Pippen Writing Memoir, Tells His Side of Story

[dice]

So you think Malone, Ewing, Shaq, Dirk, Steph and Kawhi are/were all better than Pippen?

I think Shaq, Kawhi, Steph, and Dirk aren't questions to me. Malone / Ewing are more questions to me, but I think they're probably better. I'm 45, so I watched those guys largely as a teenager, and have less faith in my opinion at that age when I also didn't watch the league as a whole as much as I did later.

Kawhi has carried a team to a title with pedestrian talent around him and won another title as the best player with very good talent around him. Shaq has made every team he's been on a contender by his mere presence, that isn't even close. Steph was the #1 guy on a team with two of the best seasons ever, Dirk carried a team to a championship and another NBA finals appearance and more or less a career full of playoff runs without a real star next to him.

I don't think Pippen could have done any of those things.

Ewing/Malone are tougher to rate because they didn't ever win the big one, but I think both those guys made their teams perennial contenders that Pippen probably wouldn't have done in the same situation.

almost entirely agree, but ewing came into the league as prepared as any rookie. but he didn't immediately elevate his team the way that david robinson did. it wasn't until his 4th season that the team was above .500. he was a low efficiency scorer for a big man and a black hole. yet he scored 23 a game for the knicks. because he was "skilled." he had a post game and a mid-range. he would have been a defensive specialist in today's game

[dougthonus]

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

My opinion on Shaq is so radically different that I'm not even sure where to start, but Shaq was clearly the guy carrying teams next to another great player, not being carried by that great player, that isn't the same situation as Pippen, not even remotely.

[HoopsterJones]

He should title the book “Pippen ain’t easy”

[dice]

He should title the book “Pippen ain’t easy”

he should, but that's about the last thing he would title it. so what would be even LESS likely? maybe something like "my life and lessons learned from the GOAT"

[transplant]

Pippen is a weird guy. He was one of the most unselfish players ever on the court, but then he was always getting sensitive about not getting credit for being such a great unselfish player. He selfishly wants credit for being so unselfish.

This is wonderfully insightful. I so wish I had written it, but I didn't because, well, you're more insightful than me. F'ing brilliant!

[Axl Rose]

I'm torn between thinking Pippen is almost certainly right, and that he is likely going to come of terribly in this and it will totally backfire.

I cringed when in The Last Dance he doubled down on not coming back in the game because the play wasn't drawn up for him.

[TheStig]

So you think Malone, Ewing, Shaq, Dirk, Steph and Kawhi are/were all better than Pippen?

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Yes without a doubt.

[Repeat 3-peat]

I'm still not sure how the doc made Pippen look bad? I'm trying to remember everything that was said on top of my head. As Axl Rose wrote above me, he doubled down on his bad decisions that he made. Quitting on the team, waiting on getting surgery that made him miss time during the 97'-98' season because he didn't want to "f**k up his Summer", he didn't regret any of it, he said as much during the commentary between scenes.

Yet, MJ noted that you can't speak his name without mentioning Pippen's, Phil Jackson called him the 2nd best player in the league during the 90's(Pip was great but, no). The doc showed Pippen's highs and lows, just like Jordan's, but being the "GOAT" will completely push aside his lows of not being the best teammate and having gambling issues that may or may not have gotten his father murdered.
It's what it is.


I'll predict this will backfire for Pippen because I see him contradicting a few thing he said on camera. Which is sad to see.

[TheStig]

So you think Malone, Ewing, Shaq, Dirk, Steph and Kawhi are/were all better than Pippen?

I think Shaq, Kawhi, Steph, and Dirk aren't questions to me. Malone / Ewing are more questions to me, but I think they're probably better. I'm 45, so I watched those guys largely as a teenager, and have less faith in my opinion at that age when I also didn't watch the league as a whole as much as I did later.

Kawhi has carried a team to a title with pedestrian talent around him and won another title as the best player with very good talent around him. Shaq has made every team he's been on a contender by his mere presence, that isn't even close. Steph was the #1 guy on a team with two of the best seasons ever, Dirk carried a team to a championship and another NBA finals appearance and more or less a career full of playoff runs without a real star next to him.

I don't think Pippen could have done any of those things.

Ewing/Malone are tougher to rate because they didn't ever win the big one, but I think both those guys made their teams perennial contenders that Pippen probably wouldn't have done in the same situation.

