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Scottie Pippen

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Template:Infobox NBAretired

Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona United States
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta United States

Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is most remembered for leading the Chicago Bulls, together with Michael Jordan, to six championships.

Early life

Scottie Pippen was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, attending college at the University of Central Arkansas. At the start of his college career, the then 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Pippen was a walk-on for the NAIA school and depended on his stipend for being the team manager and his summer job as a welder to fund his education.[1] In those four years, however, Pippen grew to a height of 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m). He eventually reached 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)[2]) and improved enough by his senior year to be considered a viable NBA prospect.

NBA career

Early career

Pippen's performance in the pre-draft Portsmouth Invitational Tournament also improved his draft stock dramatically. He was selected fifth overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics and traded immediately to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice. The trade is regarded as a steal by the Bulls as Pippen would go on to be named one of the Top 50 NBA players of all time.

Pippen immediately became part of Chicago's young forward tandem with 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) power forward Horace Grant, though both came off the bench to back up Brad Sellers and Charles Oakley, respectively, during their rookie seasons. Pippen claimed the starting small forward position during the 1988 playoffs with his stellar play, helping the Michael Jordan-led Bulls reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade.

The Bulls' first three-peat

Pippen continued to improve, helping the Bulls to the Conference Finals the following year as well as 1990, when he earned his first NBA All-Star Game berth. However, in the Conference Finals versus the Detroit Pistons, Pippen would suffer severe migraines during the deciding seventh game which would greatly affect his performance. In 1991, he continued to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. Pippen emerged as the Bulls' primary defensive stopper and an offensive threat. He helped lead the Bulls to six NBA championships (1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, and 1997–98). Pippen was selected as one of the NBA's Fifty Greatest Players when the league was celebrating its fiftieth season in 1996.

Pippen became known for stellar defense in addition to his consistent scoring, earning 10 NBA All-Defensive Team nods, including 8 on the first team. In 1992, he was named to the original Dream Team which competed in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Pippen without Jordan

Michael Jordan unexpectedly retired in 1993, and in the 1994 season Pippen finally emerged from Jordan's shadow and performed like one of the best players in the league. That year, he earned All-Star Game MVP honors. He had perhaps his best season, leading the Bulls in scoring, assists, and the entire league in steals, averaging 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, 0.9 three-pointers, and 0.8 blocks per game, while shooting 49.1% from the field and a career-best 32% from the three-point line. For his efforts, he earned the first of three straight All-NBA First Team nods, and finished third in the MVP voting. The Bulls finished the season with 55 wins, only two less than their previous championship year with Jordan still on the team.

However, perhaps the most infamous episode of Pippen's career came in the post-season of Pippen's first year without Jordan. In the 1994 NBA Playoffs, the Eastern Conference semifinals pitted the Bulls against their bitter rivals, the New York Knicks, whom the Bulls had dispatched en route to a championship in each of the previous three seasons. On May 13, 1994, down 2-0 in the series and tied 102-102 in Game Three, Bulls coach Phil Jackson needed a big play from his team to have any hope of advancing to the next round of the playoffs. With 1.8 seconds left and the score tied, Jackson designed the last play for rookie Toni Kukoč, with Pippen relegated to simply inbounding the basketball. Pippen, who had been the Bulls' leader all season long in Jordan's absence, was so angered by Jackson's decision to not let him take the potential game-winner that he refused to leave the bench and re-enter the game when the timeout was over.

Although Kukoč did eventually hit the game-winner, a 23-foot fadeaway jumper, there was little celebrating to be done by the Bulls, as television cameras caught an unsmiling Phil Jackson storming out of the arena. "Scottie asked out of the play," Jackson would tell reporters moments later in the post-game interview room. Those seeking further answers found Pippen in the locker room after the game, looking shell-shocked and disoriented; when asked to confirm Jackson's statement, Pippen could only respond with "Yeah, pretty much ... We exchanged words, and I just took a seat."

Teammate Steve Kerr elaborated when recently asked to recall the event: "I was shocked," he said. "The only way to describe it was total disbelief. Here was a guy who had done so much for our team, who had been our leader all year long. He was, and still is, one of the greatest teammates I've ever had. But on that day, I think all the pressure and frustration of our season caught up with him, and he snapped." Pippen later apologized to his teammates after the incident.

The Bulls went on to lose the 1994 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks in seven games. A second controversy occurred in the series at the end of game 5 when Pippen was called for a debatable foul on the Knicks' Hubert Davis in the waning seconds of the game, which allowed the Knicks to win game 5.

