Happy 60th Birthday, Scottie Pippen
- Jake C
- Sep 25
- 10 min read
Cover photo: Scottie Pippen goes up for a dunk during the 1997 NBA All-Star Game at Cleveland’s Gund Arena. Photo credit: Andy Hayt, Getty Images.
One of the best small forwards in NBA history celebrates a milestone birthday on September 25 as Scottie Pippen turns 60.
The 6-time NBA champion, from Hamburg, Ark., is one of the best small school players to ever grace an NBA floor. One of twelve siblings, Pippen attended Hamburg High School, where he played point guard.
Pippen received no college offers, and settled on the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark. In his junior and senior seasons, Pippen was a consensus NAIA All-American. He averaged 23.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists as a senior.
In the 1987 NBA Draft, Pippen was drafted fifth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics and dealt to the Chicago Bulls for center Olden Polynice. Pippen was a raw talent but thought of as someone who could grow into a star player and pair with Michael Jordan to create dynamic wing tandem for the future.
Pippen wound up flourishing in the Tex Winter triangle offense that was utilized by Bulls’ coach Phil Jackson. The forward was a unique talent - a “point-forward” - coming after the days when the Milwaukee Bucks’ Marques Johnson showed a similar style of play.
In 1989-90, Pippen was an All-Star for the first time when he averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.6 steals in 82 games, 38.4 minutes per game. He averaged 14.0 attempts per game for that season and shot 48.9% from the field. In the following season of 1990-91, though not an All-Star, Pippen posted 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.4 steals and made the All-Defensive 2nd team. He also finished seventh in MVP voting for the championship-winning Bulls, who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals. In the clinching Game 5, Pippen posted 32 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 1 block in all 48 minutes on 10-of-22 from the field. The forward had eight additional double-doubles in the ‘91 playoffs. In Games 2 and 3 of the Bulls’ second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, he posted 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists and 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Pippen and Jordan’s chemistry and unrivaled and unrelenting defense on the wing made them the most potent and best duo in the game, and their two three-peats (six titles in eight seasons) cemented them as perhaps the greatest pairing in NBA history. The draft night trade by GM Jerry Krause no doubt laid the foundation for the dynasty that was to come.
From the 1991-92 season through to the 1996-97 season, Pippen was an All-Star. Included in this run were three consecutive 1st team All-NBA nods (1993-96), and six consecutive 1st team All-Defense honors (1991-97). Pippen also made the All-Defensive 1st team in 1998, and for the 1998-99 season when he was a Houston Rocket. In his first season as a Portland Trail Blazer in 1999-00, he made 2nd team All-Defense. He also finished in the top ten in MVP voting four out of five years from 1991-96.
Scottie Pippen’s All-Star Season Stats (1991-1997)
1991-92: 21.0 points (50.6 FG%, 16.6 FGA), 7.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.1 blocks, 38.6 minutes, 82 games, All-NBA 2nd team, All-Defensive 1st team, 3rd in DPOY voting, 9th in MVP voting
The ‘91-‘92 Bulls won 67 games. In the postseason, the team swept the Miami Heat in three games in the first round, prevailed in seven games against the New York Knicks in the Conference Semifinals, and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games and Trail Blazers in six games in the Conference Finals and Finals. In Games 2 and 3 against the Heat, Pippen scored 30 and 31 points, and in Game 7 against the Knicks posted a 17-11-11 triple-double. He scored 29 points in Games 1 and 6 against the Cavaliers - 29 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists in Game 1 and 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks in Game 6. He posted 24 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds in Game 1 of the Finals, 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists in Game 5, and 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in the clinching Game 6. On the ‘92 US Olympic Dream Team, Pippen averaged 9.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.0 steals.
1992-93: 18.6 points (47.3% FG, 16.4 FGA), 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 38.6 minutes, 81 games, 3rd team All-NBA, All-Defensive 1st team
The Bulls were a 57-win team in ‘92-‘93. The team swept through the first two rounds against the Atlanta Hawks and Cavaliers before defeating the Knicks in six games in the Conference Finals and the Phoenix Suns also in six games in the Finals. Pippen posted 25 points and 5 assists in Game 2 of the opening round, 28 points (9 rebounds, 6 assists) in Game 3 of the second round, and against the Knicks had four games of 24-plus points. He posted 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in Game 3, 28 points and 11 assists in Game 5, and 24 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in Game 6. He registered 27-9-5 (points-rebounds-assists) in Game 1 of the Finals, 15-12-12 in Game 2, 26-10-9 in Game 3, and 23 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in Game 6.
