Scottie Pippen

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Pippen was born on September 25, 1965, in Hamburg, Arkansas, to Ethel and Preston Pippen, a paper mill worker. He has 11 older siblings. He played point guard at Hamburg High School, leading his team to the state playoffs and earning all-conference honors as a senior, but was not offered any college scholarships. He began his college career at the University of Central Arkansas after being discovered by head coach Don Dyer as a walk-on. Pippen stood only 6 ft 1 in tall when he graduated from high school, but experienced a growth spurt while at Central Arkansas and grew to 6 ft 8 in. As a senior, his per game averages of 23.6 points, 10 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and near 60 percent field goal shooting earned him consensus NAIA All-American honors in 1986 and 1987.

In Their Own Story

Pippen was born on September 25, 1965, in Hamburg, Arkansas, to Ethel and Preston Pippen. He grew to 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) after a growth spurt at the University of Central Arkansas, where he earned consensus NAIA All-American honors in 1986 and 1987. Drafted fifth overall in the 1987 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the eighth pick, Olden Polynice, and future draft pick options. Pippen made his NBA debut on November 7, 1987, finishing with 10 points, two steals, four assists, and one rebound in 23 minutes as the Bulls won 104–94. He claimed the starting small forward position during the 1988 NBA Playoffs and earned his first All-Star selection in 1990. In the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, Pippen suffered a severe migraine headache at the start of Game Seven, making only one of his ten field goal attempts as the Bulls lost 93–74. In the 1990–91 season, he had his first triple-double on November 23 with 13 points, 12 assists, and 13 rebounds in a 105–97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Bulls went on to sweep the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals, with Pippen defending effectively against Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. After Michael Jordan retired before the 1993–94 season, Pippen earned All-Star Game MVP honors and led the Bulls in scoring, assists, and blocks, averaging 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. On May 13, 1994, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, Pippen refused to re-enter the game after coach Phil Jackson designed the last play for Toni Kukoč instead of him. Kukoč hit the game-winner, but television cameras caught an unsmiling Phil Jackson storming off the court. In Game 5, with 2.1 seconds left, Pippen was called for a personal foul on Hubert Davis by referee Hue Hollins, a call that television replays indicated was questionable.

Reader's Guide

Pippen was selected fifth overall in the 1987 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and traded to the Chicago Bulls for the eighth pick, Olden Polynice, and future draft pick options. He played 12 seasons with the Bulls, one with the Houston Rockets, and four with the Portland Trail Blazers, making the postseason 16 consecutive times. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight consecutive times and the All-NBA First Team three times. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star and was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1994. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History during the 1996–97 season, and is one of five players to have his jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls (the others being Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Derrick Rose). He played a main role on both the 1992 Chicago Bulls Championship team and the 1996 Chicago Bulls Championship team, which were selected as two of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History. In October 2021, Pippen was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once for his individual career and once as a member of the 'Dream Team', having been simultaneously inducted for both on August 13, 2010. The Bulls retired his number 33 on December 8, 2005. The University of Central Arkansas retired his number 33 on January 21, 2010.

Did You Know?

• Pippen is one of the only two NBA players to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (the other is Jrue Holiday), having done so in both 1992 and 1996.
• He wore the number 8 during both Olympic years (1992 and 1996).
• Pippen was a part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic 'Dream Team' which beat its opponents by an average of 44 points.
• He is the father of NBA basketball player Scotty Pippen Jr. and college basketball player Justin Pippen.