02 March 2023 , 19:16
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Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa has revealed she never planned to date Marcus Jordan, son of Chicago Bulls icon Michael.
The 48-year-old was asked about the dynamic between Pippen and Jordan during their time together on the Bulls, which yielded six NBA championships during a dominant run in the 1990s. However, it has been widely reported that the pair don’t see eye-to-eye after the airing of The Last Dance.
Jordan’s 10-part docuseries about the legendary Bulls team was released by ESPN in early 2020 and it has seemingly driven a wedge between the two players, with Pippen upset by how he was confined to the role of sidekick. Pippen - who last played in the NBA in 2004 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 - criticised the series for focusing significantly on Jordan rather than acting as an account of the team as a whole.
Jordan presented Pippen when he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and two years later the pair publicly reunited at a surprise birthday party for the forward - but their relationship soured after The Last Dance. On Monday during an appearance on the ‘Tamron Hall Show’, Larsa was asked about the star Bulls duo as well as her relationship with Jordan’s son Marcus.
“I can’t basically explain how someone else feels,” Larsa said. “That’s how Scottie feels. He has a right to the way he feels.
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“I personally don’t really care about how other people … I feel like I live my truth. I’m happy. We [her and Marcus] get along. He’s my best friend.”
When Hall asked Larsa why she would date Jordan’s son when she could go for anybody in the world, she insisted the 32-year-old was never on her radar. She added: “I didn’t plan it like that. It wasn’t like it was planned like that, I think we were just together a lot with our friends and it just happened.
Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan won six NBA titles together with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s (TNS via Getty Images)
Larsa and Scottie Pippen split after 24 years of marriage (Getty Images for Haute Living)“You gotta remember, I feel like for me, being married to someone that was an athlete, it’s really hard. You get scrutinised a lot. People don’t think you should have a life once you get divorced. They think once you’re divorced, you’re done. I feel like I’ve overcome so many different obstacles because I feel like I should have love. I should be able to date who I want. I should be able to live happy and go wherever I want to go and not be judged every time I’m seen with someone.”
Larsa and Pippen finalised their divorce in December 2021, five years after they initially split before reconciling. The pair married in 1997 and share four children: Scotty Jr. (22), Preston (21), Justin (18), and Sophia (14).
When asked if she feels as though she has Jordan’s blessing to date his son, Larsa added: “Yeah, I feel like we’re great. Yeah. I feel like we’ve spent holidays together and it’s good. We’re in a great place.”
Larsa met Marcus for the first time four years ago at a party in Los Angeles after they were introduced by a mutual friend. They celebrated their first Valnetine’s Day together last month.
Larsa previously dated Lakers guard Malik Beasley, whom she reportedly split from in April 2021. Following his trade to the Lakers ahead to the NBA trade deadline, Beasley is now teammates with her rookie son Scotty Jr.