It’s a beautiful afternoon in mid-May and we’re at the Pippens home for a “Day in the Life” shoot with Tissot, and Justin and Scottie are going back and forth in their game of PIG. Well, initially, they were playing HORSE, but as the ball continued to find the net, both father and son quickly realized they’d be there until dusk if they didn’t make a pivot. So, PIG it is.

Scottie’s got just one letter; P, while Justin looks to save himself from elimination on the right wing. As soon as the shot clanks off the back iron, Scottie begins to celebrate. But Justin still has a shot at redemption. Right?

“I feel like I defeated that kid twice,” Scottie explains. “I’ve played PIG numerous times in my life, and I’ve never heard of you getting a second shot after you miss. I went with his rules, but in my world, I won twice. But in his world, he won once. So, I’ll let him win once.”

In Justin’s mind, and by the book for some players, if you miss your first shot on the last letter of PIG, you automatically receive a second shot to redeem yourself. If you make the second, you play on. If you miss, game over.

“There was not a new rule,” Justin says in his defense. “We played PIG, he had me at P-I and then for the last shot on G, you get two shots if you miss it. I don’t know [how] he never heard that. That’s how me and my brothers grew up playing. I can call [them] right now and I’ll ask [them] and [they’ll] tell me the same thing.”

Right on cue, the youngest Pippen whips out his phone and Facetimes his older brother Scotty Pippen Jr., who just finished his second season in the League with the Memphis Grizzlies. There’s no brotherly catchup, no “How are you doin?” It’s straight to business. Justin asks and Scotty Jr. answers: “When we grew up playing, yeah.”

Competitiveness runs in the Pippen family, from the hardwood to Connect 4 and Monopoly. As we prepare to walk with the two through a typical day in their lives, both father and son are giving each other a hard time. The quips aren’t negative, they’re purposeful. As Scottie puts it, the banter builds a competitive edge while instilling confidence. Coaches say it all the time: “Worry when I’m not giving you a hard time.”

Scottie’s got six NBA championships to his name, Scotty Pippen Jr.’s carving out the beginnings of his career in the L after dicing up the SEC at Vanderbilt. Now, it’s Justin’s turn.

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This list is also featured in our special issue, SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time. Shop here.

Check out the full list below to see who our number one is and where your favorite team ranks. We expect that there will be some disgruntled fans out there, but that’s what makes this fun, right?

No. 66-75

Last but certainly not least. From the 1997-98 Pacers who put up a fight against the Chicago Bulls’ “Last Dance” squad to the 2018-19 Raptors that made history in the 6.

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No. 65-55

These squads set the foundation for greatness to come. The birth of the Celtics dynasty with Bill Russell to the 2004-2005 Phoenix Suns had the best record in the L.

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No. 54-44

Rewriting history. The 2003-04 Pistons that ended the Lakers’ Finals run to Milwaukee’s first title.

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No. 43-33

Heavyweights turned champions. From the 1983-84 Celtics that brought the ‘chip back to the Bean over LA to the 2011-12 Heat that won LeBron James his first ring.

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No. 32-22

Tight spaces and pressure packed situations formed these teams into dynasties. From the 2001-02 Lakers completing the three-peat, to the Spurs squad that gave Tim Duncan his third ring.

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No. 21-11

These squads made history. The 2015-16 Warriors that won 73 games to the Cavaliers team that upset them in that same Finals.

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No. 10

Back to back. Miami became the first Eastern Conference team to repeat as champions since the “Last Dance” Bulls.

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No. 9

At the height of their dominance in 2000-01, the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers generated one of the best postseason runs ever when they lost just one game in the 2001 playoffs.

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No. 8

Paid in Full. The early 80’s were mostly dominated by the Lakers and Celtics, but the 1982-83 Sixers, led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone, swept LA in the Finals.

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No. 7

The first of six rings for Jordan, this Bulls squad redeemed themselves when they swept the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and then defeated the Lakers in five.

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No. 6

A revenge tour and Magic’s first regular-season MVP, this “Showtime” Lakers team returned to the Finals after missing it the previous season.

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No. 5

A coin flip in ’69 allowed the Bucks to draft Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which brought a championship in his second season as he averaged over 30 points per game and earned MVP honors. Legendary.

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No. 4

Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics were flying high in the mid 80’s. Larry himself won his second Finals MVP trophy in ’86.

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No. 3

The opening act before Showtime. The Lakers capped off a tremendous season and brought vindication to the franchise. Wilt Chamberlain was the Finals MVP, and Jerry West could finally feel like a winner.

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No. 2

One of the most talented teams ever assembled in the L, the Warriors lost only a single game during the 2017 playoffs. Adding Kevin Durant made their 2016-17 squad unstoppable.

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No. 1

Top 2 and they’re not 2. The 1995-96 Bulls weathered a perfect storm; getting Michael Jordan back in full form, adding Dennis Rodman, the Bulls won their fourth title.

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To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 72-10

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, Bill Wennington

In February 1996, while the Bulls were warming up for a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, a man ran out of the stands and onto the court, where Michael Jordan was practicing some free throws. The man threw himself at Jordan’s feet and remained there for several seconds before being removed from the arena by security.

Some people may have been unnerved by the display of homage, however strange it may have been, but it didn’t rattle Jordan. He and the Bulls rolled past the Lakers, 99-84, yet another convincing performance by the greatest team in NBA history.

It’s not like the Bulls hadn’t been great before. They won three titles from 1991-93. But then Jordan decided to play some baseball, and though he returned during the ’94-95 campaign, it was too late to lift Chicago to another championship. All that changed the following season, when Jordan and the Bulls embarked on a remarkable year that transfixed the nation’s sporting public and caused folks like the man in Los Angeles to do crazy things to prove their devotion to the team.

This was the first time Superman, Batman and Rodman were together, and the presence of eccentric forward Dennis Rodman alone was enough to create a frenzy. But putting these three giant basketball performers on the same team was almost too much for the sporting public to process. The Bulls became the nation’s number one sensation. When they showed up in town, fans worked themselves into a froth. Home games at the United Center were more than just celebrations. They were practically coronations. That’s how good the Bulls were and how much people around the NBA expected them to win it all again.

Jordan, of course, reigned. He won the scoring title for the eighth time in his career. He was magnetic and capable of causing sensations before, but this season his impact on society grew even more. He got his own cologne. He announced his new Chicago restaurant, which would open the following fall. And he was part of a traveling circus that rivaled the Beatles’ arrival on American soil. Wherever the Bulls went, they were mobbed by adoring fans.

Scottie Pippen was a big part of the show, too. His scoring numbers were modest—19.4 a game—but whenever rivals paid too much attention to Jordan, Pippen took over. And then there was Rodman, the rebounding, defending dervish with multiple tattoos and hair colors, whose effort could never be questioned. Throw in highly-talented European forward Toni Kukoc, center Luc Longley and productive backcourt guards  Ron Harper and Steve Kerr, and the Bulls were as complete a team as there ever was. It was all held together by Phil Jackson’s steady hand and Tex Winter’s triangle offense, which continued to overwhelm rivals.

On April 16, they dumped the Bucks, 86-80, to win their 70th game, thereby passing the 1971-72 Lakers for the most regular-season victories in NBA history. Chicago had winning streaks of 18 and 13 during the season and finished with 72 triumphs. It was a remarkable performance, one the Bulls matched in the playoffs. They skunked Miami in the first round and needed only five games to dispatch the Knicks in the Eastern Semis. The Bulls trampled Orlando to win the conference championship, setting up a Finals meeting with Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Seattle.

After winning the first three games of the series, Chicago stumbled twice, giving the Sonics some hope. It was hardly warranted. The Bulls won the finale, 87-75, to cap their history-making season. The greatest team ever laid the foundation for a 69-win regular season in ‘96-97 and a hysteria-inducing fandom that surrounded the ’97-98 season.

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The NFT is calibrated off the original acrylic on canvas, which was made using industrial rakes, brooms and tools—not paintbrushes. Keezerfeld, who describes himself as a “Thrash Expressionist Artist,” has sold over 100 NFTs to collectors on five continents and is one of the first artists to be selling Solana-based NFTs. The sale of “The Ghost of the ’90s” NFT will also include the original physical piece.

“The cross section of sports and art has always fascinated me, I’m excited about the convergence of so many worlds with the release of this physical work via the 1/1 calibrated NFT,” Keezerfeld told SLAM.

The piece captures the legendary Michael Jordan-led Bulls in which Chicago won six championships in an eight-season span. Such a feat hasn’t been achieved since, as players like Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman have gone down as basketball icons. The Bulls championship squads of the ’90s are also featured in our SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time special issue.

An anonymous artist, Keezerfeld found success with “The Quarantine Chronicles,” (TQC), a series of nine abstract paintings containing commentary on mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The collection was featured in Elevator Magazine in April 2021. He says his most recent work features commentary on “the looming ghost of history that has existed for the team,” as the Bulls have not won a championship since Jordan left in January of 1999. In addition to his most recent work, Keezerfeld has over 100 pieces of artwork available for purchase on the secondary market via exchange art.

“The Ghost of the ’90s” is on sale now in celebration of the start of the NBA Finals. It can be purchased here.

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7. 1990-91 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 61-21

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Scott Williams

Even if you’re old enough to remember this team, it’s nearly impossible to remember the baggage that Michael Jordan carried into the 1990s. Emerging from the NBA’s greatest decade, the era in which Doc, Magic and Bird took the League from afterthought to marquee act, Jordan was clearly the guy poised to take the League to the next level. He already owned an MVP award and a handful of the most eye-popping stat lines since Oscar Robertson had averaged a triple-double. Jordan was the present and the future. He was a phenomenon.

The problem was that, by the standards of his immediate predecessors, he just wasn’t a winner.

The ’90-91 season would be Jordan’s seventh in the League; by the time Bird and Magic tipped off their seventh seasons, both had a pair of championship rings. And of course, Jordan’s hated rival in Detroit, Isiah Thomas, had just led the Pistons to their second straight title, dispatching MJ and the Bulls along the way. It’s not that Jordan appeared to lack any of the qualities necessary to lead a team to a title; it’s simply that he hadn’t yet managed to do it. The narrative is the narrative. You’re not a winner until you win.

As so often happens, Jordan and the Bulls taking that last step to glory was less a question of dramatic change than it was evolution. Fourth-year forward Scottie Pippen was already one of the League’s best two-way players—he was an All-Star the season before—and he nudged his averages upward across the board (17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.4 spg) despite playing slightly fewer minutes. Jordan himself posted his lowest ppg (still an NBA-best 31.5) in five years. As much as anything, the Bulls’ two most important players were more efficient, more dialed in, focused on a singular goal.

It wasn’t only Mike and Scottie, of course: Horace Grant averaged 12.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg, Bill Cartwright was a sturdy veteran post presence, and guards BJ Armstrong and John Paxson knew their roles. Together, they cruised to and then through the playoffs, rolling the Knicks, the Sixers and—most satisfyingly—the Pistons en route to a Finals date with the Lakers. When James Worthy and Byron Scott went down with injuries, any chance of a competitive series was lost, but it likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome. Showtime was done, and so was that silly narrative about Michael Jordan.

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Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

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At this point in the list, we’re getting into dynasty territory. Clutch moments and high-pressure situations were the norm for these squads, many of whom won multiple championships over a three to five year period. Different.

From iconic three-peats to historic dubs, here’s our picks for No. 32-22:

32. 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 59-23

Roster: Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dion Glover, Robert Horry, Linton Johnson, Sean Marks, Tony Massenburg, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker, Glenn Robinson, Malik Rose, Beno Udrih, Mike Wilks

The Spurs and Pistons came into the season having split the previous two NBA championships, and both upset higher-seeded opponents (the Suns and Heat, respectively) in the Conference Finals that spring. That set up a title bout that made up for a relative lack of star power with heavyweight intensity and dominant D. Five of seven Finals games ended with the losing team not breaking 80 points. The series ended with Tim Duncan securing his third ring.

31. 1963-64 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 59-21

Roster: John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Clyde Lovellette, Johnny McCarthy, Willie Naulls, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried

Yawn, another title run, but at least Boston got a new Finals opponent to break up the monotony. The San Francisco Warriors tried to play immovable object to the Celtics’ unstoppable force, and in Wilt Chamberlain, the Dubs at least had the firepower. But Boston had the balance, experience and pedigree: John Havlicek and Sam Jones led the offense, and Bill Russell did his usual work, dominating defensively and on the glass to lead Boston to its seventh championship in eight tries.

30. 1969-70 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 60-22

Roster: Dick Barnett, Nate Bowman, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Bill Hosket, Don May, Willis Reed, Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, John Warren

When a new decade brought an end to the Celtics’ dominance, the Knicks asserted themselves as the class of the League. Behind MVP Willis Reed’s 21.7 ppg and 13.9 rpg and Walt Frazier’s stylish 20.9 points and 8.2 dimes per, New York rolled to the League’s best record and a Finals meeting with the Lakers. What followed was a seven-game classic against West, Wilt and Baylor, best remembered for Reed’s Game 7 effort on a bum leg that inspired his teammates to victory.

29. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Paul Westhead, Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brewer, Michael Cooper, Clay Johnson, Magic Johnson,Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Mark Landsberger, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Kevin  McKenna, Norm Nixon, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes

Pat Riley was second choice. When Paul Westhead was fired (at Magic Johnson’s urging) 11 games into the ’81-82 season, Lakers owner Jerry Buss named Jerry West head coach. Only West didn’t want it, so Riley—the former player turned broadcaster turned inexperienced assistant—got the gig. Duly motivated, Magic, Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes led L.A. back to the Finals, where they bounced the Sixers in six. Showtime was in effect, and one of the greatest coaching careers was born.

28. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 58-24

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Joe Crispin, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, Robert Horry, Lindsey Hunter, Mark Madsen, Jelani McCoy, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Mitch Richmond, Brian Shaw, Samaki Walker

The third title of the Shaq-Kobe axis didn’t come easily. That Western Finals series with Sacramento was brutal, and there were those who thought the Lakers shouldn’t have won it. But they did, and then L.A. dusted Jersey in the Finals, behind another overpowering performance from O’Neal. The dynamic duo was again tremendous, while Derek Fisher provided stability at the point, and supporting players like Rick Fox and Robert Horry stepped up when needed.

27. 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Bruce Bowen, Jackie Butler, Tim Duncan, Francisco Elson, Melvin Ely, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Jacque Vaughn, James White, Eric Williams

These Spurs scored when they needed to, and they moved the ball like no one else. But the real strength of the team was on defense, where San Antonio could stifle rivals, just like it did Cleveland in the Finals sweep. Tim Duncan was a no-frills frontcourt star, with point guard Tony Parker’s creativity and Manu Ginobili’s flair and passion the keys to the team’s success. Role players like Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley helped complete a pure team.

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics

Coach: Bill Fitch

Record: 62-20

Roster: Tiny Archibald, Larry Bird, ML Carr, Terry Duerod, Eric Fernsten, Chris Ford, Gerald Henderson, Wayne Kreklow, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Rick Robey

After Magic Johnson got his title in 1980, it was Larry Bird’s turn. He and the Celtics waged a year-long battle with the Sixers that culminated with a seven-game Eastern Finals series that featured three big Boston comebacks. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were interior forces, while Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford and Cedric Maxwell patrolled the perimeter. The Rockets were tough in the Finals, but they weren’t tough enough to stop the Celtics machine.

25. 1989-90 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 59-23

Roster: Mark Aguirre, William Bedford, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Dave Greenwood, Scott Hastings, Gerald Henderson, Vinnie Johnson, Stan Kimbrough, Bill Laimbeer, Ralph Lewis, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Isiah Thomas

The Bad Boys went back-to-back with the same formula that won their first title: ferocious defense, timely offense and a Mean Streets attitude. Isiah Thomas smiled a lot, but he was a killer. Joe Dumars quietly piled up the points. Bill Laimbeer made no friends inside. Dennis Rodman rebounded and defended like a dervish. Mark Aguirre scored in many ways. James Edwards was a force in the post. And nobody wanted to mess with John Salley.

24. 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 65-17

Roster: Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Sun Yue

The first of back-to-back titles was Kobe Bryant’s initial one as undisputed leader of the Lakers and redemption for the Mamba. A year after losing in the Finals to ancestral rival Boston, the Lakers piled up 65 wins—third most in franchise history—with Bryant leading the way but receiving plenty of help from Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum inside. The anticipated Finals matchup with Cleveland and LeBron James didn’t happen, so L.A. whipped Orlando instead.

23. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Scot Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine

Depending on how you define it, the Super Team era started in Boston in the summer of ’07, when future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce to give the Celtics their best team in (at least) 20 years. Behind Pierce’s scoring, Allen’s shooting and KG’s two-way play, the Cs posted an NBA-high 66 wins and bounced LeBron and the Cavs en route to the Finals, where they renewed their rivalry with the Lakers. Not long after, they hung banner No. 17.

22. 1992-93 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Ricky Blanton, Bill Cartwright, Joe Courtney, Jo Jo English, Horace Grant, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Rodney McCray, Ed Nealy, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Trent Tucker, Darrell Walker, Corey Williams, Scott Williams

The Lakers and Pistons had taken some of the magic out of title repeats by the time the Bulls
won their second straight, but no team since the Celtics’ ’60s dynasty had won three in a row. The Bulls felt like making history. The formula by now was familiar: Jordan averaged League-
highs in points (32.6) and steals (2.8), Scottie Pippen was a terror at both ends and Chicago made the big plays when it mattered, edging Barkley and the Suns in the Finals to seal the threepeat.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44 and 43-33.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

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They held Kukoc to only four points.

