Craig Hodges on Scottie Pippen: I think he was better than Michael Jordan from a natural standpoint

Craig Hodges: Scottie and Horace, they used to keep things so lighthearted because they were silly young folks. But they played hard, and they got better every day. I think that’s the thing—Pip became better with every touch. And I think, you know, when they named him to the Top 50, it took his confidence to a different level. But I think he felt that MJ could’ve done more from a business side to help him, you know what I’m saying? From a side of saying, ‘All right—think of how many professional athletes today and from yesteryear who gave a piece of themselves contractually in order to keep my boy here,’ you know what I’m saying? And I think Scottie wanted a little bit of that to happen. And you know, sometimes… the friendship and… like—I saw a piece the other day where they were asking Scottie if he and Michael ever had dinner together. He was like, ‘No.’ -via YouTube / May 7, 2025

For years, there were whispers that Jordan and Pippen used that game to “send a message” to Kukoc over tensions with then-GM Jerry Krause. But Kukoc dismissed any notion of Michael trash-talking. “No I don’t think so,” he said. “Michael was one of those guys if you don’t wake him up, then he’s gonna play… but if you’re going to start talking trash to him, make SURE that you can cover it! Because if you can’t, he’ll hit you for 45-50 and make you feel each and EVERY bucket he scores.” -via ScoopB.com / May 6, 2025

“So coming up and sort of growing up, was that difficult? Like how were you able to sort of find your own lane and stick to that?” Scotty Pippen Jr: “Yeah, I think it’s difficult just because people just put, you know, a perspective on you on how they think you move and how they think you act just because of your dad. You know, I feel like we’re seeing it with Deion Sanders and his son and then, you know, LeBron and Bronnie. Um, for me, I feel like it was tough just because I feel like I wasn’t given fair treatment. People kind of just overlooked me because of my dad. I feel like the name might have hurt me more than it helped me sometimes, and it’s unfair for us, but at the end of the day, I feel like we’re all — the three, you know, kids you named — are doing well.” -via YouTube / April 29, 2025

Craig Hodges: So (Michael Jordan) tells us to pick him up on the way back to the game. We pick him up—he still has his sweats on. You know MJ normally comes to the game suited and booted, right? But he’s still got his sweats on. We pick him up, he gets on the bus: ‘Yeah, man, I’m feeling good.’ Right? Bubbly. You could smell the beer on him. He had 30 at halftime. He’s going through warmups, and he’s like, ‘Man, I’m seeing three rims. I’m going to shoot at the one in the middle.’” -via YouTube / May 7, 2025

Craig Hodges: “If you got better with MJ, you got better. It wasn’t never gonna be like—man, brother. Kobe would give you kudos if you getting better. That—I didn’t see that. I didn’t feel that with MJ. I was around him. And I seen how many players went the other direction because of how he demoralized them with his bravado. You know what I’m saying? Where it was unnecessary. You didn’t have to do that to that brother—because it’s a dirt. And that’s the thing—it’s a certain and different mentality and personality that we deal with too. Some players are hardcore and can deal with it. But other players gonna back up and, you know, subside to it.” -via YouTube / May 3, 2025

What stands out most in Gordon’s already one-of-a-kind warehouse gym home are the celebrity icons from different genres. Many are no longer with us. Gordon chose each specifically for daily motivation. A young Obama smoking marijuana. Einstein. Athletes including Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Tony Hawk, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Pele, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Jackie Robinson. Dancer Josephine Baker. Actor and martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Musicians Billie Holliday, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Jimmy Hendrix, B.B. King, Notorious B.I.G., Nipsey Hussle, Michael Jackson and Mac Miller. Olympic activists John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Comedian Richard Pryor. Actor Heath Ledger. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. Civil rights activist and Muslim minister Malcolm X. Filmmaker Spike Lee. Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Antiapartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Legendary sports journalist Stuart Scott. Poet Maya Angelou. “I got everybody there from Muhammad Ali to Bruce Lee,” Aaron Gordon said. “You have greatness looking at you. You can’t be [joking around]. It makes you want to not bulls—.” -via Andscape / May 6, 2025