Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr Talk Michael Jordan, Bulls Ahead of 'The Last Dance'

Just days ahead of the release of The Last Dance, Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr sat down to discuss what playing that final season with the Chicago Bulls meant. 

Pippen told ESPN's Rachel Nichols: 

"It was a special thing. That path, that journey, that last three seasons. It was some of the greatest years of my life. Hanging out with these guys, knowing it was our last season, we really embraced it, we did a lot of things together. Phil made it a lot of fun for us. Some of those memories that you wish you could relive over and over again."

Starting Sunday, ESPN will debut a 10-part series on the 1997-98 Bulls that chronicles the final year that Michael Jordan, Pippen, Kerr, Dennis Rodman and coach Phil Jackson spent together in Chicago.

Kerr, a reserve guard on that team who is now the Golden State Warriors head coach, said:

"Phil called it the last dance before the season even started because we were all free agents after the year ended. But because it was our third straight year trying to win a championship, everybody was exhausted. That's what I remember. Just the fatigue. Dennis [Rodman], he was all over the map. Some days he didn't show up to practice, we didn't know where he was. It just felt like the end, but we found a way to get it done."

Jordan and Jackson (temporarily) retired in 1998, while the Bulls either traded or watched nearly every remaining player leave via free agency. The destruction of the Bulls roster is viewed as one of the worst personnel decisions in NBA history; the franchise has gotten past the second round of the playoffs just once in the years since.

While most of the behind-the-scenes workings will be left to the documentary, Kerr and Pippen did briefly touch on one lighthearted topic: Jordan's love of gambling. Nichols retold a legendary story of Jordan being tipped off by the arena video crew of who would win predetermined games the Bulls showed on their video board and would then bet people on the outcome.

Kerr and Pippen confirmed the veracity of the story, though they noted that Jordan never bet them directly.

"We used to have a security guy sitting at the head of our bench—his name is John Capps, he's now passed away, but Capps would bet Michael every game. The only way Capps would win if he was able to pick the right one because, if Michael picked, obviously he knew he was gonna win. He probably beat the guy out of about $4,100."