“You ever watch a lion or a leopard or a cheetah pouncing on their prey?” Karl Malone said in 2012 via GQ’s Oral History of the Dream Team. “We had to get Michael and Scottie out of the locker room because they were damn near pulling straws to see who guarded him. Kukoc had no idea.”

Eventually Kukoc made it to Chicago and helped Jordan, Pippen and the Bulls win three-straight NBA championships.

On Saturday night, Kukoc included in his Hall of Fame speech some sincere gratitude for Jordan and Pippen.

“I would like to thank Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for kicking my butt during the Olympics in Barcelona, and then motivating me to work even harder to become an important part of the Chicago Bulls.”

“I would like to thank this gentleman here… for kicking my butt at the Olympics in Barcelona.”

Toni Kukoc shouts out Michael Jordan in his @Hoophall enshrinement speech. #NBAHOF pic.twitter.com/RW4vhjPcMZ

— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 12, 2021

Kukoc also thanked Bulls governor, Jerry Reinsdorf and especially Jerry Krause for “insisting on bringing me to the Bulls and believing in me as a player when it was uncommon for non-American players to play in the NBA.”

He now joins Jordan, Pippen, Krause, Reinsdorf, Phil Jackson, Tex Winter and Dennis Rodman from that second three peat team from the 90’s Bulls dynasty.

The post Toni Kukoc Appreciates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Hall of Fame Speech appeared first on SLAM.

Scottie Pippen, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and a six-time NBA Champion, criticized Ben Simmons’ recent play in an interview with Tyler R. Tynes at GQ.

in a new interview at @GQMagazine: me & @ScottiePippen had a long, candid conversation about his relationship with Michael Jordan, his time with the Bulls and what some players of this generation still need to learn, all over a glass of his new bourbon https://t.co/5V4mp1CySn

— Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) June 24, 2021

Pippen says:

“You guys have been looking at Ben Simmons for five years now?. And you can say this to Stephen A. Smith, too: Y’all know he can’t shoot. Y’all know he don’t look to shoot in the fourth quarter. You know he’s afraid to go to the foul line, he don’t wanna be humiliated, so what are you asking me? I’m not against Ben Simmons. But I think he is who he is.”

Simmons is coming off a woeful offensive performance in the playoffs that has seen a ton of criticism thrown his way. Simmons averaged 11.9 points per game while shooting 34 percent from the free throw line in the post-season.

Pippen also candidly discussed a variety of topics in his interview with GQ, including Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley.

The post Scottie Pippen Says Ben Simmons ‘Is Who He Is’ in GQ Interview appeared first on SLAM.

In an interview with Business Insider’s John Lynch, Pippen touched on topics ranging from meditating during the pandemic to teams changing their style of play in the NBA bubble. As one of the ‘old school’ players, his perspective isn’t surprising but it’s still enlightening.

Regarding his thoughts on the bubble, Pippen makes it clear that he doesn’t think teams are playing “NBA basketball” but that they’re playing “pickup basketball:”

Well, I’m going to be honest. It’s not NBA basketball. It’s not the hard grind. It’s not the travel. It’s not the fans. It’s not the distractions. Really, to me, it’s pickup basketball. It’s going to the gym. Yeah, you already got your team. Y’all practicing together. But it’s a more of a pickup type of basketball game, because there’s no fans in the stands. So there is no distraction. There’s no real noise. There’s no pressure on the players, you know.

Pippen’s point certainly makes sense as constant travel is often considered to be one of the most difficult aspects of playing professionally, as it challenges players both physically and mentally. Without fans, there’s no home court advantage, so momentum swings don’t feel as intense or insurmountable.

A lack of fans also means that there’s no crowd noise to affect players’ ability to communicate with coaches or on the floor. No noise to affect their confidence or focus at the free-throw line or in clutch moments.

In that sense, the pressure on players is significantly lessened and it does resemble a pickup basketball game much more than a typical NBA game.

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MJ has the highest regular season (30.1 PPG) and playoff (33.4 PPG) scoring averages of all time, and no current player is “remotely” in his league, says Falk.

The renowned agent adds that he believes Scottie Pippen “has a certain level of jealousy” towards his former Chicago Bulls teammate.

Per NBC Sports Washington:

“With virtually zero defense, no hand-checking, I think if Jordan played today; if he was in his prime in today’s rules, I think he’d average between 50 and 60 a game. I think he’d shoot 75% from the floor. If you couldn’t hand-check him, he would be completely unstoppable,” Falk said. “Now that I watch [the documentary], I realize that, unless you’re legally blind, you can’t possibly think that there’s another player who ever played the game that’s remotely in the league that he’s in. Nobody.”

Falk continued.

“I hope personally, and I’m sure it won’t, that the doc ends all talk about like is Jordan competitive with LeBron [James]? He’s in a different league. If you don’t see that with your eyes, maybe the doctor’s office can help because you should have an eye test,” he said.

Falk has apparently seen the remaining episodes of “The Last Dance” and says some things he and others have known for a long time will come to light.

“Pippen has a certain level of jealousy towards Michael. He has said recently many times he thinks LeBron’s a better player. Now, if you’re Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan made your career, completely made your career; even if you think that, keep it to yourself,” Falk said. “Scottie’s problem, as the documentary points out in so many different places after the episodes you’ve seen, is that he wasn’t a great competitor. There were times for silly reasons. The migraine; you think that Michael Jordan [would do that] unless he had his leg amputated?”

Related Jeff Van Gundy: Michael Jordan ‘Would Average North of 40 Points’ Today

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Thomas says Jordan has always been pleasant in his presence, and that he long ago left their fierce competition where it belonged: on the basketball court.

Zeke adds that MJ is the fourth greatest player he ever faced.

Per CBS Sports:

“I was definitely surprised,” he says. “Because we’ve been in each other’s presence before, and I’ve never gotten that type of reaction from him. We were even at dinner a couple times and he was always pleasant. Always good to my kids. Always good to my son. He even gave my son a pair of gym shoes.

“The competition that we all had on the floor, I truly just thought it was on the floor.”

For Thomas, Jordan’s greatness too often overshadows the ’80s own version of historically great basketball, and its historically great players.

“When you put Jordan and his basketball team in the ’80s, they weren’t a very successful team,” he says. “They just weren’t. When you talk about Jordan and his team dominating, they dominated the ’90s. But when you put him with those Lakers teams and those Pistons teams and those Celtics teams, they all beat him. They just did.

“What separated Jordan from all of us was he was the first one to three-peat. But he didn’t three-peat against Magic [Johnson], Larry Bird and [Julius Erving].”

Related Isiah Thomas: ‘I’ve Paid a Heavy Price’ for Not Shaking Bulls’ Hands

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“It’s unfortunate that it happened,” laments Thomas, adding that he remains hurt for supposedly not being selected to The Dream Team due to a “lapse in emotion.”

It bears noting that MJ trashed the Pistons as “undeserving champions” prior to the infamous walk-off.

“The Pistons are undeserving champions,” Jordan said on the day between Games 3 and 4 in Detroit in 1991. “The Bad Boys are bad for basketball.”

Per ESPN:

“We were coming down, Michael Jordan was coming up,” Thomas said. “And in coming up, you have certain emotions; and in coming down as champions, you have certain emotions. … Looking back, over the years, had we had the opportunity to do it all over again, I think all of us would make a different decision.”

With 7.9 seconds remaining in the Bulls’ 21-point rout to end the series, the Pistons — at [Bill] Laimbeer’s behest, according to Thomas — walked off the court without shaking the Bulls players’ hands or congratulating them.

“I’ve paid a heavy price for that decision,” Thomas said. “And in paying that price — I understand this is the sports world and everything else, but at the same time, looking back over it in terms of how we felt at that particular time, our emotional state and how we exited the floor — we actually gave the world the opportunity to look at us in a way that we never really tried to position ourselves in or project ourselves in that way. So it’s unfortunate that it happened.”

The Hall of Fame guard also was asked about his omission from the roster of the 1992 Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics, and whether he believed his refusal to shake Jordan’s hand was a factor.

“I thought I should’ve made that Dream Team,” Thomas said. “However, I wasn’t a part of it. That hurt me, and looking back, if I’m not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone’s hand — if that’s the reason why I didn’t make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn’t selected.”

Related Bill Laimbeer: Michael Jordan’s Bulls ‘Just Whiners’

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There’s zero regret on Laimbeer’s part for leading the decision to not shake hands with MJ and company after being swept in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.

Laimbeer adds that Detroit was only vanquished after they “got old.”

Per ESPN:

“Why would I regret it now today? I don’t care what the media says about me. I never did,” Laimbeer said. “If I did, I’d be a basket case, especially back then.

“I was about winning basketball games and winning championships and did whatever I had to do to get the most out of my ability and our team — and we did. At the end of the day, we’re called world champions.”

[Isiah] Thomas took a much more conciliatory tone in his interview Monday morning, saying he is “personally hurt” by his portrayal in [“The Last Dance”] docuseries and apologizing to the city of Detroit.

“They whined and cried for a year and a half about how bad we were for the game, but more importantly, they said we were bad people,” Laimbeer said. “We weren’t bad people. We were just basketball players winning, and that really stuck with me because they didn’t know who we were or what we were about as individuals and our family life.

“But all that whining they did, I didn’t want to shake their hand. They were just whiners. They won the series. Give him credit: We got old, they got past us. But OK, move on.”

Related Michael Jordan: Pistons Hatred ‘Carries Even to This Day’

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“They made it personal,” Jordan said of the Pistons’ physically dominating his Bulls during Episode 3 of “The Last Dance” documentary that aired Sunday night.

Chicago finally got rid of their nemesis in a four-game sweep of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, en route to its first NBA title, and several of the Pistons infamously walked off the court without shaking hands.

Per ESPN:

“Oh, I hated them,” Jordan said. “And that hate carries even to this day.”

Jordan and the Bulls lost to the Pistons in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1988, in six games in the conference finals in 1989 (after holding a 2-1 lead) and in seven games in the conference finals in 1990.

“We knew Michael Jordan is the greatest player, and we tried to use it as a rallying cry to come together,” Pistons star Isiah Thomas said in Episode 3. “We had to do everything from a physicality standpoint to stop him.”

The Pistons tormented Chicago’s high-scoring shooting guard, employing a bruising style of defense that came to be known as “The Jordan Rules.”

“They made it personal,” Jordan said. “They physically beat the s**t out of us.”

Related Steve Kerr: Being Punched By Michael Jordan ‘Helped Our Relationship’

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“I feel like I kind of passed the test,” says Kerr, adding that he earned MJ’s trust after refusing to back down during their tussle.

Kerr notes that teammates coming to blows was not uncommon during his playing days.

Per USA Today:

“I would say it definitely helped our relationship, and that probably sounds really weird,” Kerr said on “The NBA on TNT” Wednesday night. “I wouldn’t recommend that to anybody at home. … For me in that case, Michael was definitely testing me, and I responded. I feel like I kind of passed the test and he trusted me more afterwards.”

In [Phil] Jackson’s book, “Eleven Rings,” Jordan is quoted explaining how the fight with Kerr helped him trust teammates: “It made me look at myself, and say, ‘You know what? You’re really being an idiot about this whole process.'”

Kerr explained Wednesday how the fight was less severe than it might sound in today’s game.

“It has to be understood in the context of intense competition,” Kerr said. “One thing that was more prevalent back then than now was the intensity of practices vs. now. I think we’re smarter now with preserving our players. We don’t have as many practice days. It’s more about rest and recovery. They were a huge part of the Bulls and Michael setting a standard for our play. There were practice fights on every (NBA) team that I played on. It wasn’t really a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.”

Related Steve Kerr: ‘Nobody Resented’ Scottie Pippen for Delaying 1997 Surgery

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Pippen was deeply angry and resentful of Chicago’s front-office at being criminally underpaid for so long, and “nobody resented him for having that surgery,” says Kerr.

The Hall of Fame forward eventually rejoined the squad, and helped lead the Bulls to their second three-peat of the decade.

Per ESPN:

“Scottie was wrong in that scenario,” Jordan said in Episode 2 of the documentary series “The Last Dance,” which debuted Sunday night. “He could’ve got his surgery done as soon as the season was over and be ready for the season. What Scottie was trying to do was trying to force management to change his contract. And [owner Jerry Reinsdorf] was never going to do that.”

Asked whether there was resentment from other Bulls players over Pippen’s decision, Kerr said, “No, not at all.”

“Everyone respected Scottie so much,” Kerr said. “We felt his frustration. He probably should have been the second-highest-paid guy in the NBA or definitely top-five. So we all felt for him, nobody resented him for having that surgery. Later, we all understood, let’s give him his space, and he’s going to be there for the second stretch of the season for us.”

Pippen, the clear No. 2 on the Bulls, ended that 1997-98 season as only the sixth-highest-paid player on the team, playing out an $18 million extension he had signed after Chicago won its first championship in 1991.

“I decided to have surgery late because I was like, ‘You know what, I’m not going to f**k my summer up,'” Pippen said in the documentary.

Related Scottie Pippen: ‘I’m No Longer Employed By the Bulls’

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JVG, the former MJ nemesis, says Jordan dominated the NBA during a much more physical era, and would be “living at the free throw line” now.

Van Gundy’s first win as head coach of the New York Knicks came against Mike and the 72-win Chicago Bulls.

Per Sports Illustrated:

ESPN is showing two versions of the Bulls documentary–an unedited version on ESPN, replete with a vernacular that is common during games but shielded from the viewers, and another on ESPN2 with some of the more adult language edited out. In order to receive the full Michael Jordan experience, don’t you need to watch the unedited version?

Jeff Van Gundy: “I think the essence of Jordan is the same with or without the inflammatory vocabulary that may be in there. Every family is going to have to make that decision for themselves, and you would like to see kids be able to understand what a great competitor and player he was. I think either way is fine. I didn’t know they were doing that, that’s terrific.”

This documentary is a time capsule for the NBA. What do you think viewers will be most surprised to learn about the league as a whole? And having already had a front-row seat to the Bulls’ dominance, what are you looking forward to seeing most in the documentary?

Van Gundy: “I lived it. And fans, if they watch closely, they’ll see how little room Jordan had on the floor. The three-point shot was in less use and there was less three-point shooting. If you look at how tight the spacing was in the triangle, and how much physical contact was allowed, people will be amazed. Everyone thinks they know how good Jordan was, but until you go back and actually study him, you’ll never understand what a great, great player he was. He shot over 50% a lot of times through the physical contact he had to play through—if that happened in today’s game, you’d be absolutely living at the free throw line.

“That’s why I have no doubt, if you dropped him in at his prime, in today’s game, he would average north of 40 points a game. He would be either living at the line or his variety of shots would just be too hard to handle. If fans watch the game footage closely, the amount of contact that was allowed then versus now, you’re going to be even more astounded at Jordan’s efficiency from a scoring perspective.”

Related Michael Jordan: ‘People Got Bored With My Skills’

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“The Bulls had no great centers,” says Johnson, who led Los Angeles to five championships in the 1980s.

Magic adds that Kobe Bryant and Jordan would “cancel each other out,” but that Scottie Pippen “couldn’t do what Shaq could do.”

Per AM 570 LA Sports and Essentially Sports:

Magic’s response: “The Bulls had no great centers, what Shaq would have done to those guys it would have been unfair. Shaq was right it would have been unfair. The Lakers role players were better also.”

Magic was very clear and he said, “Well I think that Shaq would’ve been the difference because we all know that Kobe and Michael would’ve cancelled each other out. So if Jordan got 40, Kobe was going to get 40. Because one thing about Kobe, he was not going to give into anybody. I don’t care who it was. And, he patterned his game after Michael.”

Magic added to why he supports Shaq’s statement is because of the role players in Lakers of the 00s: “One guy Scottie Pippen. But see Scottie couldn’t do what Shaq could do.”

Johnson also said, “It would have been fun to see them.”

Related Shaquille O’Neal: Lakers Would ‘Easily’ Beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls

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With Bulls management determined to break up a legendary squad, head coach Phil Jackson galvanized his players by calling it “The Last Dance,” resulting in their second three-peat.

Though understandably heartbroken to see their historic run come to an end, MJ ensured they finished things off “the right way.”

Per The AP:

“We were all trying to enjoy that year knowing it was coming to an end,” Jordan told Good Morning America on Thursday. Jordan appeared on the show via video conference from his home in Florida to promote the “The Last Dance,” a 10-part documentary series focused on the final year of the 90′s Bulls dynasty that won six NBA titles in eight years.

“The beginning of the season, it started when (general manager) Jerry Krause told (coach) Phil Jackson that he could go 82-0 and he would never get a chance to come back,” Jordan said. “Knowing that I had married myself to him, and if he wasn’t going to be the coach, then obviously I wasn’t going to play. So Phil started off the season saying this was the last dance — and we played it that way.”

Jordan said Thursday that after Jackson told the team it was to be the final season together, the Bulls focused on completing the task of a second three-peat.

