CHAPTER 1049: CHAPTER 338: THE TURNING POINT OF THEIR FATE

Scottie Pippen felt a bit awkward. Although he and Jordan had won three consecutive championships together, and although he had known Jordan longer, as it stands, his personal relationship with Jordan was not as close as Roger’s.

After leaving Jordan, Pippen had publicly stated multiple times that "Michael was not as good as Roger."

Their personal relationship was quite distant. In fact, they hadn’t contacted each other privately for many years.

Seeing his old teammate again, Pippen didn’t even know how to greet him.

Michael Jordan, with a cigar in his mouth, squinted and smiled, "Last time we faced off, I didn’t really notice. You’ve gotten so old, Scottie."

"Ha, are you young?"

Pippen sat down but didn’t sit too close to Jordan. This clearly showed an obvious gap between the two old teammates.

"I really didn’t expect that at the end of our careers, we could still be teammates. Fate is truly marvelous."

"If I could choose, I’d rather not. Michael, this is my retirement season. I just want to seriously play well for the Hawks’ fans in every game. I know what you’re thinking, you egomaniac, but let me tell you, no way. The management brought you and Darius in just to tank for the lottery. The Hawks are crazed for Dwight Howard. They hope to use this 18-year-old top talent to lure Roger back home. So don’t stir things up. Don’t try to pressure us. In the Hawks’ locker room, no one will listen to you."

Pippen didn’t want to bear the pressure anymore. He had been tired for over a decade, bearing pressure most of the time, as he spent most of his career playing under the most pressuring leaders in NBA history, Michael Jordan and Roger.

Looking back on those days now, besides the glory, Scottie Pippen also felt suffocated, not knowing how he managed to endure those years.

This season, he just wanted to enjoy the final joy of playing and then exit amidst cheers and flowers.

Pippen knew what Michael Jordan intended to do, but he really didn’t want to cooperate anymore.

"Right, right, not a man can refuse the top 18-year-old talent." Jordan nodded, not refuting.

"So just peacefully play for half a season, then retire and go home to enjoy yourself. Honestly, Michael, I don’t even know why you came back."

"A useless guy like you wouldn’t understand me, but Roger can."

"What did you say? You son of a bitch, don’t damn well call me that, you have no right to lecture me!" Pippen pointed at Jordan’s nose. He didn’t want to remain under this bastard anymore.

He now had seven rings, more than twice that of Michael Jordan. When Michael Jordan retired, Scottie Pippen was still active in the league, participating in all four of Roger’s championships in Atlanta.

He didn’t believe he was inferior to Michael Jordan now.

"What did I say wrong? You’re just a loser, only thinking about some retirement tour. Wake up, Scottie, no one wants to see your retirement tour. Who do you think you are, Roger?"

"Scram, Michael. Now I know why LeBron James kicked you out." Pippen got up to leave. After all these years, this bastard hadn’t changed a bit, he deserved to be kicked out by LeBron James.

Jordan shouted, "If you really want to be remembered, then do something in your last year! Scottie, you know LeBron’s heat, you know the fans’ expectations of him, what’s more glorious than stepping into the playoffs over LeBron James’ head as a retirement tour!? If you pull it off, it will be your last glory in your career! Our careers are ending, the era has changed, even Roger, the high schooler back then, is playing his 11th season! Everything is ending, and would you be content to just leave as a passerby?"

Scottie Pippen stopped in his tracks. Yes, everything was about to end. This was the last year of his career. Once it’s over, there would be no more Scottie Pippen on the television broadcasts.

So, was he really just going to passively spend his last year in failure?

He recalled the words Roger had said many years ago but still left a deep impression: "We can only win, sprint to death on this path."

He couldn’t stop, not even in the final year of his career, as long as he was still on this path, he couldn’t stop.

Seeing Pippen not continuing out the door, Michael Jordan knew he had wavered.

Jordan stood up, walked to Pippen, and handed him a cigar, "You and I, everyone thinks we’re old guys half into the grave. Let’s go, Scottie, let’s turn everything around!"

Atlanta and Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan never thought he would end up playing for a team filled with Roger’s influential aura. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan didn’t yet know, his destiny with Roger was far more intertwined than just in Atlanta.

From the beginning, the destinies of these two people were indivisible.

Meanwhile, watching Michael Jordan being traded to Atlanta, Roger deeply understood the difference between fate and misfortune.

As Scottie Pippen enjoyed the exclusive affection of Atlanta fans, someone else suddenly appeared and took his spotlight.

It was just like back when he and Stevie Smith were discussing how to establish themselves in Atlanta, only for a Roger to suddenly fall from the sky.