Scottie Pippen to the Lakers?

So I've heard rumor of Scottie Pippen maybe playing for the Lakers? Have any of you also heard this?

Originally posted by JohnLennonForever
So I've heard rumor of Scottie Pippen maybe playing for the Lakers? Have any of you also heard this?

hes still alive?

Originally posted by EcstremeVenom
hes still alive?

I think he means Shawn Kemp

When did Shawn Kemp die?

I saw him two days ago(At least on an interview, but he look pretty old, so I'm sure it's very recent)

And how the hell can you even say that about Scottie, he's at nearly every Bulls game, and he teamed up with the almighty Air Gordon, and Candace Dupree from the Chicago Sky in the all-star shooting stars competition.

He said he might go to any team, not specifically the Lakers. I'd rather have him come back to the Bulls like he did in 2003.

Originally posted by Hypa
When did Shawn Kemp die?

I saw him two days ago(At least on an interview, but he look pretty old, so I'm sure it's very recent)

And how the hell can you even say that about Scottie, he's at nearly every Bulls game, and he teamed up with the almighty Air Gordon, and Candace Dupree from the Chicago Sky in the all-star shooting stars competition.

He said ...[text shortened]... not specifically the Lakers. I'd rather have him come back to the Bulls like he did in 2003.

No one died.

Pippen is coming back from retirement?

i thought pippen was just along for the ride with jordon. now that jordon is done.....

This is the best I could find:

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 2006-2007 season.[5] Pippen has announced on the Dan Le Batard show that the Miami Heat would be his preferred place to play. At the 2007 All-Star game, Pippen returned to the NBA hardwood as a participant in the Haier Shooting Stars competition. Although his squad were disqualified due to an infraction commited during his two teammates respectives turns, Pippen showed that his shooting skills were still present when he made his three point shots in less than a few tries, most notable of all was his shot from half court which would have made his squad the winner of the competition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Pippen#Return

Pippen was not "just along for the ride" he holds 6 nba titles and two gold medals, I don't think anyone who wasn't a friggin Great Player could hold those acheivments ok!

im not saying he was a useless player, im just saying that it is quite possible that jordon was a big reason he had the amount of success in the nba that he did.

Originally posted by Stockton
im not saying he was a useless player, im just saying that it is quite possible that jordon was a big reason he had the amount of success in the nba that he did.

Well of course. Pippen was also a big reason Jordan has the amount of success that he did.

Originally posted by Stockton
im not saying he was a useless player, im just saying that it is quite possible that jordon was a big reason he had the amount of success in the nba that he did.

Actually, Scottie was a big reason for Jordan's success.

Jordan played 15 seasons, and played on 10 teams with winning records.

The five years that Jordan played on losing teams correspond to the five years he played without Pippen as a teammate .

1985 38-44
1986 30-52 (Jordan only played 18 games due to injury, but the Bulls would have had a losing record anyway)
1987 40-42


Jordan was also 1-9 during the playoffs, getting swept twice and losing in 4 games in 1985, his rookie year.


During Jordan's first retirement, with Pippen leading the way:
1994 55-27
1995 47-35

Pippen was 11-9 in the playoffs, losing in the 2nd round each time.

Jordan's other two losing teams, of course, were the Wizards. He led them to 37-45 records in 2002 and 2003, before retiring for a 3rd time.

Pippen's only losing team in his 17 seasons was the Bulls of 2004, his final season. They finished 23-59, but Pippen only played 23 games before retiring due to injuries.

Scottie did quite well for himself. He was actually the key to the Bulls first three peat, because it wasn't until he really asserted himself on the court that they starting winning championships. Early in his career, the Pistons took advantage of the fact that he could be intimidated with overly physical play, and the Pistons focused on that during the playoffs.

No question that Jordan did "help" him by forcing him to become more aggressive and to play through the physical tactics being used against him (easy for Michael to say, since no one would have gotten away with playing HIM that physically). But it's also true that Pippen was a lot more valuable to those Bulls teams than anyone, especially ESPN, give him credit for.

In 1991, the Bulls beat the Lakers in the finals in five games. Jordan was assigned to guard Magic as the series started. Magic destroyed Jordan by taking him down low, and the Lakers won the first game in Chicago... Sam Perkins nailed a 3 pointer with 3 seconds left to give the Lakers a one point lead... Jordan then missed the potential game winning shot, a 15 footer from the key.