“Mentally it tugged at you that this had to come to an end, but it also centered our focus to making sure we ended it right,” Jordan said. “As sad as it sounded at the beginning of the year, we tried to rejoice and enjoy the year and finish it off the right way.”

Related Michael Jordan: ‘Winning Has a Price’

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“The factor is me, and my free-throw shooting,” says O’Neal.

The Diesel adds that he would have “killed” any big man Chicago threw at him.

Per Bleacher Report (via ESPN):

“‘Cause I would’ve killed Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, [Bill] Cartwright,” O’Neal said.

“The factor is me, and my free-throw shooting.”

Shaq then questioned which team Phil Jackson would be coaching, as he guided both teams. [ESPN’s Ariel] Helwani answered that Jackson would be with the Bulls since he coached in Chicago first.

“So he would’ve tried the Hack-a-Shaq thing,” Shaq responded. “I still would average like 28, 29, but the key would’ve been free throws. With me, it’s always 50-50. If I would’ve been on, we win. If I would’ve been off, we lose.”

Related Michael Jordan: ‘Winning Has a Price’

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Pippen says the talent level on Chicago’s roster is “below what it needs to be” to be a competitive NBA team.

The Hall of Famer cemented his place in The Windy City by winning six rings.

Per NBC Sports Chicago (via the “Thuzio Live & Unfiltered” podcast):

The interview with Pippen was recorded ahead of the 2020 NBA All-Star game, but was released on Spotify on April 15. Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, asked Pippen what his role with the team was while introducing him.

“You all know the resume, but let’s run through it a little bit because it’s pretty gaudy, kind of fun to say these things,” Greeinstein said. “Six-time NBA champion, seven-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA first team defense… Named one of the greatest 50 NBA players of all-time, had his No. 33 jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls. And you’re an ambassador for the Bulls, is that right?”

“I was,” Pippen responded. “I got fired this year. I didn’t really want it to be in the public, but I’m no longer employed by the Bulls.”

Before the 2019-20 season began, the Bulls and Pippen met to discuss his role now that he appears regularly on ESPN’s “The Jump” and spends most of his time where that show is filmed. Pippen wanted to keep his gig as Bulls ambassador, but when the Bulls asked for specific commitments, the two sides couldn’t agree on compensation, according to a source.

“It’s probably a good thing, right?” Pippen said to Greenstein. “I like to associate myself with winning.”

Related Bulls Hire Arturas Karnisovas, Fire Gar Forman

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“I challenged people when they didn’t want to be challenged,” says Jordan, adding that being considered a “tyrant” in order to win was a price he was more than willing to pay.

MJ opened up during multiple interviews—along with 105 other people that bore witness to his legendary NBA career—over the years as the 10-part series painstakingly came together.

Per The Athletic:

“Look, winning has a price,” says Jordan. “And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn’t want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn’t want to be challenged. And I earned that right because my teammates who came after me didn’t endure all the things that I endured. Once you joined the team, you lived at a certain standard that I played the game. And I wasn’t going to take any less. Now if that means I had to go in there and get in your ass a little bit, then I did that. You ask all my teammates. The one thing about Michael Jordan was he never asked me to do something that he didn’t fucking do. When people see this they are going say, ‘Well he wasn’t really a nice guy. He may have been a tyrant.’ Well, that’s you. Because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win to be a part of that as well. Look, I don’t have to do this. I am only doing it because it is who I am. That’s how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don’t want to play that way, don’t play that way.”

Jordan then does something extraordinary, and I’m glad the filmmakers left it in. He asks for a break. He has become so emotional, near tears, that he has to get away for a moment.

“The moment when he asked for a break came early in the first interview,” [director Jason] Hehir recalled. “To get something that raw, candid, honest and genuine out of him that early in the interview process was kind of a turning point for all of us in the crew. We all thought: ‘Wow this could be something a little bit different than just basketball. It looks like he came to participate and understands what we’re trying to do here.’ It was one of those answers where you just let the person go, almost like a therapy session. He did stop himself and say ‘break.’ And we did. I got up and left the room for a little bit. We’d been going for about 45 minutes and I knew we had at least two more hours to go. What you don’t want to do is gas out your interview subject less than an hour into it.

“But it was so telling to me that this is what’s at this guy’s core. No matter what we discussed, it funnels back to that deep-seated drive to be the best at all costs. We were talking about his intensity as a teammate, his intensity as a competitor. We had just finished talking about the roots of his competitiveness, competing against his brother Larry for his Dad’s attention. One of the things that I was interested in exploring when we first started studying his entire story was this notion from his perspective. By all my experiences, he was a nice guy. He was very respectful to me. He was very respectful to the crew. He couldn’t have been more generous with his time and candor. I was really interested in whether or not it hurt him that the perception of him was this stone-cold killer and not as Mr. Nice Guy. The question produced probably a nine-minute answer. Was it worth to you to have that reputation for intensity and ferocity? Is it worth the tradeoff of not being considered nice guy quote unquote?”

Related Michael Jordan 10-Part Documentary Moved Up to April 19

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The highly-anticipated 10-part documentary is a close examination of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls’ quest for a sixth championship in 1998.

The series will air Sunday nights on ESPN over five weeks, and be made available outside of the U.S. on Netflix.

Per the press release:

ESPN statement: “As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience. We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that. This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans.”

In the fall of 1997, Michael Jordan, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and head coach Phil Jackson agreed to let an NBA Entertainment film crew follow the team all season long. The result would be a remarkable portrait of an iconic player and a celebrated team – a portrait only now being revealed, more than two decades later, in “The Last Dance.”

“Michael Jordan and the ‘90s Bulls +weren’t just sports superstars, they were a global phenomenon,” said director Jason Hehir. “Making ‘The Last Dance’ was an incredible opportunity to explore the extraordinary impact of one man and one team. For nearly three years, we searched far and wide to present the definitive story of an era-defining dynasty and to present these sports heroes as humans. I hope viewers enjoy watching our series as much as we enjoyed the opportunity to make it.”

Related Michael Jordan Beat BJ Armstrong 1-on-1 Wearing Loafers

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Rodman, 58, believes the three Hall of Famers’ dynastic run in Chicago only came to an end in 1998 because the front office refused to meet Jordan’s contractual demands.

The Worm adds that only Draymond Green “sort of” reminds him of his own game and passion in today’s NBA.

Per Bleacher Report:

What’s your relationship with Michael Jordan like these days?

Rodman: “Me and Mike and Scottie have so much love for each other now because we’re not haters with each other. We embrace the fact that we had a chance to play with each other. We’re friends. We’re not calling each other every day and hanging out, but when we see each other, we share the love. Like, ‘Hey, appreciate you, man. I’ve got your back.’ Stuff like that. That’s how we love each other now. We embrace it because we put the NBA back on the map in the ’90s. Me and Mike and Scottie revolutionized the game. The way everyone plays now, that’s how we played then. And now all of a sudden everyone’s talking about Big Threes. Now? Really? We were the Big Three. We were the main three. We consistently won, we consistently won championships. And the only reason we didn’t repeat four in a row is because Mike said, ‘I want X millions of dollars.’ And they didn’t want to pay him, so he left, I left, Scottie left and Phil Jackson left. We were all waiting on Michael. That’s how the run ended.”

Who are the guys in today’s game that remind you the most of yourself as a player?

Rodman: “Players have to have the heart to go out there and do whatever they have to do to win. That’s who I look at. You’ve got the Steph Currys, the LeBron James, players like that. But I want to see the player that says, ‘OK, I want to be the player that stands out to do my job and earn the money for the role that they’re paying me for.’ That’s what I’m looking for. I don’t see that player out there. Draymond Green is something sort of like that. But besides him, I don’t see other players who have that passion, who have that love, that drive, they need basketball. No money, no fame. They have three hours of their life, ‘I’m going out to do my job, to win for people. I’ll get the gratification at the end of the day when I have a ring on my finger.’ That’s the kind of player I’m looking for.”

Related Dennis Rodman Says Phil Jackson Made Him Apologize to Scottie Pippen

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SLAM caught up with Pippen to talk hoops in China, signature sneakers, the Lakers-Clippers rivalry and which team had the best offseason.  

SLAM: The game continues to grow, especially here in China. What do you admire most about the fans?

Scottie Pippen: It’s a lot of them. [Laughs] The fact that they’ve continued to be the frontrunners in terms of growing our game and there’s so many people here. When they take an interest in the game, then you can really feel the impact of the growth.

SLAM: You mentioned earlier that you first came here in ’92. Over the course of nearly three decades, what’s it been like to see basketball in China evolve?

SP: It’s great. You’ve seen a lot of effort that’s been put into the game whether it’s through outdoor basketball courts or the impact that Nike has come up with to implement different programs. Just the grassroots of the game, the NBA spending more time in China to educate them and align a lot players to come over here and do camps like Basketball Without Borders and things of that nature to grow the game and get excited about the game.

SLAM: Your sneakers are popular over here. I just saw someone in the hallway rocking the Air More Uptempos. Is it still surreal to you?

SP: No, not really, because I think we put basketball on the map in terms of China. Fans know the Bulls from the early ‘90s. That’s when basketball was introduced to them from the late ‘80s… ’87 is the year that I was drafted [and] we signed an agreement with China basketball, so just people knowing my career and being able to follow it still resonates to today because of winning.

SLAM: Giannis Antetokounmpo become the first international player to get a signature sneaker. What are your thoughts on that?

SP: I think it’s great. He’s definitely earned it and he’s a player that has worked very hard. Being the MVP of the League this year is something that he earned and is rewarding for him. The sky’s the limit for him and he’s opening doors up for other players in that nature as well. Him being an international player, this is something that he’s worked hard for, probably dreamed about having one day and it’s finally come to fruition for him.

SLAM: The Nike Basketball signature line extends decades. Are there any other sigs you’re a fan of?

SP: I’m a fan of my own signature shoe—that’s about it. In today’s game, the signature shoe has grown a lot. Players are able to put a little bit more impact on it because of social media, but I’m really not a fan of anyone in particular. I’m just a lifestyle-kind-of-shoe guy, not basketball shoes anymore.

SLAM: What about the technology and seeing it grow over the years?

SP: It’s amazing. The shoe says a lot in today’s game and they’re something that’s gained a lot of attention since the early ‘90s. Guys are putting a lot more emphasis on making sure that their shoes have a little bit more pop and gets a lot more attention. From a technology standpoint, that’s the most important of the signature shoe. It has to be something that works well for the athlete and something that is comfortable for them. Ultimately, he’s the one that has to wear them and tell the story at the end of the day about them. That’s important and your play. If your play can speak for you, then the shoe is going to do well.

SLAM: It’s been a crazy free agency. What were some of your thoughts on the signings?

SP: I thought it was great. I was happy to see some of the talent get spread out a little bit. The Clippers and the Lakers feel like they were the big winners in the free agent market—maybe not the Lakers, they didn’t really get a free agent, they just got a trade. I think they both feel like they were big winners this summer. Still, you have to go on the court and make it real.

I still think that Houston is going to be one of the teams that’s going to have the upper edge because they’ve been together with the one addition of bringing in [Russell] Westbrook, who can propel them to the top or to the bottom. It’s going to be an interesting season for not only the Houston Rockets, but the Lakers and Clippers. It’s going to be an interesting season for some teams on the East like Brooklyn. What can Kyrie [Irving] do? He’s going to have a year to go in and establish himself. More than any player in the game, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on him because people are used to seeing him have success and be amongst some of the top teams in the League. It’s not going to be that easy now and it wasn’t easy for him last year [in Boston]. This is—I don’t want to say it’s going to be a make-or-break situation for him—but I think a lot of eyes are on him to see if he has that ability to win again.

SLAM: So who’s the better team: Clippers or Lakers?

SP: I would probably say the Clippers just because of where they were last year and the players that they have. They already have the confidence and feel like last year they dominated the Lakers. Now, you give them the Finals MVP [Kawhi Leonard] and one of the top defenders in the game in Paul George. That sends their confidence up through the roof. With the Lakers, I don’t think a guy going into his 17^th season can really carry a team the way he needs to carry [it].

… I think LeBron will be competitive. Having Anthony Davis out there is going to give him a bit of an edge. I think they’re going to be a lot more in terms of when they face the Clippers because they have too many guys they can throw at LeBron. They already have thrown [Patrick] Beverly at him, so now you got Kawhi to throw at him [and] Paul George to throw at him. Anthony Davis is going to be a tough matchup night in and night out, but he’s only one player. LeBron James is not going to be a tough matchup. He’s going into his 17^th year in the League. You’re talking about Kawhi who’s still in his 20s [and] Paul George is probably still in his 20s. It’s a changing of the guard and they’re probably going to have the pass the torch over and let the Clippers be the best team in Los Angeles.

SLAM: Of all the signings, which one surprised you the most?

SP: Who I think won big? Kawhi, the Clippers [and] Paul George. Lakers did good, but I would give the edge to the Clippers.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

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Since then, the priority has been to begin at the grassroots level. In 1997, Nike started inviting its endorsees to mainland China for promotional tours during the offseason to host camps in an effort to connect players to a region with a population of over 1 billion. The following year, Nike became the first brand to organize the High School Basketball League with close to 130 teams throughout Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The initiative drew popular events and activations like the “Sunday Sunset,” a Nike and Jordan-branded 3v3 tournament organized for amateur players at the historic Dongdan Sports Center in Beijing. The country also introduced the RISE Academy, a free basketball program open to young hoopers that provides professional coaching for players looking to take their game to the next level.

“Basketball is a game that represents more than sports but street culture,” Angela Dong, Vice President and General Manager of Nike China, says. “I think that gives our youth an opportunity to follow their own dreams through the power of the sport, and also realize a freedom spirit through the court and communities.”

Dong remembers the early days of basketball in China and has been present throughout the last three decades to see the growth of hoops.

“It almost feels like something from a very humble start that transformed to what it is today,” she says. “[We are] one of the leading countries globally in terms of sports participation not only just at the pro or elite athlete level, but grassroots and communities as well as charities. … We want to touch everyone that has a body. Sports are no longer just for the elite.”

Five years ago, the Yao Foundation and Hope School Basketball Program joined together to provide playing opportunities for over 300,000 children in China’s most remote areas. The Nike Social Community Impact group also leads initiatives created to inspire the joy of play, particularly working with the Chinese Ministry of Education to equip coaches with the tools needed to instruct kids on the game’s fundamentals. 

With the 18^th edition of the World Cup set to take place in China for the first time ever, Nike and FIBA hosted local and international media for the official uniform and footwear unveiling at the Phoenix Center in Beijing last week.

Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Jason Kidd also made special guest appearances to talk about how hoops in China has expanded since they first visited the country in the early ‘90s.

“You’ve seen a lot of effort that’s been put into the game, whether it’s outdoor basketball courts or the impact that Nike has came out with to implement different programs,” Pippen, a six-time NBA champion, said. “To see the grassroots of the game, the NBA spending more time in China to educate them and align all these different players to do camps like Basketball Without Borders and things of that nature … to get people to grow the game and get excited about the game.”

“They are diehards and know your stats better than you know them,” Kidd added. “They love the game of basketball and you as a player … and that’s what makes them special. You’ve never seen anything like it.”

The World Cup, which is from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, will be played throughout eight cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Dongguan, Foshan, Nanjing and Guangzhou) over 16 days. The feat marks another milestone for Nike as they continue to help grow the game and its audience globally.

The Chinese national team debuted its new on-court threads that will be worn as they begin their quest to win a gold model. Designed by Josh Iverson, Senior Graphic Designer for Nike Basketball, the jersey features a lightweight, breathable design of 100 percent recycled alpha yarn and a two-tone color scheme of crimson red and white to honor the country’s flag.

The color blocking draws inspiration from the Pareto Principle, an 80-20 concept developed by Italian philosopher Vilfredo Frederico Damaso Pareto in 1848, which signifies that 80 percent of an effect can be traced to 20 percent of the causes. Only China and the USA will don these jerseys during the tournament.

Nike also debuted its latest silhouette, the AlphaDunk, which features a Zoom Air unit that covers the forefoot, the largest ever on a basketball sneaker. Jordan Brand also unveiled four FIBA-inspired sneakers—the Jumpman Diamond, AJXXXIII SE, AJIV and AJXII—that are set to release in the coming weeks.

“China, in particular, is the tip of the spear when it comes to international growth for us,” Jordan Brand President Craig Williams says. “We’ve seen continued momentum and enthusiasm about the brand in just about every market that we’ve been in.”

Back in 2017, Jordan Brand signed Guo Ailun, who became the first Chinese Basketball Association player to join the Jumpman family. Ailun, a member of the Chinese national team and a fan favorite, is set to be the first international athlete to have his own Jordan signature sneaker.

“He has an insatiable appetite for wanting to be the best,” Williams says. “Those are hallmarks for the Jordan Brand that MJ started himself. We see that in this player that has been fantastic for the Chinese national team. I think those are attributes that continue to spark interest and curiosity with consumers here in China.”

The brand’s Wings program, an educational pipeline that aims to support access to academics and mentorship, has a strong base in the country, too. To date, Wings has reached over 1,500 youth in 18 provinces, including two primary schools in Beijing and Guangzhou. The scholarship program has covered full tuition fees for more than 1,000 HS students.

