🏀 Living in the Shadow of a Legend: Scotty Pippen Jr.

Basketball is one of those sports where it feels like the offspring of legends always find a way to make some noise in their own regard, and Scotty Pippen Jr is no different.

Chicago Bull legend and NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen was absolutely one of the best players of his era in the NBA. Together, him and Michael Jordan were the centerpieces to one of the greatest stretches of basketball by an individual franchise in NBA history. Pippen’s son, Scotty Pippen Jr., is finally making a name for himself in the NBA as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Pippen had the best game of his young NBA career this past weekend in his first professional game in the city his father won so many games, Chicago. The game was played at the United Center, with his father in attendance, and Pippen Jr. put on a show, racking up a career-high 30 points against the Bulls.

Pippen Jr., an early frontrunner for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award, added 10 assists and made 13 of his 16 shots to help his Grizzlies defeat the Bulls, 142-131.

Pippen Jr. played in 21 games for the Grizzlies last season after being called up from the G League, he even considered going to play overseas before he finally got his first NBA call up. His time in the G League, and silent work have been noticeable throughout the young season.

After Grizzlies star Ja Morant went down with a hip injury, Pippen was forced into the starting lineup. In his first career start with the Grizzlies, he recorded the first triple-double of his career with 11-points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a win over the Wizards. Scottie Sr. and Jr. are the first father-son duo to record a triple-double in the NBA play-by-play era.

For someone to have such a large name and be so silent and committed to the process is what has impressed me most about Pippen Jr. There hasn’t been a million headlines about him, “when’s he getting his shot?”, “why aren’t they playing him?”, or any of the other headlines that typically come with this kind of namesake. Pippen has just went about his business, gotten better, and earned his role.

Now in his his third season out of Vanderbilt, I’d be shocked to see Pippen Jr. not on an NBA roster for years to come.

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