Scottie Pippen felt puzzled, uncomprehending, and incredulous at Phil Jackson's decisiveness.
He had thought his threat would be powerful, but Phil Jackson made the cruelest decision for Pippen in the gentlest tone.
He was ignored.
His rage, his unwillingness, all of it was worthless in front of Phil Jackson.
Once again, Pippen tried to emulate Michael Jordan and failed miserably.
From the first day of the training camp, Pippen had been imitating Jordan.
He wanted to use a rookie to establish his authority, but he failed.
He wanted to gain the locker room's respect with his performance during the season, but he failed.
Now, he wanted to forcefully take back control of the ball like Jordan, and he failed again.
People always said Roger wanted to replace Jordan, but in reality, it was Pippen who most wanted to replace Jordan. He imitated Jordan because he wanted to be Jordan.
Only his abilities were so lacking that nobody could see his intention.