Later this year, Nike will introduce Mini Basketball, a concept to provide child-sized equipment and further physical education teacher training with a goal to fund 1,000 schools across China by 2022, and RISE Academy 2.0, an online platform built upon the RISE concept and principles.

“2019 is an important year for us and basketball in China,” Dong says. “We certainly believe that China has the potential to be one of the biggest markets for basketball globally.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

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Pippen says James lacks the requisite end-of-game killer instinct Kobe Bryant and former teammate Michael Jordan were celebrated for.

Scottie Pippen had some things to say about LeBron James' lack of a "clutch gene" compared to Michael Jordan: "When I look at LeBron, he's not what Michael was as a player." https://t.co/6tvfNHm9y4

— USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) February 14, 2019

Scottie seemed particularly offended by LeBron’s body language in the Lakers’ 117-113 loss in Atlanta this week.

Per USA Today:

“When I look at LeBron, he’s not what Michael was as a player,” Pippen said during an NBA All-Star segment on ESPN’s First Take. “He’s not even what Kobe Bryant was as a player. So, when you talk about trying to compare Michael’s instinct, his ability to take over games, his ability to want to have the last shot, LeBron doesn’t have that gene. That’s not in him. Kobe has that gene. I see a little bit of it in Paul George. Kawhi (Leonard), (Russell) Westbrook. … Not too many players go on the basketball court with that.”

Pippen won six championships playing alongside Jordan. He’s offered both praise and skepticism of James in the past, even saying that James is “probably ahead of Jordan” in 2017. His comments on the Jordan vs. James debate have fluctuated over the years.

“I can sit here and say today, I watched LeBron the other night,” Pippen said. “The game was on the line. And he made little or no effort to go after the ball.”

ESPN host Max Kellerman defended James, claiming the three-time NBA champion has already played more minutes than Jordan did in his entire career.

“It’s not that,” Pippen said. “It’s that clutch gene. I’m not taking it away that he don’t know how to win, and he’s not willing to have the ball in his hands. But the players that have that clutch gene, they’re gonna go get that ball.”

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Nash hopes people fully appreciate Curry’s greatness while he’s still hooping.

It's time to recognize the walking piece of history that is Stephen Curry: https://t.co/tXY3Xx4Psm

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) October 31, 2018

Scottie Pippen also gives Steph props for sacrificing some of his game to incorporate teammate Kevin Durant.

Per ESPN:

“I hate to break it to you, but he’s already an all-time great,” two-time MVP Steve Nash said. “He’s the ultimate one-off. He’s the evolution of basketball. It evolved before our eyes.”

Curry is immensely popular, especially among young fans, but he doesn’t enjoy the respect someone of his stature should demand. There have been many examples, but to take one, there was the pushback to him being the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2016.

“There’s layers to his place in the Zeitgeist,” Nash said. “People don’t associate him to greatness because he doesn’t dominate the game physically. He dances. He pays a tax for that. He pays a tax for his great teammates.”

It wasn’t just that he went to the Hamptons to offer Kevin Durant a front-row seat on the Warriors’ roller-coaster ride into a dynasty. It’s that he has more than kept his word, yielding and bending to make room. That act and the ability to continue to excel while doing so are every bit as important to Curry’s status as all those 30-footers. In some ways, that’s just as historic.

“His willingness to sacrifice for KD is one of the great stories in history,” six-time champion Scottie Pippen said. “If you have a mind for the game, you know that it takes sacrifice to be great. All the greats have to sacrifice something. Otherwise you can’t win.

“When the ball hit [Michael] Jordan’s hands, it was to go and score. He won scoring the ball. For me, that meant I didn’t get to shoot as much. But I don’t think that knocked my greatness back. For Steph, he’s given up a seat for KD. But it doesn’t make him any less great. He should be looked at as one of the greatest guards the game has ever seen.”

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Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were among Winter’s former players who paid tribute to the legendary Hall of Fame coach.

Tex Winter was my biggest critic. He was also my biggest fan. A few words about the legendary coach who lived his 96 years as well as anyone could have… pic.twitter.com/vOrS7UNkMS

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) October 11, 2018

In an emailed statement to the Tribune, Michael Jordan on Tex Winter: "I learned so much from Coach Winter. He was a pioneer and a true student of the game. His triangle offense was a huge part of our six championships with the Bulls. He was a tireless worker (cont.)

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 11, 2018

Winter sat alongside Phil Jackson for many years, and helped spearhead six Chicago Bulls championships in the 1990s. He had been in declining health since suffering a stroke in 2009.

Tex Winter, the Hall of Fame coach whose teachings of the triangle offense helped spearhead six Bulls championships in the 1990s, died Wednesday, the Bulls confirmed. He was 96.https://t.co/3pnLN4FiNV pic.twitter.com/Hv4mBz4Tyx

— ChicagoSports (@ChicagoSports) October 11, 2018

Per the Chicago Tribune:

Jerry Krause hired Winter in July 1985 as one of his first moves as Bulls general manager, and Winter teamed with defensive-minded Johnny Bach to form a potent pairing of assistant coaches for both Doug Collins and Phil Jackson. A noted perfectionist, Winter spent most games scribbling notes to take to the next day’s practice.

“To him it doesn’t matter if it’s Michael Jordan or Keith Booth,” Jackson told the Tribune in a 1998 interview. “If you don’t play according to the rules of the ‘basketball gods,’ you are destroying the credibility of the game. Tex thinks there is a way to play the game, and if you don’t abide by those things, then it’s not right.”

Born Morice Fredrick Winter near Wellington, Texas, Winter assisted Jackson on nine NBA championship teams: six with the Bulls and three with the Lakers. His six-decade coaching career also featured 454 victories as a college head coach, mainly at Kansas State but also in stints at Northwestern, Marquette, Washington and Long Beach State. He entered the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

The post Tex Winter, Triangle Offense Architect, Dies at 96 appeared first on SLAM.

MJ’s former teammate says Jordan had a “lesser role” in Chicago compared to what the Cavs ask LeBron to do.

Scottie Pippen unsurprisingly chimes in on the MJ/LeBron debate pic.twitter.com/OmMIHjZVXy

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) May 18, 2018

“LeBron plays in a different role than what Michael was as a player. In all fairness to Michael, he was never asked to do things that LeBron can do for his team. He had a lesser role. And statistically, that’s why you’re seeing LeBron’s numbers are far better than Jordan’s numbers in terms of what he’d do throughout the whole game. We didn’t utilize Michael to do things that the Cavs utilize LeBron for. So the comparison is unfair.”

Pip adds that James—who moved past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals in playoff history last night—has “far better” numbers than Mike.

Per the AP:

James seems to reach a milestone every game and he was honored to pass Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.

“To know where I come from, small city 35 miles south of here, and to hear I’m in the same category or talked about and jumping these greats in the playoffs — it’s pretty cool,” he said. “You hear the scoring, the field goals made, and for a kid that really doesn’t care much about scoring.”

The post Scottie Pippen: LeBron-Jordan Comparison ‘Unfair’ appeared first on SLAM.

Pip faults Golden State for acquiring Kevin Durant en route to third championship in four years.

Scottie Pippen explains why he doesn't view the #Warriors as a dynasty https://t.co/IqEFvNL4cD pic.twitter.com/jyHlMTfmoD

— Dime on UPROXX (@DimeUPROXX) April 30, 2018

The Hall of Famer says he lost a bit of respect for the Dubs following the addition of KD two summers ago.

Per Dime:

“You say they’re on a dynasty run, but I don’t see it that way,” Pippen told Dime. “They picked up probably the best player in the game after they won their first championship. I don’t consider that a dynasty run. They went out and got the best player in the game after they won their first championship and after they lost in the Finals defending their first title. I don’t see them as a dynasty, I think bringing Kevin Durant in really changed my respect as to where I rank this team going forward in terms of a dynasty.”

Pippen expounded on his argument, believing that adding Durant after losing the Finals in 2016 is what sets this apart – at least until they win a few more with KD.

“I thought they were organically built up until they went out and got Durant,” Pippen says. “And I think that was the change, but I don’t really see Golden State as a dynasty. Dynasties are teams that does things special, does things different. Even in the year that they won 73 games, they lost the title. So I can’t consider that part of their dynasty. That wasn’t a dynasty season. So then they came back the next season and won a title, so I can’t back track and say let’s add last season to it because Kevin Durant wasn’t with them at that time.”

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Rodman was initially made furious by the suggestion he had done anything wrong to Pippen as a member of The Bad Boys in Detroit, but The Zen Master’s gambit worked.

An evening with Dennis Rodman: Old memories, returning to Chicago and life as a rockstar https://t.co/QOIhe8HYia

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) April 5, 2018

The Worm recently looked back on his three wild championship seasons in Chicago with tremendous satisfaction.

Per The Athletic:

You guys really did help make them and make Michael [Jordan].

Rodman: “We didn’t know how to handle Chicago in 1991. Because it was so fast. Scottie got his game on. Horace [Grant] had his game on. And Michael always had his game on. But we didn’t know how to handle the scheme they were doing in 1991. So basically we were so frustrated the first two or three games, what’d we have left but to beat them up? And when that didn’t work we did the old okie doke. We didn’t want to shake your hands. Screw you.”

Do you regret that?

Rodman: “Well, not really.”

Did you think it would be hard to be a teammate with Scottie when you first came here?

Rodman: “I really didn’t look at that. I think the fact that me coming to Chicago was more surprising. I’m saying, ‘Chicago? How did Chicago get my rights from San Antonio?’ So the story came out that they traded me for Will Perdue. Will Perdue, guys. Come on, really? I mean, we got probably the greatest rebounder on the planet and I remember getting low-balled by Will Perdue. Once the trade was done, I went to Jerry Krause’s house with Michael, Scottie, Phil Jackson, his dog, everybody else. We’re at Jerry Krause’s house and we’re having dinner and stuff like that. And we basically didn’t talk to each other at all. It was like ‘The Triangle.’ Michael sat here, Scottie sat here, I sat over here, and Phil’s right in the middle. So we’re at the house and nobody’s talking to each other. So Phil comes over to me and says, ‘Hey, Dennis, can you do me a favor?’ I say, ‘What is that?’ He says, ‘Can you go over there and say you’re sorry to Scottie?’ I was, like, ‘What? Say what? I’m sorry to Scottie?’ Phil said, ‘You know, just go over there and soften him up a little bit, you know because of what happened in ’91. You pushed him in the stands.’ I said, ‘You fucking gotta be kidding me, right? This is a fucking game.’ He said, ‘Just do it for me.’ So I go up to Scottie and I say, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry about what happened.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry about it, man. We just want to win.’ And that’s how the deal got done.”

The post Dennis Rodman Says Phil Jackson Made Him Apologize to Scottie Pippen appeared first on SLAM.

After Hall of Fame point guard turned NBA analyst Isiah Thomas picked LeBron James over Michael Jordan as the GOAT, Scottie Pippen went off on ESPN’s The Jump in defense of his former Bulls teammate:

You agree with Scottie?

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But most people believe the Warriors, currently half a game behind Houston in the standings, are still the superior squad.

Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen knows Golden State probably has another gear, but says the Rockets are “the best team today,” via ESPN:

They’re the best team today. But I don’t know if they’re going to be the best team come June. I do realize that the Golden State Warriors are in a comfort zone right now. They have another level that they can raise their game obviously.

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Pip tells TMZ he’d pick MJ over Bron, too.

Prince Harry extracted Obama’s choice in a BBC interview.

Per the Chicago Sun-Times:

Prince Harry asked him to decide between boxers or briefs (wouldn’t say), Kim Kardashian or Khloe Kardashian (wouldn’t pick) and Harry or William (“William right now,” he said, prompting a chuckle). He also asked him to pick between Jordan and James.

 

Obama, who has never kept his fandom of the NBA and the Bulls a secret, responded without hesitation.

 

“Jordan,” he said. “Although I love LeBron. I’m a Chicago guy.”

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Scottie Pippen: LeBron James ‘Probably Ahead’ of Michael Jordan

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Pip claims that LeBron James can’t be considered a better player than he was until LBJ matches his six NBA championships.

Earlier this week, Pippen raised a few eyebrows by stating that James is “probably ahead” of Michael Jordan in terms of their individual stats.

Per TMZ:

“LeBron ain’t better than me until he gets 6 titles.”

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Scottie Pippen: LeBron James ‘Probably Ahead’ of Michael Jordan

The post Scottie Pippen Says He’s Better Than LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

Pip concedes that MJ has the edge in terms of MVPs—to say nothing of NBA championships—but says James’ numbers are superior.

LeBron turns 33 this month, and he’s putting up staggering numbers in his 15th season, posting career highs in shooting and assists.

Per ESPN’s “First Take”:

“The numbers don’t lie. He’s right there,” Pippen said.

“He probably will never catch him in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there.

“And when you look across the board — not just scoring — check his assists, check his rebounds … he’s probably ahead of Jordan.”

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Scotty relocated to SoCal this summer after spending the last two years at Pine Crest School in Florida, while Martin was previously at Chaminade in West Hills. Both are heading into their junior season.

Check them out in action in the video above, courtesy of BallisLife.

The post Scotty Pippen Jr & Kenyon Martin Jr Are Hooping at Sierra Canyon HS appeared first on SLAM.

Nike’s built everything off of AIR.

From Michael Jordan‘s brilliant throwdowns to the visible cushioning in the midsole of the Swoosh’s most popular silhouettes, AIR isn’t a word anymore. It’s a part of both the basketball and sneaker worlds, synonymous with the height of the game and its most highly-technical performance shoes.

Back in 1996, designer Wilson Smith created a sneaker that was all about AIR. His silhouette was loaded with extra Nike Air units for cushioning, a leather upper, hits of mesh and a grand total of 14 Nike Swooshes.

And he slapped AIR on either side of it.

The bold Nike Air More Uptempo was ready.

The midcut sneaker was inspired by the outlandish style of the 1990s. Big t-shirts, baggy jeans, huge jewelry. Smith looked at graffiti to figure out how to translate all of that larger-than-life fashion onto the Uptempo.

The first colorway that was introduced came in mostly black and white, a mean-looking, no-nonsense combo that fit perfectly with Scottie Pippen‘s intense gameplay. Scottie and the Bulls, known for their “Doberman defense,” alley-oops and dunks, were even more potent than usual when he laced up the Air More Uptempo in 1996.

They hadn’t won a championship since 1993, and as they reeled off 72 regular season wins in ’96, Scottie made it clear that he was not fucking around.

He averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds 5 assists and 2.6 steals per game in the ’96 playoffs while wearing the new shoe. Pippen was initially using the sneaker for its technology, not its unique look. It was an added bonus that Pippen was effortlessly making them joints look cool as hell.

Scottie rode the black and white Uptempo to the ’96 title and then switched things up at the Olympics that summer. He opted for a much louder USA-themed colorway for the Games in Atlanta. Because that’s what Smith had in mind when he was designing the Air More Uptempo. Everything had to be more. More Air. More style. More broken necks and worn out cameras. More huge letters. Smith was trying to create a sneaker that lasted. Mission accomplished.

In the 21 years since Pippen rocked the Air More Uptempo to win the NBA Championship and the Olympic Gold Medal, the silhouette has had ridiculous staying power. It was popular when it released and then when it retroed in the 2000, 2010 and 2012, its reputation remained strong. Now in the last year and change, it’s received a complete revival. Nike started bringing back classic colorways and introducing new ones last year, celebrating its 20th birthday. After Supreme came through with a few remixed pairs, the sneaker was hit with a fire updated look that took center stage when Derrick Jones nearly won the 2017 Dunk Contest in the gold Supreme Uptempos.

Scottie’s been along for the ride, happily showing up at Nike events and posting pictures on his Instagram.

The next Air More Uptempo takes inspiration from Scottie’s most famous dunk, in 1994, when he shattered Patrick Ewing’s soul with a one-handed rim-rattler and proceeded to walk all over him.

Though he wasn’t wearing the Uptempo at the time, Scottie most definitely got AIR.

Photos courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images and Nike. Sole Survivors celebrates the sneakers that have endured throughout the years. Stay tuned for more. 

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The two NBA legends joined up at MJ’s Flight School basketball camp on Sunday in Santa Barbara, CA.

Jordan, 54, and Pippen, 51, selected campers from the crowd to participate in a fun shooting contest.

The winners, of course, got a pair of Js.

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Look Back at Every Sneaker Michael Jordan Wore in the NBA Finals

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The Dubs, up 2-0 in the NBA Finals against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, have been favored in every postseason game.

I spoke to several Las Vegas bookmakers who would favor this year's Warriors team over MJ's Bulls squad in a series: https://t.co/6Gw5zExDCg

— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkesESPN) June 5, 2017

The legendary ’96 Bulls won 72 regular season games en route to a fourth championship.

Per ESPN:

Four of the five (bookmakers) had the Warriors favored, from as high as -8 at the MGM (per Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports at MGM Resorts) to as low as -3 at the Wynn (per Johnny Avello, sportsbook manager at the Wynn).

 

Chris Andrews, sportsbook director at South Point, wasn’t crazy about the comparison but said “it would have to be pretty close to pick-em, point spread and series. It would depend on [which team] could force its style on the other.”

 

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook manager Jeff Sherman set the line at Golden State -6.5 and a series price of Chicago +300 and Golden State -360.

