Scottie Pippen scoffed at Charles Barkley saying he went too far with 'sorry fat butt' comments: 'He's always put his teammates down'

Scottie Pippen "thought he was joining a superteam" after the Chicago Bulls sent him to the Houston Rockets in 1998 via a sign-and-trade. But one first-round playoff exit later, he wanted out.

Pippen's Houston exit got ugly, so much so that he and Charles Barkley got into a public feud after the latter claimed he had been blindsided, requesting a public apology from Pip. Scottie, frustrated with Charles' dedication—or lack thereof—during their one-year run with the Rockets, said he "wouldn't give Charles Barkley an apology at gunpoint" and added that if anything, he should've apologized "for coming to play with his fat butt."

Although he himself was never one to mince his words, Chuck felt his former teammate had broken an unwritten law by attacking another athlete. But Scottie scoffed at his comments.

"He's been calling Oliver Miller fat since he's been in the league, and they played together," Pippen said. "He's always put his teammates down."

Barkley's comments on Miller

Throughout his basketball journey, Charles struggled with weight. He even tried to eat his way out of being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, who could only offer him a one-year, $75,000 deal.

The same was the case with Oliver Miller, who, after joining the NBA at 270 lb, reportedly topped out at 380 lb. Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1992 as the 22nd pick, the University of Arkansas product got to share a locker room with Barkley, who was already one of the best players in the Association. The legendary forward recognized Miller's potential as his frontcourt partner but mocked his eating habits by saying, "O could be an All-Star if he learned two words: I'm full."

Given his personality, some would give Charles the benefit of the doubt and say his comments were nothing more than a friendly banter between two teammates. But Scottie didn't see it that way, even though, according to "Big O" himself, Charles treated him well when he joined the Suns.

"He really didn't treat me like a rookie. He took me under his wing and he just taught me the ropes. A lot of the things I learned I learned from him and Mark West. Those two guys taught me a lot my rookie season. If it wasn't for those two guys, I don't really know where I'd be today. They taught me a whole lot, even though I didn't listen right away. It took me a couple of years afterward, but I learned a lot," he said.

Miller, who averaged 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds during his two-year run in Phoenix, signed with the Detroit Pistons in 1994 as a restricted free agent after the Suns decided not to match his offer sheet. Barkley, meanwhile, spent two more years with the organization before signing with the Rockets.