Scottie Pippen

From ArticleWorld

Scottie Pippen is a former NBA player. He was born in Hamburg, Arkansas in September, 1965. Pippen played college basketball at the University of Central Arkansas and was picked 5th in the 1987 NBA draft. He was a very small forward at only 6’7". He was originally picked by the Seattle SuperSonics but they traded him straight away to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.

NBA Career

Pippen stepped right in at Chicago and was a key reserve player for the Bulls. He improved his game and stepped in the starting line up in the 1988 playoffs. He and Michael Jordan led the team to the first Eastern Conference semi-finals in over ten years.

Pippen kept improving and proved to be a huge asset for the Bulls. In 1990, he played his first NBA All-Star Game. He kept getting better and was right behind Jordan in both offense and defense for the Bulls. Soon after this he was known mostly for his superb defensive skills and was named NBA All-Defensive Team several times. He was a member of the original Dream Team to participate in the Olympic games.

Outside of Chicago, he was one of the best in the league. He also helped lead Chicago to six NBA titles. In 1993, he was nominated for the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game. In 1996, Pippen was named in the NBA’s Fifty Greatest Players. Pippen stayed with the Bulls for a total of eleven years until he had a falling out with General Manager Jerry Krause and was traded to the Houston Rockets. His stay at Houston would not last due to a lack of team chemistry and he was sent to the Portland TrailBlazers later that same season.

Pippen proved himself to be an amazing playoff player; it seemed that the playoffs were where he really shined. He has reached the playoffs for 16 straight years: eleven with Chicago, one with Houston, and four with Portland; those combine for a total of more playoff games than any other player besides Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Retirement

Even after his retirement, a former team member and current manager of the Bulls tried to get Pippen back from retirement, but injuries made the dream impossible. After his retirement, he did spend some time with his former team (Chicago) as an analyst. He is now working as a special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.