 

“It’s a different era now, and today’s game is played at a pace unlike in the 1990s,” Sherman said. “Players are bigger, faster and stronger than back then.”

Related
Scottie Pippen: ‘The 1995-96 Bulls, We Live on’

The post Oddsmakers Would Favor Warriors Over the 1996 Bulls appeared first on SLAM.

During an ESPN appearance Wednesday, Pip declared that LeBron James has not surpassed Kobe Bryant “at all.”

Pippen said LeBron shouldn’t be compared to Kobe or Michael Jordan; a much more apt comparison would be Magic Johnson:

“I don’t think he’s surpassed Kobe at all, no,” Pippen said.

 

“And I don’t think he should be compared to either of those players [Michael Jordan and Kobe] because they’re playing different positions. Kobe and Michael are both 2 guards. They’re both scorers. They’re mostly like a Kyrie [Irving] — they’re looking to score the basketball.

 

“I like to compare him to Magic. I think he plays a lot more like Magic, a lot more like myself — how I played, but obviously he’s more dominant than both me and Magic because of the way that he plays the game. His physicality, his athleticism surpassed Magic as well as me.”

Related
Scottie Pippen: ‘I was LeBron James before LeBron James’

The post Scottie Pippen: LeBron James Not Better Than Kobe Bryant appeared first on SLAM.

Smith says that Houston, which enjoyed regular season success against Chicago in the 1990s, “wouldn’t have been scared.”

”Even if a good, healthy Michael takes them to seven and maybe wins we would’ve beat the Bulls without a question,” Smith told Scoop B Radio.

“They didn’t match up well with us and during those years that they were actually winning championships, which wasn’t the playoffs. We were 8-2 against them during those years. We matched up well with them. We wouldn’t have been scared I tell you that much.”

Scottie Pippen fired back at Smith, saying he would’ve completely shut him down had the two squads met in the championship round:

“He forgot what my role was,” Pippen said on ESPN.

“I cut the heads off of snakes.”

From #TheJump: We @TheJetonTNT, but @ScottiePippen doesn't agree with him: "He forgot what my role was, I cut the heads off of snakes.” pic.twitter.com/uexGbe3Sze

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 23, 2017

Related
Vernon Maxwell on Michael Jordan: ‘I Wanted to Fight Him, Really’ (VIDEO)

The post Kenny Smith: Rockets Would’ve Beaten the Jordan Bulls appeared first on SLAM.

Tracy McGrady adds that Russ is the clear-cut MVP.

Westbrook has racked up 38 triple-doubles, and is averaging a mind-boggling 31.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists.

Per The Oklahoman:

On NBATV’s postgame show (Wednesday), old Orlando teammates Dennis Scott and Shaquille O’Neal discussed the MVP race.

 

“This guy’s playing historical basketball,” Shaq said.

 

“For many years we’ve been saying (to Westbrook), ‘You shoot too much, you’re selfish, you need to make your teammates better.’ He’s been doing that. This (averaging a triple double) has never been done before. Excuse me, hasn’t been done in a long time. To be in a category like that … for me, it’s Russell, (James) Harden and Kawhi Leonard, right there. But Russell Westbrook, MVP.”

The post Scottie Pippen: Russell Westbrook Having Best Season Ever appeared first on SLAM.

Pippen says Jackson—who has an opt-out clause in his contract this summer—has quite simply failed in his role as Knicks team president.

The Hall of Fame forward argues that Melo has been a total pro during yet another trying season.

Per the NY Daily News:

“To be honest with you, I’m going to have to go at my old coach Phil Jackson,” Pippen said on ESPN’s “The Jump.” “I think he just hasn’t put the right pieces on the floor. I give a lot of credit to Carmelo who is being very professional in getting through these 82 game seasons. And now he’s being benched to some degree, they’re taking a lot of his minutes away. But this team just hasn’t had it. They haven’t had it since Phil Jackson landed there. There hasn’t been any upside.”

 

After saying “fans would love to see Carmelo in New York and Phil out,” Pippen was asked by host Rachel Nichols if he believes Jackson “should be out.”

 

“Yes,” Pippen replied emphatically.

Related
Spike Lee: ‘I’ll Pack Phil’s Bags for Him’
Shaq Blames Knicks For Failing Triangle Offense

The post Scottie Pippen: Knicks Should Fire Phil Jackson appeared first on SLAM.

And the results were not good.

As bad as Pippen’s rendition of the song was, Ozzy Osbourne still holds the crown for worst seventh-inning stretch performance.

Pippen, who knows a thing or two (or six) about winning in Chicago, was at the game to cheer on the Chicago Cubs, who defeated the L.A. Dodgers to advance to their first World Series since 1945.

World Series!!! 4 more to go @Cubs. This city is ready for another championship. #FlyTheW

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) October 23, 2016

RELATED:
Scottie Pippen: ‘The 1995-96 Bulls, We Live on’
Scottie Pippen on Derrick Rose to Knicks: ‘Good Trade For Both Sides’

The post WATCH: Scottie Pippen Struggles To Sing ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ appeared first on SLAM.

Cop these on Wednesday, July 20th, for $160.

Photos courtesy of Nike

The post Nike Air More Uptempo ‘Pippen’ (KICKS) appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night in SoHo at Nike’s “Unlimited Innovation” Olympic preview event, legendary Bulls forward Scottie Pippen was on hand to discuss all things red, white and blue—and Swoosh. But given his proximity to the team in question, we couldn’t resist asking Pip (whose Hall of Fame career also includes a pair of Gold medals as a part of Dream Teams I and II) about the newest man in orange and blue.

“I think it was a good trade for both sides,” Pippen told SLAM. “I was sorry to see Derrick leave, but I think it was time for the organization to start looking at their plans going forward. And I’m sure, looking at his past, he was probably not in the plans for the future for them, so I think it was a good deal for both of them. Derrick is coming to a great market where he can continue to grow in the game and do well.”

Pippen talked about much more earlier in the evening, including why playing in the Olympics connotes a much different feeling than playing in the NBA:

.@ScottiePippen on playing in NBA vs. playing in Olympics: “It’s a different feeling, having the flag wrapped around you, and that uniform.”

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) June 28, 2016

And about his most famous sneakers, debuted during the ’96 Olympics:

.@ScottiePippen says he thought the giant “AIR” on the Nike Air More Uptempo he debuted in ’96 Olympics was “arrogant” when he first saw it.

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) June 28, 2016

We’ll have much more from our brief chat with Pippen—and from Nike Basketball’s events leading up to the Olympics in Rio—in the weeks to come, so keep it locked.

—

Photos via Getty Images

The post Scottie Pippen on Derrick Rose to Knicks: ‘Good Trade For Both Sides’ appeared first on SLAM.

Scottie Pippen and his old teammates breathed a sigh of relief when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers completed their historic comeback against the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

Congrats @cavs for winning @NBA title. @warriors u had a great regular season. But the greatest team of all time is the 95-96 @chicagobulls

— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 20, 2016

Pip says the Dubs crumbled under the weight of the postseason pressure:

Scottie Pippen was asked at the end of an interview with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike on Monday who the greatest team in NBA history was after the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to stun the Warriors and win the NBA Finals in seven games. […] “The 1995-96 Bulls,” Pippen said. “We live on.”

 

Pippen, who earlier this year said he thought the 1995-96 Bulls would sweep this year’s Warriors squad, admitted he was pulling for the Cavaliers to win the Finals, but said with their 73-win regular season, the Warriors “truly have the record.” […] The Warriors are coached by Steve Kerr, another member of that 1995-96 Bulls team. He said after the game the Warriors were “stunned,” but said the better team won the NBA Finals.

 

But Pippen said there’s “a different pressure” in the postseason, “based on that season, especially.” It was a pressure he and the Bulls had to endure themselves when they went into the playoffs after a 72-10 season. That Bulls team steamrolled through the postseason, though, going 15-3 en route to an NBA Finals win where they beat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games. […] “We had done so well and now we’re faced with the same thing that the Warriors were faced with. Can this team be considered one of the greatest teams? Well, you can’t be considered a great team until you win a championship. No matter how well you do in the regular season, it has to be capped off with a championship, to really mark your legacy in the game. That’s where we see Golden State had some failure there. They lost their dominance throughout the playoffs.”

Related
Ron Harper: 1997 Bulls Would Sweep the Warriors

The post Scottie Pippen: ‘The 1995-96 Bulls, We Live on’ appeared first on SLAM.

From 1986-1990 the Bulls had taken steps toward becoming championship contenders as first they learned playoff lessons during first-round match-ups with the champion Celtics before then facing the Bad Boy Pistons three straight times.

The cast of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, BJ Armstrong & Co. coached by Phil Jackson won 61 regular-season games.

After sweeping the Knicks and eliminating Charles Barkley and the 76ers in five games, the Bulls clearly had that championship look as they sought revenge against a team that had been pushing them around for way too long.

The Bulls’ brilliance was apparent, but it was their grace and class that also remains impressive 25 years removed.

The Pistons would fade into the ’90s as their dynasty officially came to an end. For Chicago, this was the big leap that would catalyze a Bulls dynasty.

This is Part 3 of The Ode to ’91…

Previously:
Part 1: Larry Bird’s Last Great Playoff Performance
Part 2: The Height of the ‘Run TMC’ Warriors

Video produced by Eric Newman.

The post Ode To ’91 – ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons Walk Off With 7.9 Seconds Left Vs Bulls (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

https://vine.co/v/ixzWXAqLwxK

Scottie Pippen daps up Michael Jordan at Heat-Hornets Game 7 pic.twitter.com/SMnFuuPzCS

— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) May 1, 2016

The post Scottie Pippen Surprises Michael Jordan During Heat-Hornets Game 7 (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

While both are more than capable offensive players, defense is their calling card. An emphatic block or a crucial steal gets them and their team going.

Their fifth-year regular-season numbers are staggeringly similar:

Leonard (per 100 possessions): 32.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, 50.6 FG%

 

Pippen (per 100 possessions): 27.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, 50.6 FG%

Partly due to playing in a different era, Pippen didn’t shoot three-pointers at the same rate (or efficiency) as Leonard, but Pip was the better playmaker.

Pippen also didn’t score as much as Leonard, but he played with Michael Jordan, who led the NBA in usage during Pippen’s fifth year.

However you slice it, the two are remarkably similar. Pippen recently tweeted that the comparison “makes sense.”

“A lot of people compare Kawhi to me, and it makes sense,” Pippen said. “He’s always been elite on D, and now he’s killing it offensively. Dominant all-around.”

Related:
Scottie Pippen on Kawhi Leonard Comparison: ‘It Makes Sense’

Video created by Meir21. Subscribe to his channel on YouTube and follow him on Twitter.

The post WATCH: Scottie Pippen Vs Kawhi Leonard Mixtape appeared first on SLAM.

Scottie Pippen, for one, says his Bulls squad would sweep the Warriors. Word?

Colin Stanton, video-editor extraordinaire, just released a video featuring both squads. Either way you lean, there’s no denying how many incredible highlights they produced, and in the Warriors case, will continue to produce.

Check out the video up top. Who you got?

The post ’96 Bulls vs. ’16 Warriors: Who You Got? (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Kerr, who played in all 100 games for that title-winning Bulls squad, claims that the Dubs aren’t going out of their way to make history.

Kerr also takes a philosophical approach to trash talk from the likes of Scottie Pippen and Ron Harper regarding who would win a hypothetical Playoff series between these two teams:

“We’re not really pushing for this,” Kerr, whose Warriors (69-8) must win four of their final five games to best the 72-10 mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls squad on which he played a pivotal part, told USA TODAY Sports after practice Monday. “All we’ve said is, ‘Yeah, it’d be nice to get. We’d like to get it.’

 

“But if I were pushing for it, I probably wouldn’t be resting (backup point guard) Shaun Livingston and (center Andrew) Bogut, and I’d be playing our starters more. We’re just playing it out. I don’t understand if people are going to say that we’re pushing for this. I don’t think that’s the right word to use. We’d like to get it, but we’re still resting people and trying to get us set up for the playoffs.”

 

“(What Pippen said) doesn’t bother me,” said Kerr, who had three titles with the Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs. “Every player out there who is connected to that team is going to be asked that question, and my response is always the same. The rules are so different, and the game is so different. We take 30 threes a game, or more, but the defensive rules are totally different in terms of illegal defense. […] With the old illegal defense rules, we would’ve had a hard time guarding the post. But now we can flood the strong side in a pseudo-zone. Back then you could hand-check, now you can’t hand-check. It’s hard to make a comparison if you’re really looking at it objectively, so I don’t even bother.”

The post Steve Kerr Says Warriors ‘Not Really Pushing’ for 73 Wins appeared first on SLAM.

And, well, Scottie Pippen has weighed in. Pip told the Dan Patrick Show (via Twitter) that his Chicago team would not only beat the Warriors, but they’d sweep ’em in a 7-game series. Four straight. Watch him describe it:

Here's @PaulPabst and @ScottiePippen. Thx @boomersooner81 for this question… @ATT #GameOn #ad pic.twitter.com/SJrIFAZvvP

— Seton (@HiMyNameIsSeton) April 2, 2016

Here's another one with @PaulPabst and @ScottiePippen @ATT #GameOn #ad pic.twitter.com/n0uYSG9K7U

— Seton (@HiMyNameIsSeton) April 2, 2016

The 68-8 Warriors face the Blazers and Wolves before closing out the season with two games apiece against San Antonio and Memphis. Thoughts?

Related
Ron Harper: 1997 Bulls Would Sweep the Warriors

The post Scottie Pippen Says ’95-96 Bulls Would Sweep This Year’s Warriors (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Leonard’s play has been good enough to catch the eye of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. Pip took to Twitter to share his feelings on the similarities between himself and the Spurs star:

A lot of people compare Kawhi to me & it makes sense. He's always been elite on D & now he's killing it offensively. Dominant all-around.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 11, 2016

Getting a lot of Qs about @kawhileonard who is off to a fast start tonight. No doubt he's one of the best players in the game.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 11, 2016

Through five seasons, Leonard’s career averages are 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.7 blocks and 50 percent shooting from the floor.

Through the first five seasons of Scottie’s career, he averaged 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 49 percent shooting.

Scottie’s fifth season saw him post 21 points, 7.7 boards, 7 helpers, 1.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and 50 percent shooting. Leonard’s career-year has him putting up 20.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.9 blocks and 50 percent shooting.

Not a bad comparison indeed.

The post Scottie Pippen on Kawhi Leonard Comparison: ‘It Makes Sense’ appeared first on SLAM.

We were wrong.

Shaq went on the offensive again Monday, childishly lashing out and accusing Pip of instigating the war of words.

Using tortured metaphors, an emotional O’Neal made it clear that this fight is far from over, since he has “nothing to do.”

(Oy …)

From the Diesel’s podcast (via reddit):

“I don’t let bums disrespect me,” O’Neal said.

 

“Yeah he as a great player,” O’Neal continued. “But I’m the bridge and he is the water.”

 

“He will always be under me.”

Related
Shaquille O’Neal: All-Time Lakers Would Beat All-Time Bulls ‘By Fifty’

The post Shaquille O’Neal on Scottie Pippen: ‘I Don’t Let Bums Disrespect Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

Check out the footage above to see all that and more.

(H/T: /r/NBA)

The post WATCH: Michael Jordan Silences Heckler Who Insults His Sneakers in 1995 appeared first on SLAM.

The two former NBAers duked it out on the keyboard, hilariously blasting one another for being sidekicks at various points in their Hall of Fame careers.

The famously petty Shaq wouldn’t let the silly fight end—he even childishly implied that Pippen is a woman. (*Sigh…*):

scottiepippen: Sorry @shaq but I don’t get caught up in hypotheticals. All I know is we won 6 titles, twice the amount you claimed while in LA…

 

shaq: Sorry @scottiepippen I don’t believe in hypotheticals either, but I seen most of those final you did ok , but this guy did most the work . #youwereok steve kerr and Ron harper deserve more credit than you , remember I WAS BATMAN YOU WAS ROBIN , I was PUFFY YOU WAS MASE…

 

scottiepippen: Speaking of being a sidekick… if I recall correctly you know a thing or two about that as well. @shaq

The post Shaquille O’Neal and Scottie Pippen Feud on Instagram appeared first on SLAM.

O’Neal asserts on Instagram that if he, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took on Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Derrick Rose, Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant, Los Angeles would crush Chicago by fifty points:

shaq: We would beat em by fifty “what you think”. Let me know and don’t hold back

For now, a time machine to make this matchup happen hasn’t been created, but we can always speculate.

Let us know who would win …

The post Shaquille O’Neal: All-Time Lakers Would Beat All-Time Bulls ‘By Fifty’ appeared first on SLAM.

Pippen, speaking from a Nike youth hoops camp in California this week, claims that he was “LeBron before LeBron”.

Pip says despite constant comparisons to Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, James’ all-around brilliance more closely resembles his own.

Per the NEOMG:

The elated parents on the sideline viewing James playfully schooling the young kids prompted a debate as to whom James’ game compares to. The only two Hall-of-Famers mentioned and disputed were Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. […] The debate went on for about 10 minutes. It’s an ongoing, years-old argument, but one Hall-of-Famer not mentioned above says people need to look beyond Jordan and Magic when breaking down James’ skill-set.