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

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Shaq has 3 finals MVP's. Not sure how you can saw he only carried one team. He completely destroyed teams and was a force. He even double the wins of the Magic as a rookie. THat's with no other superstar. Just because he couldn't shoot free throws didn't make him a force. I'd say he was the 2nd most skilled big of his era to Hakeem. Sure his size was a factor but he wasn't huge (like on the lakers) as a magic player and he was still great.

[TheStig]

probably the wrong word. but if a guy was "pushing my butt everyday", as you put it...


my point was merely that scottie pippen was not some total project that MJ built up out of nothing. pip was a highly regarded prospect


that's what an asterisk is: a qualifier on a guy's accomplishments. you're saying "yeah, he was a top 50 player, but..."

for the record, while i don't think he would have been AS good, i do think that pippen would have been an excellent player regardless. his defense was always going to be great. and if his offense wasn't nearly as good...then what exactly did MJ do for the guy?

Scottie Pippen was a total project. He played for a NAIA school ( central arkansas). He started to shoot up draft boards in combine for his raw physical skills. He played behind brad sellers to start. Brad Sellers was above him in the depth chart. He didn't start a game as a rookie. If that's not a project, I don't know what is.....

brad sellers was the #9 pick the previous season. he also came off the bench as a rookie. he got his shot as a "sophomore", he failed, the baton was passed to scottie

the #3 and #4 picks in scottie's draft came off the bench as rookies as well. not NAIA, not projects. ohio state and georgetown. that was much more common those days

I think he would have been a really really good player too. But I don't think he's 7 time all star and 6 time nba champion everywhere else. People bring up 93-94. But by 94-95 they were barely .500 before mj came back.

there's a wide, WIDE gulf between 7x all-star, 6x champion and "average to above average starter", which is what you claim he would've been w/o michael jordan

and MJ himself played on sub-.500 teams. you failed to mention that the bulls lost horace grant in '94-'95. it was pippen, kukoc and a bunch of role players

And Brad Sellers was a bust. So he couldn't beat him out as a rookie? Sounds like a project. Unlike MJ who started every game.

Ok, above average starter might have been a bit low. I meant more fringe all star. I do think he would have dropped at least a level without MJ.

[GetBuLLish]

I'm still not sure how the doc made Pippen look bad? I'm trying to remember everything that was said on top of my head. As Axl Rose wrote above me, he doubled down on his bad decisions that he made. Quitting on the team, waiting on getting surgery that made him miss time during the 97'-98' season because he didn't want to "f**k up his Summer", he didn't regret any of it, he said as much during the commentary between scenes.

Yet, MJ noted that you can't speak his name without mentioning Pippen's, Phil Jackson called him the 2nd best player in the league during the 90's(Pip was great but, no). The doc showed Pips highs and lows, just like MJ's, but being the "GOAT" will completely push aside his lows of not being the best teammate and having gambling issues that may or may not have gotten his father murdered.
It's what it is.


I'll predict this will backfire for Pippen because I see him contradicting a few thing he said on camera. Which is sad to see.

Agreed.

My admiration of of Pippen grew watching the doc, despite the two controversies referenced in it.

I'm hoping this is just a money grab and that Pippen and MJ had a laugh about this before he issued this statement about his book.

[dice]

Scottie Pippen was a total project. He played for a NAIA school ( central arkansas). He started to shoot up draft boards in combine for his raw physical skills. He played behind brad sellers to start. Brad Sellers was above him in the depth chart. He didn't start a game as a rookie. If that's not a project, I don't know what is.....

brad sellers was the #9 pick the previous season. he also came off the bench as a rookie. he got his shot as a "sophomore", he failed, the baton was passed to scottie

the #3 and #4 picks in scottie's draft came off the bench as rookies as well. not NAIA, not projects. ohio state and georgetown. that was much more common those days

I think he would have been a really really good player too. But I don't think he's 7 time all star and 6 time nba champion everywhere else. People bring up 93-94. But by 94-95 they were barely .500 before mj came back.

there's a wide, WIDE gulf between 7x all-star, 6x champion and "average to above average starter", which is what you claim he would've been w/o michael jordan

and MJ himself played on sub-.500 teams. you failed to mention that the bulls lost horace grant in '94-'95. it was pippen, kukoc and a bunch of role players

And Brad Sellers was a bust. So he couldn't beat him out as a rookie? Sounds like a project. Unlike MJ who started every game.

i was unaware that MJ was the bar here

and as already mentioned to you, he did beat out sellers. which is why he was the starter come playoff time. krause might well have requested that sellers get a long look as starter. rookies regularly had to wait their turn at the time

but i suppose we're quibbling over the definition of "project"

