The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1638 - 7: I’m Running Out of Time (Part 3)

Pippen never thought highly of Barkley, secretly accusing him of being a sycophant to Jordan and Gan, "This guy is always kissing Michael and Gan’s asses."

Pippen also believed Barkley was completely undisciplined. His so-called "great season" declaration lasted only a week before he fell back into his habits with gigantic burgers and Coca-Cola, often showing up late to training.

In Pippen’s eyes, Barkley was simply a clown seeking attention by sucking up to others. His abilities were overrated, and he relied on clinging to Gan and Jordan to gain public recognition, making money through advertisements and endorsements.

Barkley, of course, was furious. He thought Pippen was purely jealous—jealous of his friendship with Jordan and Gan and the vast sums of money he made from endorsements and commercials.

Barkley’s contract with the Nets wasn’t large, much smaller than Pippen’s, but he still made as much money due to the endorsements and advertisements.

When the team was doing well, their conflict wasn’t obvious, kept in check by Olajuwon and Doug Rivers.

But when they were on the edge of a cliff, Rivers hoped they could put aside their differences and unite for victory to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

Instead, Pippen seized the opportunity to complain, saying he could have been a great three-point shooter but the team gave Olajuwon and Barkley too much control, preventing him from showcasing his three-point skills.

The Nets were a disorganized mess. Fan Huo’en openly stated that he didn’t really admire Pippen. He privately told reporters, "This guy thinks he’s Michael Jordan, wanting to become the all-encompassing leader as soon as he joined the team. But honestly, he doesn’t have that capability; he’s not Michael."

In his second year as a rookie, Fan Huo’en had to sit on the bench because of the presence of veterans.

In contrast, the Pacers were very united, undaunted by the fact that Game 7 was in New Jersey.

They instead united as one, giving their all at the Continental Airlines Arena, battling four intense quarters. In the crucial final moments, Miller hit a game-winning three-pointer.

The miscommunication between Pippen and Barkley on defense led to Pippen being left unguarded, allowing the catch and shoot three-pointer to score.

Ultimately, the Pacers defeated the multi-star New Jersey Nets on the road with a 95-91 victory by a three-point margin.

They made an incredible comeback from a 1-3 series deficit to win 4-3 and advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Nets thus became yet another team in the playoffs to squander a 3-1 lead, ultimately getting overturned and eliminated.

Ironically, before the game, Doug Rivers was awarded the Coach of the Year honor for his outstanding record during the rookie season of coaching the 1998-1999 season.

For Rivers, it was both a failure and a successful season.

The team lost, a super roster being spectacularly overturned in the playoffs.

Personally, he won, earning the Coach of the Year, solidifying his position in the league.

The brief collaboration between Barkley, Pippen, and Olajuwon, the last gamble in the twilight of their careers, had likely come to an end.

Back in the locker room, an enraged Barkley threw a chair against the wall, while Pippen continued to blame Barkley for competing with him to guard Miller in the final moments.

"Because you didn’t even defend!"

"You blocked my defensive path!"

The two attacked each other, reaching a point of no return.

Pippen delivered a critical blow to Barkley, saying, "You ought to cling to Gan’s leg a long time ago instead of pretending to chase your own championship! You don’t have much time left!"

Barkley, initially furious, felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over him after hearing Pippen’s words, and suddenly calmed down.

He looked at Pippen’s horse-like face, felt his chest rise and fall, with his heart filled with indignant and unmanageable emotions, and remained silent for several seconds.

"Maybe you’re right, Scottie, I don’t have much time left."

After speaking, Barkley took off and headed to the shower.

Following this game, Barkley left New Jersey and never returned.