 

“I was LeBron James before LeBron James,” Bulls great Scottie Pippen said. “It’s not even close.”

 

“I’m no slouch, but when comparing LeBron’s game, I’m usually left out,” he said. […] “They want to compare him to the greatest, whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, but he’s more closer to myself,” Pippen said. “It’s natural for folks to say that, but if you look at how he plays the game and how I played the game, you’ll see more similarities with us.”

The post Scottie Pippen: ‘I was LeBron James before LeBron James’ appeared first on SLAM.

Pip can’t fathom his legendary 1995-’96 Chicago Bulls losing more than about seven regular season games if they hooped in today’s League—they won an NBA record 72 games during that magical season.

About 75. Game is less physical now and it would have opened up more scoring opportunities for us. https://t.co/BDrlutCHm2

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) April 27, 2015

Other topics of discussion included Pippen’s thoughts on his all-time starting five, comparisons to Kawhi Leonard, and the challenge of guarding LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

I'll go with the modern age guys: LeBron to run point, Kobe at SG, Durant at SF, Duncan at PF, Shaq at C. https://t.co/onSwJVeUSq

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) April 27, 2015

He's a great player so I can't complain. He's getting better and better the more he plays. https://t.co/COECkirzVs

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) April 27, 2015

I'd say LeBron, but I think Steph Curry might be the toughest player to guard in the league. https://t.co/jGx1reqBxa

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) April 27, 2015

The post Scottie Pippen: 1996 Bulls Would Win 75 Games in Today’s NBA appeared first on SLAM.

20 years ago today, MJ came out of retirement and suited up for the @chicagobulls in an OT loss to the Pacers. #TBT pic.twitter.com/PeruCC2xkK

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) March 19, 2015

Eighteen months after stunningly retiring for the first time, Mike (rocking an unfamiliar No.45 jersey) laced up a crispy pair of Air Jordan X and played 43 minutes for the Chicago Bulls in a 103-96 road overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers, with Jordan struggling to reach 19 points on just 7-of-28 shooting.

The Bulls, of course, would go on to win another three-peat as Jordan re-assumed his rightful place atop the hoops world.

I see it's been 20 years since two of the most famous words in sports history: "I'm back"

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

To be honest, after MJ retired the first time in 1993 I thought he was done. I think a comeback was the furthest thing on his mind.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

I'll always remember how shocked we were MJ walked away from the game like that. We were ready to go for a 4th straight.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

I kept tabs on him as he played baseball but we didn't talk all that often. I gave him some space as he needed a break from basketball.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

I really didn't know how much he loved baseball until that point. He was pretty passionate about the game and showed he could hold his own.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

When MJ started showing up at Berto spring of 1995 for practices, it didn't take long to see he was serious about getting back in the game.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

We had a great year in 1993-94, no thanks to Hue Hollins, but the following season was challenging without Horace Grant.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

Horace was a huge piece for us so to be without him and Michael felt like starting over to some degree.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

We all felt after several practices that MJ's return was inevitable but once he said "I'm back" it really gave us a lift.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

He wore 45 of course and we didn't think too much about it in the moment but it wasn't the 23 we were used to seeing.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

MJ had to shake a little rust off but he showed at the Garden his swagger was back in the double nickel game.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

I think the Knicks were tired of him killing them all night so they over compensated on that last play and MJ found @34billy42 for the win.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

Losing to Orlando was tough. It had been a long time since we had MJ and lost in the playoffs. But it fueled us. He took it hard.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

We added some pieces to the roster, including one of the great rebounders of all time in @dennisrodman, and came back ready to work.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

So here's to 20 years ago and ultimately, three more championships.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 19, 2015

The post Michael Jordan Returned to the NBA 20 Years Ago (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

LBJ now has 6,138 dimes in his career; Pip retired with 6,135 assists in the books.

James compared the accomplishment to winning a title.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“Probably one of the greatest achievements I’ve had in my career, up there with winning a championship for sure,” James said. “I’ve always took a lot of pride and I get more of a rush seeing my teammates succeed more than myself, and that’s what assists are all about. I was taught the game the right way and seeing my teammates succeed is always been something that I’ve cared about more than anything.”

 

James grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, but he never thought he could reach that level, so he aimed his focus on guys like Pippen, Penny Hardaway and Allen Iverson because he thought that was more realistic. Now he is well past them and on his way to the all-time legends. […] “Assists for me is something that’s very cool, it’s something that’s always kind of driven me out on the basketball floor,” James said. “Seeing my guys succeed, and to know the category I was in with like Bird and Pippen, it’s huge.”

 

“Once again I’m at a lost for words really! For me this goes right at the top with winning a championship because I’ve always love seeing the success of my teammates!! Seeing my teammates score always meant more to me than me scoring! I can’t do anything without those guys every single night. Their hardwork, dedication, professionalism, etc, etc has put me in the position I am today and this is my way of saying THANK YOU to every teammate I’ve ever had(past, present, future) #StriveForGreatness”

The post LeBron James Has the Most Assists By a Forward in NBA History (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

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The post James Harden Stars in Foot Locker Ad With Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

He grew up playing on a dirt court in his backyard, and is now one of the 50 greatest ever to play the game of basketball. That’s not bad for the six-time world champion from Central Arkansas, who averaged just 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds his freshman year of college.

With a stylish tank top and long shorts to combat the Parisian heat, No. 33 walked out to center court at the recent 2014 Quai 54 World Streetball Championship to answer some questions. More than a few fans foolishly asked Pippen about No. 23. One French journalist made a head-shaking comparison to Tony Parker. But Pippen wasn’t here to talk about Jordan Brand or the Spurs or Nike; he was on vacation, enjoying the competition while meeting the Quai 54 community.

Without even trying to, Pippen symbolized the tournament’s slogan: “Bring your game, not your name.” The press tent was crowded and the black leather couches were hot, but he was as gracious, polite and welcoming as only a selfless legend can be. Just for the record: Pippen was never afraid of Bill Laimbeer. And if he had to pick his own streetball team? He’d go with Tony Parker and Kobe.

SLAM: Did you grow up playing streetball or did you play more in the gyms?

Scottie Pippen: I grew up playing streetball. I think every kid grows up playing streetball at some point.

SLAM: Did you have a court in the backyard?

SP: I had a dirt court in my backyard. [And] I played on the playground a lot.

SLAM: Is there a style to the Southern-type of game that’s different at all?

SP: Man, I don’t think it’s an own style really. The style is really built around the individual.

SLAM: What’s the biggest difference between streetball and the Euro League or the NBA?

SP: I don’t see much difference. I mean the game is the game, no matter what. You’re just seeing different levels of players. Players who are organized, players who are getting coached, compared to players who haven’t been coached. So it’s just a different level of players. A lot of streetball players are able to go to a higher level.

SLAM: What’s the main hindrance for streetball players who can’t make it?

SP: The problem is they just haven’t been coached. And players that have been coached throughout their careers are pretty easy to make the transition. And those who play streetball all the time and haven’t been coached, it’s tougher for them to make the transition because they don’t take coaching.

SLAM: I know when you were a walk-on at Central Arkansas, where you averaged about 4 points and 3 rebounds freshman year, and 26 and 10 by senior year as an All-American. Was there a shift during those years? Were you always serious about basketball as a passion as far as the NBA goes?

SP: I have always been passionate about the game of basketball. I think what really helped me was I grew five inches after my freshman year in college. But I’ve always loved the game. When I grew it just really opened up opportunities for me.

SLAM: Was there a moment when you realized, “Now I might be able to make it to the next level”? Or did you always have that belief?

SP: I think I always had it. You know, I think that the growth spurt just really gave me what I needed, but I’ve always dreamt of playing in the NBA.

SLAM: If you could pick a couple of players for a streetball game…

SP: In today’s game or ever?

SLAM: In today’s game.

SP: In today’s game a good streetball player? Kobe. I would even go as far as saying Tony Parker.

SLAM: You still play, I imagine? Frequently or not so much?

SP: No, not so much.

SLAM: Is basketball still the central theme of your life?

SP: I would say it’s a central theme. I’ve got three boys who really love the game.

SLAM: How old are your kids?

SP: I’ve got a 13, 11 and 8-year-old boy, and a 5-year-old girl.

SLAM: And they’re all playing?

SP: Yeah.

SLAM: You played with Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley—do you think cultural diversity, as we see with the Spurs, can help a team?

SP: I think it helps the team. I think international players are much more simple basketball players, whereas American players, we are more athletic basketball players. So it makes the transition easier when you don’t have a guy that’s so overwhelming and uses his athleticism all the time. Just playing simple basketball—passing, moving—makes the game simpler. It simplifies the game.

SLAM: I have a quote from Phil Jackson’s Eleven Rings and wanted to have you speak on it for a second. “What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus—with their whole heart and soul—on something greater than themselves.” This notion of playing for something greater than yourself — do you think that’s essential to winning a championship?

SP: Oh, for sure. I think that he said it correctly. I mean, winning isn’t about you as an individual. I think you have to sort of push everything to the side and really focus on the team, focus on making other people around you better and not really focusing on yourself.

SLAM: And what’s the key to maintaining that motivation throughout the years? It’s a grueling season, then the Playoffs…

SP: Winning. You know, you find the final ingredient, and you’re winning and it works. It makes it a little bit easier for you when you’re traveling. You’ve got 82 games so it sheds some of the frustration.

SLAM: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from being in the spotlight all these years? I imagine you’ve got cameras around you all the time, interviews—what have you learned from that?

SP: Just be yourself. Just don’t try to do anything different, but know that people are always watching you. But be yourself.

SLAM: Last question: Bill Laimbeer. Is he as terrifying to play against as he seems in the videos?

SP: No, he’s not terrifying to play against at all [laughs]. Did you expect me to say, Yes, he’s terrifying?

Photo courtesy of 360 Creative

The post Q+A: Scottie Pippen appeared first on SLAM.

Conan O’Brien hosted Charles Barkley on Thursday, and the inimitable Sir Charles took shots at his TNT co-workers Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, called football players “idiots”, and encouraged rich people to tip generously (word to horrible tippers such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Tiger Woods.)

The post Charles Barkley Calls Michael Jordan a Bad Tipper (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Scottie Pippen isn’t going to face any criminal charges following a fight in Malibu a couple of months ago. The NBA great is still, however, facing a $4 million lawsuit. Per the AP:” Scottie Pippen won’t face criminal charges for a fight with a man who authorities say was drunk when he demanded an autograph and photo with the former Chicago Bulls star, then faked seizures after claiming Pippen punched him in the face. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Tuesday there was insufficient evidence to bring assault charges against Pippen for the altercation with Camran Shafighi at Nobu, a restaurant and celebrity hangout on the beach in Malibu. Pippen was dining with his family June 24 when he was approached by Shafighi inside the restaurant. Pippen obliged to have a photo taken but not with Shafighi, and then Shafighi followed the retired NBA forward outside into the parking lot. He again asked for a photo and an autograph from Pippen, who said no. Pippen told investigators Shafighi became irate, ‘grabbing at him, cursing him and then spit in his face,’ according to a report by the district attorney’s office. Shafighi, 49, said Pippen punched him in the mouth and kicked him several times. The last memory Shafighi had before losing consciousness was seeing Pippen’s foot coming toward his face, the report said. Pippen admitted spitting at Shafighi and pushing him away, but prosecutors said that based on witness accounts, it was unclear whether Pippen was the aggressor or acted in self-defense.”

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by Krissy Harper / @CSNKrisHarper

After years of participating in basketball camps across the country, Scottie Pippen has decided to host a basketball skills camp of his own.

While out in Deerfield, IL, at the Joy of the Game facility, the six-time Champion spoke about why it was his time to take the reins. “I like sharing my skills and getting out with the kids, so it gives me a chance to get back out on the court with the kids and share my knowledge of basketball,” Pippen said.

There’s no shortage of camps for young athletes to choose from, but few boast a Hall of Famer’s presence.

“I’m here. That’s the difference,” Pippen said with smile. “But no, it’s just different things that I want to teach the kids. I’m a little different and what I brought to the game is different from any other player, so I’m trying to share what I believe helps the kids to carry over into the game. So pretty much the same things that everyone teaches in their camp, but again I’m here and I want my presence to be felt.”

One of the most challenging obstacles when planning an event is location. But Pippen lucked out on this hurdle and made the most logical choice.

“I live about 10 minutes from here so it is very convenient for me,” Pippen said. “And this is a facility that my kids use a lot and play in so in the summertime, it is an opportunity for me to get back out in the community and put myself out there so I can share what I know about the game with the kids. I’ve always done camps. I’ve always enjoyed doing them so this year I decided to do them here in Deerfield.”

And while some athletes chose to let their foundation representatives handle the majority of the planning and paperwork process, Pippen was hands on in the day-to-day decisions.

“Very involved. I’ve been talking to Josh Carr about this and it’s been a process,” Pippen said. “It’s probably been going on for about three years and I finally pulled the trigger. I’m here, again, at this facility all the time.”

Although Pippen was a regular at this gym and had countless experiences at other events, he never really saw himself hosting a camp on his own, admitting, “I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here doing a camp to be honest with you, but I finally decided to do it this summer. Doing a camp now is special for me because I have three kids of my own.”

Pippen recognized the importance of spending time with young athletes and developing their game at a young age. And now with his kids growing in age, coupled with his decision to host a skills camp, the time he gets to spend with his own kids materializes into memories.

“They will be here tomorrow and they are excited to get here, I’m looking forward to it. A lot of the campers have been asking about them,” Pippen said.

But at the end of the day, one mission stands above all: giving back to the community. This past summer has been a very productive one for Pippen as he undertook the task of developing a Pro-Am League, hosting basketball skills clinics in inner city parks, and the emergence of his own camp right outside of Chicago. Pippen believes in his philanthropic responsibilities and wants to promote the advancement of the athletes of tomorrow.

“It is definitely something that I take pride in. As you know I spent a lot of time here this summer, developing the Chi-League (Nike Chi-League Pro Am) and those Chi-League parks for the kids, so all that is really about giving back and making Chicago a better and safer place to live in,” Pippen urged. “So I know all these kids want to get out and play basketball. They want to see their idols. And having these coaches here who come whether it be to volunteer or whatever, it is just great to have them here because they are giving their time to the kids as well. Obviously I, or other athletes, get the credit, but it’s a lot of people who donate their time here.”

With all the accolades Pippen has garnered over the years, it is safe to say this might among be his finest accomplishments.

The post Joy of the Game appeared first on SLAM.

NBA legend Scottie Pippen got into a fight with a man outside a Malibu restaurant last month, and the guy is taking Pip to court and looking to squeeze him for $4 million. Per the LA Times: “Attorneys representing a man who said he was the victim of a ‘brutal and unjustified physical attack’ by Scottie Pippen filed a $4-million lawsuit Thursday against the former NBA All-Star in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Camran Shafighi, 49, suffers from headaches, nausea, breathing difficulties and other ongoing medical issues as a result of an altercation involving the luxury car business owner and the former Chicago Bull great, said his attorney Lee Boyd. She said the suit is an effort to compensate the Malibu area resident for those problems in addition to economic losses because he is unable to run his business. ‘This has been pretty devastating to him,’ Boyd said in an interview Thursday. ‘This was not the result of some drunken barroom brawl. This is a guy who wanted to take a picture with a cellphone.’ Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives are continuing to investigate the alleged assault involving Pippen that took place June 23 at Nobu Malibu restaurant in the 22700 block of Pacific Coast Highway.”

The post Scottie Pippen Sued for $4 Million After Restaurant Fight appeared first on SLAM.

Originally published in SLAM 29

Watching Larry Bird stand expressionless on the sidelines for an entire season was strange enough. When he carried it over into the Eastern Conference Finals, it was actually scary. And when he stayed stone-faced through the whirlwind end of Game Four, you started to wonder whether he had actually died earlier in the season and just forgotten to fall down. For anyone who watched him play—talking non-stop trash on the court and teaching M.L. Carr a thing or two about towel-waving on the bench—a solid Bird was unthinkable. You couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s going on in that head of his? How can he stay so calm?”

Well, we had our psychic recorders trained on Larry Legend during this Game Three sequence, when Scottie Pippen pretended Travis Best was Jerry Krause. Let’s listen in:

“…damn SI, that’s the last time I take a paternity test. Wait a minute, who’s got the ball? Mullin? Oh God, don’t take it inside, Pippen’s gonna—ouch. Shoulda settled for the three, Chris. I would have. Wow, nice outlet by Longley. Didn’t know he could do that. Now Pip’s got it three-on-one with Jordan and that guard from Chicago who never plays, and there’s nobody back for us except that point guard. What’s his name? Doesn’t matter. He wouldn’t be out there if Jackson could get the ball past half-court. Hell, he can’t get it past our free-throw line with Pippen on him. Pippen. Who ever thought he would ever amount to anything? Sat on the back of the bus during the ‘92 Olympics, gloating over that big contract he’d just signed. Yeah? Who’s laughing now, Scottie? Who’s laughing now??? Whoops, almost lost it there. Gotta stay stone. Stone! What was it Jerry Sichting used to tell me? Oh yeah, ‘Pass me the ball, Larry! PASS ME THE BALL!!! I’m OPEN, you overrated piece of @#!$#@!’ That was pretty funny. I wonder what Jerry’s doing now?

