Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan have consistently made headlines since September 2022 when they were first rumoured to be in love.
With the couple now rumoured to be looking for a wedding venue, you’d think their relationship was smooth sailing, but despite the duo’s romance blossoming, the pair have copped criticism from all corners.
On the surface, their 16-year age gap seemed to be the problem, but basketball fans have highlighted that a deeper family feud is bubbling underneath.
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After Marcus Jordan’s dad – NBA legend Michael Jordan – voiced his disapproval of the relationship, more details of the couple’s relationship have come to light.
Read below to understand the connection between Scottie Pippen, Larsa Pippen, Marcus Jordan and Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s feud
Now, to understand the connection between the four, it’s important to note the relationship between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have known each other since the early days of their NBA careers in the 1980s, and were initially friends.
The basketball duo were icons on the court, winning a total of six league championships while playing for the Chicago Bulls in the 90s.
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Two years after Michael Jordan’s 2003 retirement, Scottie Pippen also retired, but even then the pair remained friends.
When they were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the pair stood proudly by each other, sharing praise and kind words about each other whenever given the opportunity.
But that all changed with the release of ESPN’s docuseries, The Last Dance, in 2020.
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After watching the 10-part series, which was co-produced by Jordan’s production company, Pippen was furious.
Although the show was supposed to be a reflection of the Bulls’ 1997 to 1998 season, Pippen criticised the project for its focus on Jordan’s personal story.
In his 2021 memoir Unguarded, Pippen did not hold back as he took a swing at his ex-teammate.
“They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates,” he wrote, claiming that Jordan “deserved a large portion of the blame” since he had editorial control over the project.
“I was nothing more than a prop. His ‘best teammate of all time’ he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried,” he added.
“Michael could shoot six for 24 from the field, commit five turnovers, and he was still, in the minds of the adoring press and public, the Errorless Jordan… Now here I was, in my mid-50s, 17 years since my final game, watching us being demeaned once again. Living through it the first time was insulting enough.”
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Marcus Jordan and Larsa Pippen start dating
Three years after the feud between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen became public knowledge, Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus Jordan, and Scott Pippen’s ex-wife, Larsa Pippen, announced their relationship.
Scottie Pippen was married to the Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa Pippen (née Younan) for 24 years after their 1997 wedding.
Their relationship became the centre of all sorts of bizarre rumours, and after outsiders criticised their 16-year age gap, some suggested that Larsa Pippen used to babysit Marcus when he was younger, a claim he later denied.
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“I feel like a lot of people thought we knew each other our whole lives,” Larsa said in a July episode of the pair’s podcast Separation Anxiety. “Like I threw your fifth birthday or something – no.”
Marcus chimed in: “I think that is one of the things I kind of had to restrain myself from commenting to on social media, because it’s the most common thing people say, ‘Oh you used to babysit me’ or we knew each other when I was real young or whatever.”
He added: “…It’s funny, people that don’t know or are misinformed obviously make assumptions… I’m thankful for this podcast because it’s a chance to set the record straight.”
In a recent interview on the Pablo Torre Finds Out show, Larsa and Marcus explained why their unexpected romance works.
“It’s awkward,” Larsa, 49, said. “It’s weird. I get it. But to us, it’s not weird.”
She added: “It’s probably weird to the world because our last names are known to basketball history.”
Although admitting that “aesthetically it probably doesn’t look good”, the TV personality confessed the relationship was too good to let go of as a result of outside noise.
“There were so many pros and the cons were our last names and that’s literally what it was,” she said. “I’m not concerned with my ex or Marcus’ dad. We’re both adults.”
The Real Housewives of Miami star and the Trophy Room founder first met through mutual friends at a party in Los Angeles in 2019 and became friends.
By the end of 2022 however, things were heating up, and by November, Pippen joined the Jordan family for Thanksgiving.
Michael Jordan voices disapproval
The 60-year-old former basketballer didn’t shy away from voicing his disapproval of his son dating Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife.
The NBA legend was leaving dinner with his wife in Paris when TMZ took the opportunity to ask for his thoughts on Marcus and Larsa’s relationship in July.
In a video from outside the Matignon restaurant, Michael laughed at the question before simply replying: “No!”.
While his response was kept short, the basketball icon made his feelings crystal clear.