Trade rumors involving Pippen escalated during the 1994 offseason. Jerry Krause, the Bulls' General Manager (and a man who did not get along with Pippen at all), was reported to be looking to ship Pippen off to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for all-star forward Shawn Kemp, moving Toni Kukoč into Pippen's position as starting small forward with Kemp filling in the vacant starting power forward position in place of Horace Grant, a free agent who left the Bulls for the up-and-coming Orlando Magic during the off-season. However, the trade was never made and those rumors were put to rest once it was announced that Michael Jordan would be returning to the Bulls late in the 1994-95 season. Chicago certainly needed Jordan's presence as much as ever, because the Pippen-led Bulls did not fare nearly as well in 1994-95 as they had the season before -- in fact, for the first time in years they were in danger of missing the playoffs (though much of this may be attributed to a lack of interior defense and rebounding due to the departure of power forward Horace Grant). The Bulls were just 34-31 prior to Jordan's return for the final 17 games, and MJ led them to a 13-4 record to close the regular season. Still, Pippen finished the 1994-95 season leading the Bulls in every major statistical category: assists, rebounds, points, steals, and blocks; Pippen is one of only five players in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

The Bulls' second three-peat

Upon Jordan's return to the NBA, the Bulls regained their much needed strength. With a revamped roster that included Dennis Rodman and Luc Longley, the Bulls managed to post the best regular season record in NBA history (72-10) en route to winning their fourth title. The next season they finished 69-13 and lost out on the opportunity to win 70 games in back-to-back losses their final 2 games. Nonetheless they again won the title. They followed up by winning again in 1997-98 to cap their second threepeat.

Later career

After playing in Chicago for 11 seasons, his tumultuous relationship with General Manager Jerry Krause came to a head, and as Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson also departed Chicago, the second all-time leader in points, assists, and steals in Bulls franchise history was traded to the Houston Rockets for the lockout-shortened season in 1998–99. Pippen's trade to Houston received a lot of publicity including his only solo cover of Sports Illustrated.[3] While there he teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley to form one of the best front lines in NBA history, but his failure to assume the "franchise" mantle from Olajuwon led to chemistry problems (with Barkley in particular) and eventually his departure.

On April 22, 1999, Pippen was detained under suspicion of driving while intoxicated,[4] but the charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Following the disappointing lockout-shortened season in Houston, Pippen was traded in the offseason to the Portland Trail Blazers, whom he helped to the Western Conference finals. But once there, they lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, despite holding a commanding 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of the final game. Pippen played on for several more seasons in Portland, but they never again advanced that far in the playoffs. After the 2002-03 season he signed once more with the Chicago Bulls, but due to injury problems he was only able to suit up for 23 games in 2003-04 and retired shortly after the season.

For the most part, Pippen was a near-constant presence in the NBA postseason over the course of his career, reaching the playoffs 16 straight years (11 with Chicago, 1 with Houston, 4 with Portland), and has played in more playoff games than any NBA player except Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Horry.

Pippen is considered among the best supporting players in NBA history and is also notable for having been a prototypical "point forward", a term which he popularized (and revitalized) with his ball-handling, passing and court vision—skills traditionally limited to point guards. This was in addition to his rebounding, scoring, and defense, all contributing to his consistent play for over a decade.

Retirement

After retiring, he spent some time working as a basketball analyst for the Chicago Bulls. Currently, he is a special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 25, 2005, Pippen debuted as studio analyst for the NBA on ABC. Before this he was a part-time analyst for ESPN.

The Chicago Bulls retired Pippen's jersey number on December 9, 2005 in a ceremony. The team played against the Los Angeles Lakers that night, and Pippen was reunited with Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant during the ceremony. Pippen's jersey number, 33, joins Jordan's 23, Jerry Sloan's 4, and Bob Love's 10 as the only four numbers retired by the Bulls.

Return

Pippen planned to return to the Chicago Bulls for the 2005-06 season, but never appeared in a game due to injury.

ESPN reported in February 2007 that Pippen was contemplating a return to the NBA. Having been forced to retire three years prior due to a knee injury, Pippen expressed hope to play for an NBA team for the last two months of the 2006-07 season.[5]

Pippen's announcement of a possible return to the NBA came on the heels of a $5 million settlement against him for breach of a contract being upheld, suggesting another reason for Pippen's return.[6] Charles Barkley was one of several commentators that were skeptical of Pippen's return, comparing the chances of that to his own desire of being thin (Barkley has been known to poke fun at his own weight frequently).

At the 2007 All-Star game, Pippen temporarily returned to the basketball spotlight as a participant in the Haier Shooting Stars competition. Although his squad was disqualified due to an infraction committed during his two teammates' respective turns, Pippen did make his three point shot and a half court shot. Pippen had announced that the Miami Heat would be his preferred place to play. Other teams that were speculated to have interest in signing him were Cleveland, San Antonio, and the Los Angeles Lakers. In a March 2007 article on ESPN.com, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson says he had talked with Pippen, "but it was just preliminary talk about how he's doing, where he's at and how he feels. I would say he kind of talked about the parameters of what he thinks he can do to help." Jackson said.[7] By the end of the season, however, Pippen went unsigned by any team.

On December 11, 2007 Pippen's long waited contract with Torpan Pojat of Finnish Korisliiga was finally announced sealing negotiations that had started around May 2006.[8] He played on January 4 against Porvoon Tarmo scoring 12 points and 7 rebounds[9] and played on January 5 against Honka.[10] He scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in that game.

