Scottie Pippen didn't expect to hear from anyone after "The Last Dance" aired.
Perhaps a few reached out, but only two calls stood out to him. One came from Michael Jordan . The other came from John Paxsons, a teammate he hadn't been close with in years.
"Two days later, I received a text from John Paxson, the starting point guard from our first two championships, who later became the Bulls' general manager and then vice president of basketball operations," Pippen wrote in "Unguarded," his 2021 memoir.
The message came at a moment when Pippen's frustration with the documentary was still fresh. The final episodes had just aired and the spotlight on Jordan's story had left Pippen and others feeling overlooked. He had played a central role in every Bulls title. But the series, in his view, didn't show that. The reaction was personal and Paxson understood that without needing it explained.
"Hey Pip ... it's Pax. Michael Reinsdorf [Jerry's son, who runs the franchise] gave me your number," Pippen wrote, recounting the exchange with Paxson. "
"Just want you to know I respected everything about you as a teammate. F—ing narratives can be told, but I rely on my real experiences. Watched you grow from a rook ... to a pro. Don't let others, including the media, define you. You are successful and valued and I have always felt lucky to be your teammate," John told him.
Paxson hadn't been on great terms with Pippen for a while. Their relationship had cooled during the years Paxson moved into management and they hadn't spoken much. So when the text came through, it caught Pippen off guard.
It came across like someone who understood what needed to be said and didn't have an agenda.
He didn't try to speak for the team or explain the documentary away. He focused on what he knew firsthand. He had been there during the early years, had watched Pippen grow into a leader, and had shared enough of the grind to know what it meant. That message landed in a way that few others could have pulled off.
Pippen said only Paxson and Jordan reached out. In his mind, that made sense. They were the two who could actually understand what had bothered him. But the way they reached out wasn't the same.
Paxson's words felt real. He didn't tiptoe around anything or try to smooth things over. He just told the truth as he saw it and left the rest alone.
The documentary put the spotlight on the Bulls, but it left some people feeling like parts of the story were missing. Pippen didn't think it was balanced. He didn't feel like the credit was shared fairly and he believed the team's success was made to look like the result of one person's will.
That's what bothered him. It wasn't about needing more attention but was more about knowing what the rest of them had given and not seeing it reflected in the way the story was told.
Paxson's message didn't try to smooth that over. He didn't explain anything away or speak on anyone else's behalf. He just reached out to say what he saw during those years, and how much it had mattered to him.
That message stood out to Pippen. Their relationship hadn't been strong in a long time. They had gone through a lot of silence and a lot of disagreement, especially once Paxson moved into the front office. But for a moment, none of that mattered. And for Pippen, that meant something.
Pippen didn't say whether the message led to a long conversation or a full reconciliation, but it left an impression. It reminded him that people see things differently depending on where they sit. It also reminded him that not everyone forgot what really happened during those years.
When a documentary reaches millions of people, it reshapes how a story gets remembered.
But sometimes, the most meaningful moments don't happen in front of a camera.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
