Scottie Pippen Struggled To Sell Tickets For Charity Game Before Michael Jordan Decided To Play: “Sold Out Within An Hour”

Scottie Pippen Struggled To Sell Tickets For Charity Game Before Michael Jordan Decided To Play: "Sold Out Within An Hour"

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Former NBA player John Starks appeared on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast, where he spoke about the famous Scottie Pippen Ameritech All-Star Classic that was held in 1994. Scottie Pippen had organized the charity game to raise money for underprivileged kids in Chicago and had roped in quite a few NBA players for it.

Starks, Penny Hardaway, and Gary Payton were among them, but it appears their presence, along with Pippen’s, wasn’t a big enough attraction for fans. Starks revealed they were struggling to sell tickets, but all that changed once it was announced that a certain Michael Jordan was going to take part.

“They was having trouble selling tickets,” Starks said. “Then, I guess Scottie obviously asked Michael to play. And soon as they announced he was playing… all the tickets sold out within an hour. That’s when you know you’re around greatness, man. When you get appreciated like that and your name just like is like here [up top].”

Jordan had, of course, retired in 1993 after leading the Chicago Bulls to their third straight NBA championship. He went off to play baseball, but remained the biggest attraction in the basketball world.

The opportunity to see Jordan play after more than a year was one that no fan was going to pass up on. He had initially indicated he wouldn’t play in this game, but Pippen, with whom he had won those three titles, appears to have convinced him to change his mind.

While the fans were thrilled to see Jordan in action, the man himself wasn’t too happy. Starks stated he was pissed at Pippen for stacking his team, and if there is one thing we know by now, it’s that he’s not a man you want to anger.

Jordan scored 52 points to lead Team White to a 187-150 win over Pippen’s Team Red. Starks revealed that after the game, he told his former teammate, “Don’t you ever stack the team against me again.”

Jordan and Pippen wouldn’t be former teammates for much longer, though. He made his grand return to the NBA in 1995, and they’d three-peat again from 1996 to 1998.

These two would remain on good terms in the years that followed, but everything changed after The Last Dance docuseries came out in 2020. Pippen didn’t like it one bit and stated Jordan couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried. He has fired plenty more shots since, and this relationship looks to be beyond repair now. While Jordan hasn’t responded to the shots, it appears he is disappointed to have lost this relationship.