In game two, Magic drew three quick fouls on Jordan. Phil Jackson then switched Pippen over to Magic, and put Michael on James Worthy, who was playing with a badly sprained ankle. (Worthy would sit out the fifth and final game of the series, as would Byron Scott). Now, with a lot less defensive responsibility, and able to stay out of further foul trouble, Jordan led the Bulls to relatively easy wins in the next four games.

Michael did (deservedly) win MVP of the finals, and I think the Bulls would have probably beaten the Lakers anyway, because they were a better team, especially with Worthy hurt... but Pippen was hardly just along for the ride during those years.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
This is the best I could find:

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 2006-2007 season.[5] Pippen has announced on the Dan Le Batard show that the Miami Heat ...[text shortened]... s squad the winner of the competition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Pippen#Return

What's with all the older guys going to Miami?

Well I guess people retire there.

I recall on the basketball show they had a clip on Shaq phoning up all these older guys to come play for miami.

Shaq, Payton, etc...

That was very nicely put, theBloop.

They are in my world, the 2 greatest players in history. both compinmenting each other's greatness so perfectly, that their team became the greatest Franchise of all-time.

And yea Pippen played recently on the Bulls so he might have a little left in him.

Plus he said that he only wants like 15-20 minutes per game, and mostly as a leadership role for his team

And Scottie's later seasons as well as Jordan's Wizard seasons shouldn't even count, because they were both old, and even then Michael averaged about 20 points a game.

Originally posted by Hypa
That was very nicely put, theBloop.

They are in my world, the 2 greatest players in history. both compinmenting each other's greatness so perfectly, that their team became the greatest Franchise of all-time.

And yea Pippen played recently on the Bulls so he might have a little left in him.

Plus he said that he only wants like 15-20 minutes per game, an ...[text shortened]... en count, because they were both old, and even then Michael averaged about 20 points a game.

By no means is Scottie Pippen one of the top 2 players of all time, I wouldn't even have him in top ten, maybe top 50. He was good but he was no Micheal. There are plenty of better players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem, Malone,

Originally posted by Hypa
That was very nicely put, theBloop.

They are in my world, the 2 greatest players in history. both compinmenting each other's greatness so perfectly, that their team became the greatest Franchise of all-time.

And yea Pippen played recently on the Bulls so he might have a little left in him.

Plus he said that he only wants like 15-20 minutes per game, an en count, because they were both old, and even then Michael averaged about 20 points a game.

Thank you.

I also would not put Pippen in the top 2 of all time, but you sound like perhaps you grew up watching the Bulls dominate the NBA, and if that's the case, I certainly can understand your sentiments. And I do think that Pippen deserved to be selcted as a top 50 player, which he was.

I started following basketball in the late 60s, so of course, I've seen a lot of players come and go (Wilt was my favorite player in the early 70s, then after he retired I followed Kareem). And of course, the 80s brought us Magic and Bird... I have about 25 Laker/Celtic games from that era on DVD (transferred from VHS), including all finals games. Very possibly the best basketball ever played, just incredibly great players on both teams.

Pippen and Jordan were, I believe, the two best all around players of the 90s... I don't think that any of the other top stars of that era (Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson, the Mailman, Barkley, Drexler, etc) quite had the all around floor game that both Michael and Scottie had.

And it was pretty amazing to see Pippen just get better and better every year, until he reached the point that the Pistons physical play (in the '91 East finals) just made him get back up and play harder than ever... and Pippen became an amazing player to watch.


As far as Scottie's comeback, it sounds like he wants to go to a warm weather team (Lakers or Miami) as well as a contender. If that's true, then Chicago and Cleveland could be ruled out, but you never know.

Charles Barkley was asked about Pippen's possible comeback, and his comments were funny. He said "After you've been retired 2 or 3 years, you certainly feel better, but you don't GET better... plus, the fact that Scottie wants to go to a warm weather city should tell you something".

We'll see what happens. I'm sure Phil Jackson wouldn't mind Scottie going 15 or 20 min/game. And there's certainly no substitute for experience...except, of course, being young again!