1993-94: 22.0 points (49.1% FG, 17.8 FGA), 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, 38.3 minutes, 72 games, 1st team All-NBA, All-Defensive 1st team, 3rd in MVP voting, 4th in DPOY voting
In nine out of the Bulls’ 10 playoff games in ‘94, Pippen scored over 20 points. In Game 1 of round one against the Cavaliers (3-0 Bulls), he posted 31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. In Game 3 of that series he registered 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists, and in Games 3 and 4 against the Knicks posted 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, and 25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. In the 87-77 Game 7 defeat, he recorded 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. Pippen’s right-handed transition dunk on the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing in Game 6 of the ECSF on May 20, 1994 is one of the most memorable dunks in playoff history.
1994-95: 21.4 points (48.0% FG, 16.7 FGA), 8.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.9 steals, 38.2 minutes, 79 games, 1st team All-NBA, All-Defensive 1st team, 2nd in DPOY voting, 7th in MVP voting. For this season, Pippen set the single-season record for steals per game by a forward (2.94) and the most steals in a season (232).
The ‘94-‘95 Bulls won 47 games, and had Jordan, who returned to the NBA on March 19, back in time for the playoffs. The Bulls defeated the Charlotte Hornets 3-1 in the opening round, and in Game 4 of that series Pippen posted 24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. In the Bulls’ six-game loss to the Orlando Magic in the second round, he recorded 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists (Game 3), 24 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds (Game 4) and 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists (Game 6).
1995-96: 19.4 points (46.3% FG, 15.8 FGA), 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 36.7 minutes, 77 games, 1st team All-NBA, All-Defensive 1st team, 2nd in DPOY voting, 5th in MVP voting
The ‘96 Bulls of course set the new NBA record of 72 wins, surpassing the mark of 69 held by the ‘72 Lakers. From December 29, 1995 to February 2, 1996, the team went 18-0, and at that point held a 41-3 record. In the first round of the playoffs against the Heat (3-0 Bulls), Pippen posted 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in Game 2 and 22 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in Game 3. In Game 3 of the second round against the Knicks (4-1 Bulls), he registered 24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. In Game 2 of the Conference Finals against the Magic (the Bulls avenged 1995’s loss with a sweep), he posted 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, and in Game 3 scored 27 points with 7 assists and 6 rebounds. He scored 21 points twice in the Finals against the Sonics (Games 1 and 2), a series that the Bulls led 3-0 and won in six games.
1996-97: 20.2 points (47.4% FG, 16.7 FGA), 6.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 37.7 minutes, 82 games, 2nd team All-NBA, All-Defensive 1st team, 4th in DPOY voting
Ten times in the ‘97 playoffs, Pippen scored at least 20 points for the 69-win Bulls. He posted 29 points and 6 rebounds in Game 1 of the second round against the Hawks (4-1 Bulls), 24 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds in Game 2, and 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in Game 4. Twice in the Finals against the Utah Jazz, he scored 27 points - in Game 1, he posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals, and in Game 3 posted 27-4-4. He recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds in Game 4 and 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 5. In the clinching sixth game, he scored 23 points with 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Pippen played just 44 games in the 1997-98 season due to ankle surgery that he underwent in October of 1997 to fix a ruptured tendon. He played 37.5 minutes per game and averaged sixteen shots, scoring 19.1 points per game with 5.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. He made 1st team All-Defense once again and was named to the All-NBA 3rd team. He finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and 10th in MVP voting.
The Bulls in ‘97-‘98 won 62 games, and swept the New Jersey Nets in the first round, beat the Charlotte Hornets in five in the second round, and defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games in a hard-fought Conference Finals before a six-game win in the Finals over the Jazz once again. In Game 1 against the Nets, Pippen posted 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, and recorded 25-4-4-4 (points-rebounds-assists-steals) in Game 1 against the Hornets. In Game 4 of the Finals, an 86-82 Bull win that gave them a 3-1 advantage, the forward went for 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Pippen tweaked his back early in Game 6 of the Finals, and scored 8 points with 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in 26 minutes.
