Charles Barkley doesn’t think there are any winners in Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan’s relationship.
“I feel bad for Michael [Jordan]. I feel bad for Scottie [Pippen]. That is so messy,” Barkley, 61, said during the Wednesday, May 1, episode of Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. “I don’t like messy because when it’s messy everybody has an opinion on it.”
Larsa, 49, and Scottie, 58, tied the knot in 1997. The exes, who had an on-and-off relationship, share four kids: Scotty Jr., 23, Preston, 22, Justin, 19, and Sophia, 15. Larsa and Scottie split for good in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2021. The following year, Larsa began dating Marcus, 33, who is the son of Michael. While Michael, 61, and Scottie were teammates on the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, the athletes have had a public rivalry for years off the court.
“Everybody has an opinion and you know the Internet is not a place for messy,” Barkley said of the Larsa and Marcus’ romance. “And you have to understand that there’s a lot of kids involved and people are mean.”
Scottie Pippen: Michael Jordan Was a ‘Horrible Player’ Before the Bulls
Barkley, who played in the NBA at the same time as Scottie and Michael, added that he wouldn’t be thrilled if one of his teammates started dating his daughter. (Barkley shares daughter Christiana, 35, with wife Maureen Blumhardt.)
“There are no winners. There are only losers,” he said. “Obviously, Michael and Scottie’s relationship can’t ever be the same.”
After Larsa and Marcus confirmed they were dating, Michael shared that he did not approve of his son’s new relationship. Larsa later revealed that she was “traumatized” and taken aback by Michael’s candidness. However, Marcus chalked the remark up to his dad’s sense of humor.
“I’m dying laughing when I read the headline. I know my dad,” Marcus said during a July 2023 episode of his and Larsa’s “Separation Anxiety” podcast. “Part of our DNA is to talk s—t. He’s being playful. He’s laughing. He’s a little lit. I didn’t put too much weight into it.”
While Larsa and Marcus’ connection was strong in their first year together, the pair hit a roadblock in February. Larsa raised eyebrows during Super Bowl weekend when she wiped all mention of Marcus from her social media. Us Weekly confirmed that the duo had called it quits after one year of dating.
Larsa Pippen, Marcus Jordan Expected at ‘Traitors’ Reunion After Split
Before their breakup, Larsa and Marcus competed on season 2 of The Traitors. The exes filmed the reunion special together one month after their split. While chatting with Andy Cohen, Marcus confessed that the pair hit “a speed bump” but they were doing fine.
After the reunion aired in March, Larsa and Marcus split again and unfollowed each other from social media. Later that month, Larsa opened up about her breakup and told Us that she and Marcus were on “different journeys.”
However, one month later, the exes were spotted holding hands while walking on the beach in Miami. Neither Larsa nor Marcus has shared if they rekindled their relationship.