“Now Jordan gets it. I’d yell at Travis to get on him, but Jordan’ll get the call anyway. It’s just like in ‘86. I tried to tell Ainge to lay off, but did he listen? No, of course not. I was gonna yell at him, but he probably woulda cried. Whining little puke. Gives up 63 to Jordan on our home floor. Oh well, at least I’m Coach of the Year. I don’t know what I’d do if he won. Quit, probably.

“Oh great, Jordan gives it back to Pippen right down the middle of the lane. This is gonna be…oh, Travis don’t step in there. You’re just gonna…ouch.”

—Russ Bengtson

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Originally published in SLAM 3

Game 6, Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Knicks vs. Bulls.

It was a mad scene on Madison that night. The same set of characters were all there—minus, of course, the best player to ever play the game: a guy named Michael Jordan. The brusin’ Knicks were leadin’ three games to two, and so da Bulls needed this game real bad. Scottie Pippen had been on a mission to show everyone—especially MJ—that he was the man on this Chicago team.

And so…Horace Grant blocked a Charles Oakley feeble attempt at a layup—the Oakman has the vertical of an elephant—and the ball kicked out to BJ Armstrong, who was runnin’ up the left side. With the heavy-handed Derek Harper stepping in front of him, Armstrong threw a deft bounce pass from the left of the key across the lane to Pete Myers, who, in turn, bounced it back across the lane to a streaking Pippen. (Meanwhile, Starks was sprawling and Harper was checkin’ his jock for burn marks.)

Where was Patrick Ewing in all this? He was running down the lane, waiting for Pippen. Scottie caught the rock and elevated toward the rim. The Stadium crowd buzzed in anticipation. Pippen threw down a cold hard one over Ewing, sending the Knicks center sprawling to the floor. As if to punctuate the move, he stood over Patrick. And Patrick, on his ass, took exception to this and swiped at Pippen. The crowd went bonkers. Spike Lee went bonkers. And for a brief moment, the fans almost forgot what happened three games earlier, with two ticks left.

—Dave Lewis

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Increasingly rare and precious indeed is the not-sure-thing player, from the not-sure-where-that-is school, who turns out to be the missing piece in your favorite team’s championship puzzle. More rare, even, than the sure-thing prospect—from a school seen nightly on SportsCenter—who as a rookie LeBronizes the League every decade or so.

Any franchise can snag the latter on NBA Draft Night with the dumb luck of a lottery ball bounce. It’s the franchises which identify, plot for and get the latter that in the long run separate themselves from the pack.

In 1976, Seattle snagged Dennis Johnson, who in high school wasn’t even good enough to play more than a few minutes a game. In his second pro season, he led the SuperSonics to a Championship. In 1986, Detroit gambled on NAIA star Dennis Rodman, who never got on to the floor as a high schooler and at age 22 appeared to have washed out of competitive basketball altogether. Fast forward a few years: Rodman’s a borderline star and vital contributor to the Pistons’ first two titles.

Of all stories in which a player swings from utter anonymity to eventual superstardom, the most celebrated belongs to Scottie Pippen. The first-ballot Hall of Famer entered college not on an athletic scholarship but with a grant to work as the basketball team’s manager. He majored in industrial education, assuming his future was in factory management. After two summers of welding work in furniture plants that left him burn marks on his arms, Pippen decided basketball held more promise than he’d originally assumed.

Within seven years, the would-be factory manager was churning out the first of six world Championships, seven All-NBA selections and 10 All-Defensive Team selections. But, like his running mate Michael Jordan, Pippen has left a complex legacy as a great player on the court with questionable behavior off of it. At least three times early in his career, Pippen was cited in police reports for domestic abuse. On Sunday, he was involved in a fight outside a sushi restaurant in Malibu. The other person suffered head injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

It’s hard to reconcile reports of this Pippen—posh, violent and impetuous—with accounts of the shy boy from rural Arkansas who toiled in obscurity for years. Pippen has been in the national limelight for 26 years, and it seems as if we hardly know him any better than when he first burst on the scene in the 1987 Draft.

If not for a stunning growth spurt, he likely would have stayed anonymous.

Like Rodman and Johnson, Pippen physically underwhelmed in high school. At 6-1 and 150 pounds, he didn’t consider himself to be a much of basketball prospect. As a junior, he skipped an off-season conditioning program to be an equipment manager for Hamburg High School’s football team. He only became a starter as a senior.

“He was a good role player, but we certainly had better players,” Hamburg basketball coach Donald Wayne told the Arkansas Times in 1988. “In fact, I coached three of Scottie’s older brothers here, and at least one of them, Jimmy (who now works for a supermarket in Little Rock) was a lot better high school player than Scottie was.”

Still, Wayne saw enough in Pippen to think the point guard could contribute to a small college program, even if no recruiters had shown the slightest interest in him. Wayne put in a call to his former college coach Don Dyer, who was then coaching at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Wayne “had it in his mind that basketball was the way I would get an education,” Pippen told Sports Illustrated in 1987.

Dyer wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, but, as a favor, took Pippen on as a manager. Pippen’s initial job was to serve water, tape ankles and gather laundry but he also got to practice with the team, then part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. When two UCA players quit at the start of the ’83-84 season, Dyer put Pippen—who’d grown to 6-3—on scholarship and added him to the roster. “He was real gangly,” Dyer told the Arkansas Times. “The coordination just wasn’t there yet, but you could see underneath that even then he had the skills.”

Pippen played sporadically as a freshman, averaging only 4 points and 3 rebounds, but by season’s end had grown another two inches and had packed on muscle through weight lifting.

Pippen emerged as the team’s best player as a sophomore even if he couldn’t much show it during games. Poor grades took that season’s first semester away and in his first game back, Pippen injured an ankle and was hobbled for much of the season’s remainder. Still, he averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds and at 6-7 and nearly 200 pounds had started playing all positions.

In the summers, Pippen worked out on campus with his best friend Ronnie Martin and competed in Little Rock’s Dunbar Community Center league, Dyer recalled. There, he played with some of the best Arkansans of the era, including Milwaukee Bucks star Sidney Moncrief. “He just kept getting better and better,” Dyer said in a telephone interview. It became clear Pippen had legit NBA potential.

So, Dyer started sending film of him to organizations. Footage went to Dyer’s acquaintance Bob Bass, then the San Antonio Spurs’ general manager. Dyer was surprised the Spurs didn’t reply. “We were just trying to get [Pippen’s] name out there, but nobody paid attention to him.”

Such anonymity persisted through Pippen’s junior year, in which he led his Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in points (19.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg) and earned the first of two consecutive NAIA All-American selections. “We spent that year and the next trying to tell people we had the best basketball player in Arkansas at UCA, bar none,” Dyer told the Arkansas Times. “But if you’re not at Fayetteville, or to a lesser extent Jonesboro or Little Rock, it’s hard to get anybody to listen to you.”

In Pippen’s senior season, UCA assistant coach Arch Jones apparently took it upon himself to ensure his young star got noticed. He’d read an article about NBA superscout Marty Blake, who had a track record for finding off-the-radar talents which he’d bolstered by scouting Rodman at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Jones recalled nearly 25 years before he’d run across Blake’s name attached to flowers sent to Arkansas Tech, where he’d played college ball. In 1961, Blake was scouting Jones’ Tech teammate JP Lovelady for the St. Louis Hawks. Blake thought he’d found “the next Jerry Sloan,” the hard-nosed 6-4 guard from Illinois, and expected to sign Lovelady at the Hawks’ training camp. Tragically, Lovelady died in a car accident before he could participate.

In 1986, Jones cold-called Blake, introduced himself and told him Pippen was worth checking out in person. “In December of Pippen’s senior season, Blake ventured to Hattiesburg, MS, where Central Arkansas played Southern Mississippi, to see for himself,” according to a 2010 Chicago Tribune article.

“Before Pippen finished scoring 24 points while playing all five positions that night, Blake had begun figuring out how to add him to the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament that, in those days, served as a four-day NBA job interview.”

Blake got him into that post-season showcase among others, but in the meantime tried to elicit more interest from NBA personnel as Pippen put up 23.6 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 apg while shooting 58 percent from the three-point line during his senior year.

Chicago’s general manager Jerry Krause became interested. In February 1987, he dispatched his assistant Billy McKinney to UCA for a game against Henderson State, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Officials at Central Arkansas had been told that Blake was urging all NBA teams to see Pippen play that night. “The people in Conway were expecting this horde of people from the pros,” McKinney says. But the invasion never materialized; McKinney was the only scout to show up.”

Eventually, in the next months, scouts from a few other teams including Boston came to Conway. Likely, they had the same doubts as McKinney. How to accurately gauge Pippen’s true ability when the competition—which McKinney likened to “amateur night at the Y”—was so lousy?

The scouts’ suspicions wouldn’t be soothed until April, when Pippen traveled to Virginia to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament against future first-round selections. His versatility, athleticism and length quickly made a big impression on Krause, who finally saw him in person. “He had the longest arms (6-10 wingspan) I’d ever seen,” Krause told the Chicago Tribune in 2010. “That night, I got very excited.”

He wasn’t the only one.

Blake recalled Pippen had been so impressive that by the end of the first day, 50 colleagues approached him in the stands to shake his hand. Pippen kept it up, dominating two more post-season showcases for college seniors.

Still, he wasn’t exactly a known commodity among his major college counterparts. For instance, not until two weeks before the 1987 NBA Draft did Georgetown’s Reggie Williams (the eventual No. 4 pick) first hear Pippen’s name, according to SI.

Pippen’s quickly rising stock made it unlikely he would still be around for the Bulls’ first pick at No. 8, so Krause swung a trade with Seattle a few hours before the Draft began that gave Bulls center Olden Polynice to the SuperSonics for Pippen, who was taken by Seattle with the No. 5 selection.

In the span of six weeks, Pippen had risen from likely second-rounder to a lottery pick who reportedly signed a six-year contract worth more than $5 million including incentives, according to SI.

It was the culmination of an improbable run for Scottie, the youngest of 12 children raised by a paper mill worker in Ashley County. The son of the Arkansas Delta was now headed for the bright lights of Chicago.

Decades before, the family of Ashley County native Joe Jackson had also moved to the Midwest, setting into motion a series of events leading to a pop cultural phenomenon in the 1970s and ’80s that centered on his son Michael Jackson.

Pippen, of course, joined another MJ in the Rust Belt. Together, they sparked a cultural phenomenon all their own.

This article was originally published on Sporting Life Arkansas. Demirel covers more basketball from a mid-South/British slant at his blog and Twitter home.

The post The Rise of Scottie Pippen appeared first on SLAM.

According to multiple reports, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen sent a guy to the hospital after being verbally abused while out dining with his family. The final straw for Pip, reportedly, came when the man’s spit hit Scottie’s daughter. Per the NY Daily News and TMZ: “The former Chicago Bulls standout visited a sheriff’s station voluntarily after he was named as a suspect in a Sunday evening altercation at Nobu, a trendy beachside eatery. Investigators said a violent argument broke out after an autograph-seeker took photos of Pippen, 47, and his family. The unidentified man was later taken to a hospital with a head injury, investigators said. But a source said Pippen was the real victim. The fan started the tussle, spit on the ex-athlete and screamed the called him the N-word, the source said, adding that Pippen was holding his 4-year-old daughter at the time. ‘Can you imagine, you’re out to dinner with your wife, your four kids and your mother-in-law, and someone calls you the N-word and starts to get physical?’ the source said, calling the alleged victim’s story a ‘crock.’ … ‘When Scottie left, this guy had no injuries,’ said the source. ‘Scottie is very upset about the way this has been portrayed.’ […] At one point, we’re told one of Pippen’s dinner guests went to the bathroom and the man sat in the guest’s place continuing to pester Pippen with questions. We’re told Pippen bit his tongue and politely asked the man to leave. After the meal, we’re told Pippen agreed to take a photo with the man outside the restaurant but the man continued to be aggressive, demanding an autograph as well. Pippen refused and we’re told that’s when the man dropped the n-bomb, shoved the NBA legend, then spat at him. Sources close to Pippen say he lost it when the spit landed on his young daughter — and Pippen flew into attack mode.”

The post Scottie Pippen Reportedly Beat Up Guy Who Called Him N-Word and Spit at Him appeared first on SLAM.

UPDATE: After a Sunday night fight which sent a man to the hospital, and with the possibility of charges hanging over everything, Scottie Pippen has turned himself in. Reports the Chicago Tribune: “Pippen had been at the Nobu Malibu restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway when a fight broke out between him and the man around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff’s office. ‘He came in to be interviewed, he’s been cooperative,’ said Whitmore. By Monday afternoon, Pippen had been questioned by police and was cooperative, said Whitmore. Pippen was allowed to leave without being charged, said Whitmore. ‘Mr. Pippen will not be arrested, there’s more here than meets the eye,’ said Whitmore. He said the investigation was continuing. ‘We have to investigate and check with all the witnesses and find out exactly what happened,’ said Whitmore. Earlier, Pippen was named as a suspect and was facing possible charges of assault with intent to cause great bodily injury, Whitmore said. Witnesses told police Pippen got into an argument with a man in the parking lot of the restaurant near a valet stand, Whitmore said. ‘That argument led to an altercation,’ Whitmore said. ‘Our detectives are investigating this right now.’ Pippen left the restaurant after the fight, Whitmore said. The other person suffered head injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, Whitmore said. Whitmore denied reports that Pippen had been arrested. ‘We are speaking with everybody, including Mr. Pippen,’ said Whitmore. ‘Right now he is not under arrest, he has not been booked.'”

The post Scottie Pippen Questioned By Police Following Fight (UPDATE) appeared first on SLAM.

The authorities are investigating a Sunday night battle between Scottie Pippen and another Malibu restaurant patron (who ended up in the hospital), and they say that charges may follow. Per the Chicago Tribune: “Pippen had been at the Nobu Malibu restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway when a fight broke out between him and the man around 6:30 p.m., said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff’s office. Witnesses told police that Pippen got into an argument with the man in the parking lot of the restaurant near a valet stand, Whitmore said. […] ‘Charges could follow, we don’t know,’ he said. ‘We have to investigate and check with all the witnesses and find out exactly what happened.’ Employees at the restaurant said they did not have any information about the fight. Chicago Bulls officials said it would be premature to comment on the incident. Pippen serves as special advisor to Bulls’ president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf.”

The post Police Investigating Fight Involving Scottie Pippen appeared first on SLAM.

NBA legend Scottie Pippen is not one to be trifled with, unless your name happens to be Charles Oakley. According to TMZ, Pip beat up a guy during a fight outside a Malibu restaurant last night: “47-year-old Pippen was outside Nobu in the ‘Bu when he got into a fight with another guy. Not clear at this point what started the altercation — but we know it ended with the other guy getting so injured he was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. […] Police were called to the scene, but by the time they got there Pippen had left.”

The post Scottie Pippen Reportedly Knocked Out a Guy During a Fight appeared first on SLAM.

According to Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone, the guy who tortured him in two consecutive NBA Finals (1997, 1998) wouldn’t make it onto The Mailman’s all-time starting lineup. Malone says he’d go with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen instead, since Pip was a more versatile player. (Malone later did some light backtracking.) Per the Dan Patrick Show: “The Hall of Famer discusses a wide range of topics, including who he’d take between LeBron James and Michael Jordan and where he ranks himself among the great power forwards. He also picked his dream team and leaves off Jordan, taking Scottie Pippen instead.”

The post Karl Malone Picks Scottie Pippen Over Michael Jordan for Dream Starting Five appeared first on SLAM.

Scottie Pippen’s admiration of LeBron James has never been kept secret. And according to Alonzo Mourning—who works for the Miami Heat, and could have been joking around—Scottie said LeBron would wipe the floor with Michael Jordan: “I’m gonna tell you what Scottie said. Scottie said that LeBron would kick MJ’s ass. And I said, ‘Scottie, you’re right.’”

(H/T: Pro Basketball Talk)

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Avery Bradley is one of the NBA’s best defenders and pickpockets. He’s so good, in fact, that Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers likens being hounded by Bradley to the experience of going up against Scottie Pippen, one of the greatest defensive players of all-time. Per ESPN: “In 33 games this season, Bradley has produced 41 steals. Those 1.2 swipes per contest won’t put him among the league leaders, but it’s how he generates his thefts: hounding or baiting some of the league’s top ball-handlers — often before the midcourt stripe — and picking them clean for easy transition buckets. But that’s only part of Bradley’s defensive game, and his role in stabilizing the Celtics’ season cannot be understated. Boston, a team that has perennially ranked in the top 5 in defensive rating in the Kevin Garnett era, sat 14th in the league with an unsightly defensive rating of 102.1 on Jan. 1, the day before Bradley made his season debut after a pair of offseason shoulder surgeries shelved him for the first 30 games. Since Bradley’s return, Boston boasts a defensive rating of 96.9, the second-best mark in the league in that span (only Indiana has been better). It’s a big reason why, beset by three season-ending injuries including the loss of All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are 21-13 since that point (and Bradley sat out one of those losses against Chicago). If not for the time he missed, it’s not far-fetched to say that Bradley deserves some consideration for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award (or a spot on the league’s all-defense team at the very least). […] ‘Avery’s return was bigger than people know,’ said Rivers. ‘It really was.’ […] Rivers has taken to comparing Bradley to the likes of Scottie Pippen, Derek Harper, and Alvin Robertson, with Michael Jordan’s former running mate his favorite parallel. ‘It’s like Scottie Pippen — when you played the Bulls, you were praying that, ‘I hope he guards the other guy tonight,’ explained Rivers. ‘Because [Pippen] was one of those guys that could guard the 1, 2, or 3. And you were hoping, ‘OK, I hope [he guards the other guy].’ I mean, how rare is it that you want Michael to guard you? Over Scottie. And I’m thinking that’s Avery, and even Courtney [Lee]. Courtney’s a good defender as well, but they’re probably thinking, ‘I’ll take him over him.’ And [Bradley’s] feet are so good. I mean, he stays in front of the ball, he gets up into it, and it’s big for us. He’s really making us a better defensive team.'”