After the conclusion of the 1998-99 lockout, Pippen was dealt in January of 1999 to the Houston Rockets, in a sign-and-trade for Roy Rogers and a second-round pick. Prior to the trade, Pippen agreed to a five-year, $67.2 million deal.
Pippen’s one season in Houston yielded another 1st team All-Defense honor. In all fifty games, he averaged 40.2 minutes per game and scored 14.5 points per game (43.2% shooting on 12.1 attempts) with 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists and 2.0 steals. In Game 3 of the Rockets’ 1999 first-round series against the Lakers, Pippen was splendid in the team’s only win of the series. In the 102-88 victory, Pippen played all 48 minutes and made 12-of-27 shots (3-of-5 from deep) for 37 points, with 13 rebounds and 4 assists. The 37-point effort was a career playoff-high for him, though he did score 32 points in Game 2 of the ‘90 first round against the Bucks.
On October 2, 1999, the Rockets traded Pippen to the Portland Trail Blazers, in exchange for Stacey Augmon, Kelvin Cato, Carlos Rogers, Ed Gray, Brian Shaw, and Walt Williams.
Pippen became the glue player on a 1999-00 Blazer team that won 59 games and came within one game of the NBA Finals (the team lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in seven games). The Blazers had solid veterans like Pippen, Detlef Schrempf, Arvydas Sabonis, Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon and Steve Smith around young all-star forward Rasheed Wallace and guard Damon Stoudamire. As a Blazer playoff performer, Pippen scored 20 or more points eight times. In his first playoff game representing Portland, he scored 28 points with 9 rebounds in 42 minutes in the 91-88 Blazer win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
At the end of the 2002-03 season, Pippen returned to the Bulls for one last season, 2003-04, where he played in twenty-three games, 17.9 minutes per game. In 856 career games as a Bull, Pippen averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.1 steals in 35.4 minutes per game and shot 48.1% from the field (14.5 shots). For his total career, he posted averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals in 34.9 minutes per game in 1,178 games, 1,053 of which were starts. He shot 47.3% from the field on an average of 13.3 shots per night. Pippen played in all 82 games five times and 81 games once. For the first ten seasons of his career, he never missed fewer than ten games. In regular season games that he played in in his career, Pippen had a record of 810-368, and in a playoff career that consisted of 208 games he averaged 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. He has the most career steals all-time by a forward, with 2,307 (eighth on the NBA’s all-time steals list). On December 9, 2005, the Bulls retired his No. 33 jersey. In 2010, Pippen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pippen was an essential player to Jackson’s Bulls, the guy who ran the offense often while being an ultimate Swiss Army knife-type who defended multiple positions, rebounded well and scored when needed and called upon. Evidence of his great talent can be found in the 1993-94 season, when without Jordan he finished third in MVP voting and led the Bulls to 55 wins while essentially averaging 22-9-6-3 on nearly 50% (49.1% from the field). With 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals in the 1994 All-Star Game in Phoenix, he was named All-Star Game MVP. Pippen was the ideal and perfect complement to Jordan and the prototype player to run Jackson’s offense. There are other all-time forwards with higher offensive ranks and status, but one would have a tough time naming a more complete small forward in the history of the NBA than Scottie Pippen.
“You never just saw me. You saw Scottie Pippen. Every championship I won,” said Jordan during his 2013 Hall of Fame enshrinement speech. When Pippen entered the Hall in 2010, Jordan was his presenter.
Said Jackson to Chris Myers in a mid-1990s interview:
“Scottie is such an unselfish player. He’s the greatest all-around player in the NBA right now. Scottie as a rebounder, as a passer, as a defender, you know, the whole complete package, and the great energy that he can have on the court, does a lot of things out there on the basketball court that are terrific. And he can lead a team very well. I mean he can get 10-12 points and 10 assists and 10 rebounds and really be the determining factor.”
In an era where his own teammate was considered the greatest to play, an era of Barkley and Olajuwon and Robinson and Ewing and Malone and others, Pippen’s own coach - one who saw Jordan everyday, too - lauded him as the game’s top player.
Quite the compliment.
Happy 60th Birthday, Scottie Pippen.
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