Ok, above average starter might have been a bit low. I meant more fringe all star. I do think he would have dropped at least a level without MJ.

alright, i'd say that's at least reasonable

[CobyWhite0]

brad sellers was the #9 pick the previous season. he also came off the bench as a rookie. he got his shot as a "sophomore", he failed, the baton was passed to scottie

the #3 and #4 picks in scottie's draft came off the bench as rookies as well. not NAIA, not projects. ohio state and georgetown. that was much more common those days


there's a wide, WIDE gulf between 7x all-star, 6x champion and "average to above average starter", which is what you claim he would've been w/o michael jordan

and MJ himself played on sub-.500 teams. you failed to mention that the bulls lost horace grant in '94-'95. it was pippen, kukoc and a bunch of role players

And Brad Sellers was a bust. So he couldn't beat him out as a rookie? Sounds like a project. Unlike MJ who started every game.

i was unaware that MJ was the bar here

and as already mentioned to you, he did beat out sellers. which is why he was the starter come playoff time. krause might well have requested that sellers get a long look as starter. rookies regularly had to wait their turn at the time

but i suppose we're quibbling over the definition of "project"

Ok, above average starter might have been a bit low. I meant more fringe all star. I do think he would have dropped at least a level without MJ.

alright, i'd say that's at least reasonable

If a rookie "project" who makes his first career start in Game 5 (of a 5-game series) of the 1st round can play 39 minutes and put up 24 points on 10/20 FG with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, he's the quickest-developing "project" in the history of sports.

[Stratmaster]

Scottie Pippen was a total project. He played for a NAIA school ( central arkansas). He started to shoot up draft boards in combine for his raw physical skills. He played behind brad sellers to start. Brad Sellers was above him in the depth chart. He didn't start a game as a rookie. If that's not a project, I don't know what is.....

brad sellers was the #9 pick the previous season. he also came off the bench as a rookie. he got his shot as a "sophomore", he failed, the baton was passed to scottie

the #3 and #4 picks in scottie's draft came off the bench as rookies as well. not NAIA, not projects. ohio state and georgetown. that was much more common those days

I think he would have been a really really good player too. But I don't think he's 7 time all star and 6 time nba champion everywhere else. People bring up 93-94. But by 94-95 they were barely .500 before mj came back.

there's a wide, WIDE gulf between 7x all-star, 6x champion and "average to above average starter", which is what you claim he would've been w/o michael jordan

and MJ himself played on sub-.500 teams. you failed to mention that the bulls lost horace grant in '94-'95. it was pippen, kukoc and a bunch of role players

And Brad Sellers was a bust. So he couldn't beat him out as a rookie? Sounds like a project. Unlike MJ who started every game.

Ok, above average starter might have been a bit low. I meant more fringe all star. I do think he would have dropped at least a level without MJ.

Brad Sellers was still in the 2nd year "we expect all that potential to show up this season" phase. Your hindsight is impeccable though.

Your hindsight is also correct that Pippen wasn't Michael Jordan. Insert shrug ‍♀️.

Fringe all star? Insert rolling eyes and or stunned depending on whether you are serious.

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[Stratmaster]

I think Shaq, Kawhi, Steph, and Dirk aren't questions to me. Malone / Ewing are more questions to me, but I think they're probably better. I'm 45, so I watched those guys largely as a teenager, and have less faith in my opinion at that age when I also didn't watch the league as a whole as much as I did later.

Kawhi has carried a team to a title with pedestrian talent around him and won another title as the best player with very good talent around him. Shaq has made every team he's been on a contender by his mere presence, that isn't even close. Steph was the #1 guy on a team with two of the best seasons ever, Dirk carried a team to a championship and another NBA finals appearance and more or less a career full of playoff runs without a real star next to him.

I don't think Pippen could have done any of those things.

Ewing/Malone are tougher to rate because they didn't ever win the big one, but I think both those guys made their teams perennial contenders that Pippen probably wouldn't have done in the same situation.

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

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Shaq has 3 finals MVP's. Not sure how you can saw he only carried one team. He completely destroyed teams and was a force. He even double the wins of the Magic as a rookie. THat's with no other superstar. Just because he couldn't shoot free throws didn't make him a force. I'd say he was the 2nd most skilled big of his era to Hakeem. Sure his size was a factor but he wasn't huge (like on the lakers) as a magic player and he was still great.

Shaq's best move was bumping the defender back with his huge ass repeatedly until he was standing under the rim. The refs let him get away with it. Almost ruined basketball. It was worse than the 3 points shooting contest joke we have today.