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“Big Pippen” is coming to a television set near you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Scottie Pippen and his wife Larsa have been given their own show. Per the Hollywood Reporter: “WE tv is appealing to its core female audience’s interest in dating, shoes and religion with an ambitious slate of seven unscripted series vying for a place on its 2013-14 schedule. The network that’s home to Braxton Family Values, its spinoff Tamar & Vince as well as wedding-themed entries Bridezillas and My Fair Wedding is eyeing similarly themed entries including a docuseries revolving around NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and his wife Larsa and Single Brides. […] Big Pippen, from Left Right Productions, revolves around Chicago power couple Larsa and Scottie Pippen. From private jets to designer digs, diamond rings and six NBA championships, the Pippens live a truly charmed life. Add in her overbearing family and his clan from Arkansas, and this duo is living life Big Pippen style.”

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NBA legend Scottie Pippen will make his acting debut next month, playing a small part in the stage production of “A Christmas Carol.” Reports the Chicago Tribune: “Scottie Pippen will make his Goodman Theatre debut on Dec. 14. Alas, it won’t be in the musical ‘Pippin.’ Instead he’ll have a small role in ‘A Christmas Carol.’ The former Chicago Bull will appear with La’Ren Kimble, a 7-year-old beneficiary of the Illinois Make-A-Wish program, which helps children battling life-threatening medical conditions. ‘I’m excited to step on a different stage of sorts, and look forward to being part of what has been a Chicago holiday tradition for so many years,’ Pippen said. ‘But what’s most important for me is being able to work alongside my co-star, La’Ren, and Make-A-Wish Illinois. I hear La’Ren is an aspiring actress, and I’ll do my best to make her and the cast of ‘A Christmas Carol’ proud.'”

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Still no official word on whether or not PJax is returning to coach the Lakers, but the Daily News reports that if he does, he may be joined on the sideline by an old friend: “[Phil Jackson] interviewed with the team on Saturday. Although he was not offered the job, sources said, it’s his if he wants it. That’s because the Lakers are focused solely on hiring Jackson, the 11-time champion who led L.A. to five titles during his two tenures in Los Angeles. Jackson, 67, has expressed interest in taking over a team with four potential Hall of Famers, although he is said to be examining some of his usual concerns, including having say in personnel matters and whether he would have to make all of the Lakers’ road games. Jackson is looking at adding Scottie Pippen, his former Chicago Bulls star, to his staff, sources said. Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to coach the Lakers on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. Bickerstaff became the interim coach after Mike Brown was fired on Friday with a 1-4 record.”

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Before reclaiming his place in the White House last night, President Barack Obama spent some of the day hooping with Scottie Pippen and a few others. Pip described the experience to the Chicago Bulls’ website: “When he first entered the gym, if you hadn’t looked over to see him, you wouldn’t have noticed,’ said Pippen of Obama. ‘It was surprisingly low key. He just came in and started shaking hands. He’s someone who is very easy to approach.’ It was the first time Pippen had met Obama. The connection was made through a mutual friend, Marty Nesbitt. Obama mentioned that Nesbitt thinks very highly of Pippen. ‘He said it was a pleasure to meet me and that he had heard good things about me from Marty,’ said Pippen. ‘I told him, ‘Thank you and I wish you well tonight. But if you want to be a winner this afternoon, you better play with me.’ Apparently the President agreed, so when the action began, Pippen and Obama were on the same team, in addition to former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and two others. And this was no informal pickup game—there were officials, a running clock and four 12-minute quarters. As for a scouting report on the left-handed Obama, Pippen came away impressed. […] ‘He’s not an overly aggressive player, but he takes what the defense gives him,’ said Pippen. ‘He’s got a smooth game. He probably used to be a little more aggressive, but obviously he doesn’t want to get hurt.’ That certainly wasn’t going to happen if the defense had anything to do about it. ‘I thought the lanes opened up when Michael Jordan used to drive,’ laughed Pippen. ‘I used to be like, wow. But when I saw the President drive, I thought they were bringing the whole motorcade through the lane it was so wide.’ In the end, and perhaps this comes as no surprise, it was Obama and Pippen’s team who walked away with an easy win. ‘We kind of blew them out,’ said Pippen. ‘It should have been worse but we started messing around at the end. The game was close for awhile, but in the third quarter we opened it up. They tried to get back in it in the fourth, but we kept expanding the lead. It was a good game, fun and competitive.'”

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The NBA, as you know, has made its presence felt this election year. And today, the big day, U.S. President Barack Obama shot some hoops with Scottie Pippen and others while awaiting election results. Per the Chicago Tribune: “President Barack Obama kept his tradition of an Election Day basketball game alive Tuesday, with an assist from Scottie Pippen. At around 1 p.m., Obama’s motorcade arrived at the Hope Athletic Center on Chicago’s West Side, where the president played basketball with staff and friends. Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias tweeted that he was playing on a team with Obama and former Bulls Pippen and Randy Brown. A White House spokeswoman confirmed that Obama also played with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Reggie Love, Mike Ramos and Marty Nesbitt.”

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NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen — currently an ambassador for the Chicago Bulls — is looking to enter the coaching ranks, and wants Phil Jackson to work with him as a front-office type. Per ESPN: “It is (his goal to be head coach),’ Pippen said. ‘I still enjoy the game. I’m around the game. I’m a guy that has always loved basketball, and I love being a part of it.’ There were rumblings over the summer that the Orlando Magic were flirting with Jackson for a possible executive role with the understanding Pippen would be the head coach, but Jackson withdrew from consideration and that scenario disappeared. Asked if he was close to becoming a coach during the offseason, Pippen said: ‘No, I don’t think so. I just think it was some rumors that got out there. Nothing really stuck. I can’t say I sat down to talk to any team about being a head coach.’ […] ‘That would be great,’ Pippen said [about working with Jackson]. ‘Phil is a great person, a great mind for the game and I know he still wants to be a part of the game, so if that scenario were to happen, yes, it would be great to be able to work for a guy who’s been your mentor throughout your career.'”

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There’s only one thing that needs to be said about this party: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen ended the night with a dance off.

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On Monday night, Scottie Pippen celebrated his 47th birthday. Michael Jordan surprised his former Chicago Bulls teammate by showing up, and then shocked everyone else when the two legends engaged in a dance-off. Per the NY Post and Chicago Sun-Times (via PBT): “Pippen’s wife, Larsa, planned the secret bash at Chicago hot spot Sunda. Bulls family, including team president Michael Reinsdorf and his wife, Nancy, NBA power broker William ‘World Wide Wes’ Wesley, Antoine Walker, Ahmad Rashad, and new Bulls recruit and Chicago native Nazr Mohammed gathered to celebrate at the club with Pippen. Sources told us the fun night ended with a dance-off between Jordan and Pippen to the Trey Songz and Fabolous song, ‘Say Ahh.’ […] The group partied until 1 a.m. A highlight of the night, according to restaurant owner Billy Dec , was when Jordan, who rarely dances, took to the floor. Jordan and Pippen closed the festivities with a reported dance-off. So who won? ‘I don’t know about that,’ Pippen said. ‘I wasn’t the judge.'”

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12 years ago, during All-Star Weekend, an electrifying rookie point guard by the name of Jason Williams blew everyone’s mind by throwing a pass off his right elbow to a completely bewildered Raef LaFrentz (who, predictably, blew the layup while getting fouled.) Scottie Pippen — taking part in a basketball tour through Asia featuring several former NBA players — was able to convert, when the immortal White Chocolate unleashed the elbow pass once again this week.

(H/T: TBJ)

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Former NBA players Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, Horace Grant, and Dennis Rodman (who reunited with his estranged father after 42 years) led the US Professional Basketball Alumni to a 112-93 win over the PBA Legends in the 2012 PLDT All Star Basketball Challenge, which took place in the Philippines last night.

(Thanks to reader @GerardHimself for the heads-up.)

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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a strong Summer League debut, posting 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in a victory over the Sacramento Kings. And to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, Gilchrist’s ability to fill the box score is reminiscent of his former parter-in-crime, Scottie Pippen. The Charlotte Observer has the details: “When Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan looks at first-round draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, he is reminded of Scottie Pippen, Jordan’s NBA championship-winning teammate on the Chicago Bulls. Jordan isn’t suggesting Kidd-Gilchrist is another Pippen, but he likes what he’s seen from the one-year star on Kentucky’s national championship team. Jordan dismissed questions about Kidd-Gilchrist’s ability to be a consistent perimeter scorer and endorsed both draft choices. ‘I think (Kidd-Gilchrist is) going to be fine,’ Jordan said, speaking before the Hooptee Celebrity Golf Classic at the Golf Club at Ballantyne Thursday. ‘I think the kid has the potential to be, as I call him, a connector. He can connect a lot of dots, a Scottie Pippen-like player. Everybody’s complaining about his shooting. He never illustrated to me that he’s afraid to shoot the basketball. He can still shoot the ball. He believes he can make shots. I think the kid is going to be OK.’

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Unfazed by strong rebuttals to his claims from Charles Barkley, his Olympic teammate Michael Jordan (Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson chimed in as well), Kobe Bryant continues to believe in his current Olympic team being able to beat the Dream Team in an imaginary game. Via Ben Golliver: “Here’s Kobe Bryant’s full, must-read response to Michael Jordan’s Dream Team trash talk. Jordan said he laughed when he heard Bryant said the 2012 USA Basketball team could beat the 1992 Dream Team. Bryant’s post-game response after USA defeated Dominican Republic in Las Vegas on Thursday night: ‘So what, he knows I’m a bad mother[expletive]. I’m not really tripping. The fact is, they have Ewing and Robinson and those big guys, it’s tough. If you’re asking me, ‘Can you beat them one game?’ Hell yeah, we can beat them in one game. You didn’t ask me if we could beat them in a 7-game series. In one game, we can beat them. No question about it.'”

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Joining Melo and Dwight on the set of “Amazing” (seriously, that’s the current working title of this sure-to-be-incredible film) are Scottie Pippen and Yi Jianlian. BSO has the, ahem, amazing plot details: “The NBA has partnered with the Shanghai Film Group to create a basketball-themed movie that will star current players Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Yi Jianlian, as well as former great Scottie Pippen. ‘Amazing,’ as it is being called, ‘tells the story of a fictional world known as ‘The Sixth Sense.’ It uses basketball imagery to combine the visual elements of a video game with a movie, akin to the 2010 American science fiction film ‘Tron: Legacy.’”

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Courtesy of our friends at Foot Locker:

A pair of old-school kicks dropped in House of Hoops stores today in the Nike NBA Draft Lottery Pack. The Air Max Sensation and the Air Max Pippen make up the collection with colorways inspired by the teams that originally drafted Chris Webber and Scottie Pippen. Webber was the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic – their second top pick in a row. The Magic drafted Shaquille O’Neal first overall in the 1992 Draft. Though they already had their big man, the Magic had no choice but to take the best available player in the 1993 Draft and selected Webber. O’Neal and Webber would have made a devastating front court but they didn’t remain teammates for long. Orlando traded Webber’s rights to Golden State for the rights to the third pick in the draft, Penny Hardaway, and future picks. Nonetheless, the Air Max Sensation sports a Magic soar blue and metallic silver colorway in honor of their selection.

Scottie Pippen was drafted with the fifth pick in the 1987 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Like Webber and the Magic, Pippen never suited up for Seattle. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice and future picks and the rest is history. Pippen went on to have one of the most successful careers in NBA history becoming a crucial piece in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense alongside Michael Jordan. However, as a draft pick of Seattle the Air Max Pippen has received the SuperSonics treatment. In a white/varsity maize/court green colorway, Pippen’s signature shoe has become an eye grabber. A mostly white upper is accented by a maize and green design along the side. Court green is also found on the outsole, inner lining, and tongue tab while there are maize accents on the Air Max bubble structure.

Above is a gallery of both the Nike Air Max Sensation and the Nike Air Max Pippen. They go for $150 and $165, respectively.

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Various members of the legendary Dream Team were doing promotional work with various media outlets yesterday, as they hyped up the documentary that aired last night. Karl Malone created the biggest stir, by claiming that if he had a time machine (and owned an NBA team), his first pick would be Scottie Pippen instead of Michael Jordan. From the Dan Patrick Show (via CSN Chicago): “Malone made a surprising choice when asked which member of the Dream Team — other than longtime Utah Jazz teammate John Stockton — he would have started a team with that included himself. ‘I would have to start my team with Scottie Pippen,’ he said. ‘This is why I would take Scottie: Do you remember the time that Michael retired? I watched Scottie Pippen when the Chicago Bulls weren’t really good and Scottie led that team in every statistical category, and I just remembered that. Plus, he’s a guy who could care less about scoring. He wants to stop the best player on the other team. That would have been pretty cool, to see Scottie guarding Michael.’”

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The highly-anticipated Dream Team doc aired last night on NBATV (you can watch it online if you missed it), and Isiah Thomas released a classy statement, as his exclusion from the legendary team continues to be a sore point 20 years later. From the Detroit Free Press: “Here’s Thomas’ statement that he posted on the Internet Wednesday night: ‘Today, like all Americans, I congratulate the Dream Team on their anniversary. I am proud of my career in the NBA and have fond memories of going head to head with all the members of the Team. I can’t speak to the selection process as I wasn’t involved. But 20 years later, their gold medal is still a momentous achievement.’ […] ‘I would have had Isiah on the team,’ NBA commissioner David Stern said. ‘He’s one of the great talents, a Hall of Famer, who had two championships and was on the cusp of a third. And he played that position (point guard) in some ways like no one ever played it, or has since. He’s one of our great players.'”

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Plenty of hype has been built around the Dream Team doc airing on NBATV tomorrow night (9pm EST), and rightfully so. One of the more under-played aspects of the program to this point, however, is the criticism of Isiah Thomas – who was famously left off the team – by some of the Dream Teamers. Per the NY Post: “In a sneak preview shown at The NBA Finals for media Monday night, Michael Jordan reveals one of the ‘stipulations’ for him joining the Dream Team was having his Pistons rival not included but claimed the sentiment also came from the top. It has been long speculated Jordan kept Thomas off the club but the documentary reveals the snub ran deeper than just MJ. Jordan’s Bulls teammate, Scottie Pippen, also said he didn’t want Thomas on the club. ‘I despised how he played the game,’ Pippen said of Thomas. Pippen charged that Thomas spearheaded Detroit’s ‘Bad Boys’ and incited the rough play. ‘Isiah was the general,’ Pippen said. ‘He was the guy who would yap at his teammates and say ‘Kick them on their ass. Do whatever you have to do.’ No, I didn’t want him on the Dream Team.’ When asked if Jordan wanted Thomas on the 1992 Olympic club at the Barcelona Olympics, Pippen said, ‘I can’t speak for Michael but I don’t think he wanted him on the team.’ Jordan said in his interview that he was reluctant to join the Dream Team because he had a bad first Olympic experience as part of the college group and treasured his offseason. But he came around after Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, David Robinson, among others, were all in. ‘That was one of the stipulations put to me that Isiah wasn’t part of the team,’ Jordan said. ‘I was getting strong innuendos it wasn’t just…it was coming from a higher place who didn’t want Isiah on the team.’ Former NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said Thomas was not considered because of the incident at the end of the recent Bulls-Pistons playoff series in which he had his teammates bolt the court before the final buzzer. It was seen as a lack of sportsmanship. ‘We were picking a group just after the Pistons had been eliminated by the Bulls,’ Granik said. ‘It was very bad timing for Isiah. Everyone had that impression in their mind, the picture of Isiah walking off the court.’ Rod Thorn, part of the Olympic selection committee and who drafted Jordan, said, ‘When the Pistons walked off the court before the final bell, it left a lot of bad taste in a lot of people’s minds.’ NBA TV officials said Monday a strong effort was made to get Thomas to participate in the documentary to give his side but he declined.”

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Video and words by Kurt Brungardt

What do Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen and Jeremy Lin have in common? They were all discovered at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT).

The PIT is basketball’s oldest scouting combine. For the last 60 years, NBA scouts flock to Portsmouth, VA, in search of that hidden gem who might change the fate of their franchise. For the 64 college ballers who get invited, it is their only shot to play in front of scouts from every NBA team and top international scouts. They get one shot.

UNDRAFTED, a SLAMonline exclusive 10-part web series, tells the story of the PIT and takes a close look at selected members of the 2012 class. Who’s the next PIT legend?

Special thanks to Creative Video Productions for sharing footage.

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