On November 27, 2007, it was announced that Pippen will play one game for the Sundsvall Dragons of the Swedish basketball league, against Akropol BBK on January 11, 2008.[11] He scored 21 points in the 102-74 victory for the Sundsvall Dragons.

On January 3, 2008, Pippen announced that he would be interested in the vacant coaching position left after the firing of Scott Skiles by Bulls general manager John Paxson. "What's my disadvantage?" Pippen asked. "No NBA coaching experience? [Scott] Skiles' record with the Bulls wasn't that great. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do what you've done your whole life. I've played basketball, run teams and won....They didn't put me at point guard because I could dribble good. They put me there because I could run a team. I wasn't the best dribbler, the best shooter. I wasn't a point guard. But I knew how to run a team."[12]

Achievements and records

Holds NBA Records for:

  • Assists by a forward, career (6,135) [13]
  • Steals by a forward, career (2,307) [14]
  • Steals, Playoffs, career (395) [15]
  • Three point field goals made, NBA Finals, game (7, shared with Kenny Smith)
  • One of three players in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks, season (1989-90 season)
  • Michael Jordan performed the feat back-to-back in 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons
  • Hakeem Olajuwon in 1988-89 season
  • Half of only the 10th tandem in NBA history to score 40 points in the same game
  • Pippen scored 40 points and Michael Jordan scored 44 points against the Indiana Pacers on February 18, 1996
  • Half of only the 9th tandem in NBA history to record triple doubles in the same game
  • with Michael Jordan

Achievements:

  • Pippen recorded 17 career triple-doubles in the regular season.
  • Led NBA in Steals (232) and Steals Per Game (2.94) in 1994-95 season.
  • Chicago Bulls Career Leader in Three-Point Field Goals Made (664), Three-Point Field Goals Attempted (2,031) and Personal Fouls (2,534).
  • His 10 NBA All-Defensive honors and 8 NBA All-Defensive First Team honors are each one shy of the NBA record.

Personal life

Pippen has four children: one girl by an unnamed model and three boys. Scottie Pippen Jr. and Preston Pippen are two of the boys. He is married to Assyrian-American Larsa Younan and resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Pippen has reportedly received $289,000 in farm subsidies.[16]

Service personnel have singled Pippen out as a relatively poor tipper. A 1997 article in Sports Illustrated named him one of the three biggest "skinflints" in the NBA, along with Kevin Garnett and Shawn Kemp, and noted that restaurant workers at one eatery had given him the nickname "No Tippin' Pippen".[17]

On March 13, 2007, Pippen was stopped by Arkansas State Police on Interstate 530 just north of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. While ticketing Pippen for speeding the trooper involved detected an odor of marijuana. When questioned Pippen admitted that marijuana was in the center console of the truck cab but claimed that marijuana was not his. Pippen's cousin, Billy Clyde Pippen, was in the truck and told the officer that the marijuana belonged to him. Billy Pippen was taken into custody, transported to the Jefferson County Jail and charged with one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.[18]

Pippen is an avid poker player and frequently participated in high-stakes games with teammates Jordan and Ron Harper when the Bulls were on the road.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ nba.com/history, Scottie Pippen Bio, accessed February 9, 2008.
  2. ^ NBA.com official player profile
  3. ^ si.cnn.com, SI Covers Search, accessed February 9, 2008 Note: enter Scottie Pippen in the SI Covers Search box
  4. ^ si.cnn.com, Pippen arrested on suspicion of DWI, Associated Press, published April 22, 1999, accessed February 9, 2008.
  5. ^ espn.com, Pippen says he wants to play for contender, accessed February 9, 2008.
  6. ^ newstribune.com, Appeals court upholds judgment against former NBA star, accessed February 9, 2008.
  7. ^ espn.com, Lakers' Jackson Talking With Scottie Pippen For A Possible Comeback, accessed February 9, 2008.
  8. ^ topo.fi, ToPo to sign Pippen, accessed February 9, 2008.
  9. ^ koris.net, Scottie Pippen stats, accessed February 9, 2008.
  10. ^ topo.fi, Torpan Pojat vs. Espoon Honka, accessed February 9, 2008.
  11. ^ sundsvalldragons.com, Sundsvall Dragons sign Pippen, accessed February 9, 2008.
  12. ^ Pippen itching to coach, Chicago Tribune. Accessed February 9, 2008.
  13. ^ basketball-reference.com, Career assist leaders - forwards, accessed February 9, 2008.
  14. ^ basketball-reference.com, Career steal leaders - forwards, accessed February 9, 2008.
  15. ^ nba.com/history, All-Time Playoffs Individual Career Leaders, accessed February 9, 2008.
  16. ^ wlbz2.com, Some Farm Subsidies Going To The Rich And Famous, accessed February 9, 2008.
  17. ^ Phil Taylor, "Hot (and Cold) Tippers", Sports Illustrated, November 5, 1997, accessed February 9, 2008.
  18. ^ Police: Scottie Pippen has 'lead foot', USA Today, 13 March 2007. Accessed February 9, 2008.
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