“I used to beat him, and he’d fake injuries and stuff.” — Scottie Pippen Jr. on why he doesn't play 1-on-1 with Scottie Pippen anymore
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Scottie Pippen
© Darren Yamashita and Nathan Ray Seebeck - USA TODAY Sports
Whenever we see a son of an NBA legend make it to the league, most of us think that he must have been taking a leaf from his father’s book. However, that has not been the case for Scotty Pippen Jr., and his sixth-time NBA champion dad Scottie Pippen.
What happened?
Most father-and-sons in the league still hoop with or against one another. But the Pippens have not been doing so for roughly two years now.
According to Los Angeles Lakers reporter Kyle Goon, one of the most interesting things about the new member of the Purple and Gold was that his father Scottie has “stopped” playing one-on-one games with him. The reason? Simply because he was too much for him to handle inside the court.
Scotty also noted that he often beat his dad, but he wouldn’t accept defeat and would even pull off “fake injuries” as an excuse.
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Competitive and proud dad
If everything said is true, most of us shouldn’t be surprised, given how competitive Scottie was during his playing years in the league. Pip still carries his winning mentality, mixed with a bit of pride, within him to this day that he wouldn’t let anybody get the better of him, even if it’s his son.
Nevertheless, Scottie is still proud of Scotty Jr., who had just signed a two-way contract with the Lakers.
“One of the best moments I’ve experienced as a father was being by [Scotty’s] side as his dream came true,” Scottie wrote on Twitter. “Deuce, you worked hard, didn’t take any shortcuts, and pushed yourself to make this happen.”
“I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” he added. “I wore purple in HS and college, and I’m ready to wear it again.”
What Scotty could bring to the table
To say that Scotty would be better than his dad because he’s schooling him in one-on-one games is quite farfetched. However, one thing certain is that the young Pippen could ball.
In his last season at Vanderbilt, Scotty averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. It may be too early to say, but the Lakers could benefit from the youngster on both ends of the court. So let’s see what lies ahead of him in his maiden NBA season.
