, the stars of the team’s six-championship dynasty in the 90s, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
“Obviously, it would be better if everybody were here, but we knew going in that not everybody could be here. I believe Michael recorded something.”
Jordan and Pippen had told the Bulls in advance they were not going to make it, while another star — Dennis Rodman — was expected to be there and did not show, according to the Sun Times.
Pippen has taken multiple public shots at Jordan since the 2020 release of “The Last Dance” documentary that featured Jordan and other members of the Bulls chronicling the dynasty.
Pippen was displeased about how he was portrayed in the documentary.
“I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to the Bulls; you guys seen him play,” the Hall of Fame forward said on the “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast in May 2023.
“[Jordan] was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with. He was all 1-on-1, he’s shooting bad shots. And all of a sudden, we become a team and we start winning, everybody forgot who he was.”
Pippen was fired from his role at a Bulls ambassador in 2020 and, according to the report, efforts to repair the relationship have failed.
The festivities will also include a halftime celebration during Friday night’s game against the Warriors, which allowed former sharpshooter and current Golden State coach Steve Kerr to be in attendance Thursday.
Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Phil Jackson, Artis Gilmore, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Bob Love, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Tex Winter are all being enshrined — as well as the 1995-96 team that won a record-breaking 72 games.
Jackson, Kukoc, Luc Longley and Ron Harper were among those who attended Thursday night.
Jordan sent in a video thanking the organization and shared his disappointment with being unable to attend.
“I am so bummed that I can’t be there tonight, but I don’t want that to stop the fun that you guys are going to have,” Jordan said in the video that played Thursday night.
“And believe me, I am very grateful and very honored. To the fans, you guys have supported me ever since I stepped foot in Chicago. And even today, I see a lot of Chicago fans all over. So, I think we made an impression and changed what Chicago represents in terms of champions. Every time you look up in the rafters, I want you to always remember, where we were and where we are. And we are always going to be champions.”
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