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[TheGOATRises007]

So you think Malone, Ewing, Shaq, Dirk, Steph and Kawhi are/were all better than Pippen?

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Seriously?

Pippen was a great player, but he's comfortably worse than all of those players you mentioned.

[TheGOATRises007]

So you think Malone, Ewing, Shaq, Dirk, Steph and Kawhi are/were all better than Pippen?

I think Shaq, Kawhi, Steph, and Dirk aren't questions to me. Malone / Ewing are more questions to me, but I think they're probably better. I'm 45, so I watched those guys largely as a teenager, and have less faith in my opinion at that age when I also didn't watch the league as a whole as much as I did later.

Kawhi has carried a team to a title with pedestrian talent around him and won another title as the best player with very good talent around him. Shaq has made every team he's been on a contender by his mere presence, that isn't even close. Steph was the #1 guy on a team with two of the best seasons ever, Dirk carried a team to a championship and another NBA finals appearance and more or less a career full of playoff runs without a real star next to him.

I don't think Pippen could have done any of those things.

Ewing/Malone are tougher to rate because they didn't ever win the big one, but I think both those guys made their teams perennial contenders that Pippen probably wouldn't have done in the same situation.

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

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This is an egregious take.

Pippen is nowhere near Shaq as a player.

And Shaq was clearly the best player during the Lakers 3-peating.

[dukeespn]

I think Shaq, Kawhi, Steph, and Dirk aren't questions to me. Malone / Ewing are more questions to me, but I think they're probably better. I'm 45, so I watched those guys largely as a teenager, and have less faith in my opinion at that age when I also didn't watch the league as a whole as much as I did later.

Kawhi has carried a team to a title with pedestrian talent around him and won another title as the best player with very good talent around him. Shaq has made every team he's been on a contender by his mere presence, that isn't even close. Steph was the #1 guy on a team with two of the best seasons ever, Dirk carried a team to a championship and another NBA finals appearance and more or less a career full of playoff runs without a real star next to him.

I don't think Pippen could have done any of those things.

Ewing/Malone are tougher to rate because they didn't ever win the big one, but I think both those guys made their teams perennial contenders that Pippen probably wouldn't have done in the same situation.

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

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This is an egregious take.

Pippen is nowhere near Shaq as a player.

And Shaq was clearly the best player during the Lakers 3-peating.

That guy has no idea how to evaluate former or current players properly so you'd better ignore all these ridiculous takes.

Imagine saying Pippen CARRIED his team just like Shaq did LMFAO. Even proud Pippen himself doesn't think like that. That's just stupid.

No need to say that Shaq was arguably the best player on the team while the Lakers won a championship three times in a row. And even if Shaq carries his team only ONE season (I know it's same **** argument) he's much better than Pippen who never carried his team to the championship.

[TheStig]

Shaq was big. That was his skill. The refs let him get away with the basketball equivalent of murder. He started in an era that favored big men and he was the biggest of them. He has one season where he carried a team, just like Pippen. His real success came playing alongside superstars. In my opinion he is the most overrated player in NBA history.

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Shaq has 3 finals MVP's. Not sure how you can saw he only carried one team. He completely destroyed teams and was a force. He even double the wins of the Magic as a rookie. THat's with no other superstar. Just because he couldn't shoot free throws didn't make him a force. I'd say he was the 2nd most skilled big of his era to Hakeem. Sure his size was a factor but he wasn't huge (like on the lakers) as a magic player and he was still great.

Shaq's best move was bumping the defender back with his huge ass repeatedly until he was standing under the rim. The refs let him get away with it. Almost ruined basketball. It was worse than the 3 points shooting contest joke we have today.

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You been watching too much old shaq. Young Shaq was an athletic beast. He'd even lead the break at times.

[dice]

Shaq has 3 finals MVP's. Not sure how you can saw he only carried one team. He completely destroyed teams and was a force. He even double the wins of the Magic as a rookie. THat's with no other superstar. Just because he couldn't shoot free throws didn't make him a force. I'd say he was the 2nd most skilled big of his era to Hakeem. Sure his size was a factor but he wasn't huge (like on the lakers) as a magic player and he was still great.

Shaq's best move was bumping the defender back with his huge ass repeatedly until he was standing under the rim. The refs let him get away with it. Almost ruined basketball. It was worse than the 3 points shooting contest joke we have today.

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You been watching too much old shaq. Young Shaq was an athletic beast. He'd even lead the break at times.

he also got hacked regularly. it went both ways. tough to officiate, tough to watch