Happy 49th Birthday To Scottie Pippen!

Well Pippen Peoples, it’s time to wish a happy birthday to Scottie Pippen, who turned 49 years young this past week. It is only fitting that the namesake to the most renegade NBA website at FanSided.com would take time to reflect and look back at the accomplishments of the man who this website is named after. Pippen Ain’t Easy wants say Happy birthday to Scottie Pippen! This is your life! Well, basketball wise.

Scottie Pippen will always be connected to arguably the greatest player of all time Michael Jordan. However, he was a great player when he was in his prime. The dynamic duo brought six championships in an eight-year period to Chicago and left a legacy that still lives on to this day. Let’s take a look back over some overlooked times in Scottie’s career.

Scottie Pippen is considered on the greatest small forwards of all time. He is easily one of the greatest defenders of his era, if the not the greatest. Do you need proof Pippen Peoples? Pippen 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 MVP in 1994. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in the 1996-97 season. He is one of only four players to have his jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls.

His International resume maybe even more impressive. Pippen is the only player to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice. He was one of the players selected for the “Dream Team” back in 1992.

Remember back in 1987 when Scottie Pippen was drafted? The Chicago Bulls committed highway robbery trading the draft rights to Olden Polynice to the Seattle Supersonics for Scottie Pippen that was one of the turning points of the franchise. Pippen Ain’t Easy rated that trade the number-one  trade in Bulls history. He wasn’t even known as Scottie back then. David Stern with that ‘stache’ on his face introduced him as Scot Pippen from Central Arkansas. I know all of you probably was thinking…Who’s that?

Remember in 1990-91 when Scottie Pippen rescued Jordan from Detroit’s Jordan Rules? Now before everyone gets all bent up, think about it. The Jordan Rules was set up to let Jordan do all the work while the Pistons make him work and pay for everything he did (also read run three bodies at him and put him on the floor while locking down everyone else). For a while, it worked. Scottie Pippen had the infamous migraine game when shot 1-10 from the floor for two points in game seven of the conference finals in the 1989-90 season. However, when the Bulls swept the Pistons next year, Pippen had his coming-out party, and the Pistons run as champs was over.

How about the NBA Finals against Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers? It was obvious that Michael Jordan guarding Magic one on one was not going to work. When Phil Jackson switched Scottie Pippen over to shadow Magic full court, it disrupted the Lakers offense, and the Bulls won four games straight after dropping game one of the NBA Finals. Jordan was the man and the MVP, but Scottie made it happen a little more efficiently by taking the defensive load off of Jordan by dealing with Magic.

After three straight NBA championships, Jordan went to the ‘Field of Dreams’ to chase his baseball dreams and curve balls.

This is when we all watched Scottie Pippen grow up for real.

It actually happened against my New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals back in 1994. It was the best of times and the worst of times all in the same series.

The worst of times was when Scottie felt the need to sit out the final play of Game three when Phil Jackson designed a play for Toni Kukoc with 1.8 seconds, and the score tied at 102. When Kukoc knocked down the game winner, well let’s just say that Pippen wasn’t going to get a game ball after the game from his teammates.

The best of times was in Game six when Scottie Pippen came  down on the break and decided to dunk on the head of Ewing and the entire New York Knicks franchise. The dunk is so nasty you can actually Google it. Pippen actually puts a visual definition of dunking on someone, because he dunked on Ewing so hard, Ewing fell over and Pippen stood over him.

However, the Bulls went on to lose in Game seven. The Bulls should have won the series (okay. I’ll admit it.) but was screwed by Hue Hollins called a phantom foul on Pippen in Game five on Hubert Davis. Davis went on to hit the free throws, and it cost the Bulls possibly a chance at a fourth straight championship.

When Jordan came back from baseball, I believe that Scottie Pippen was even better in the second three peat years than in the first. Pippen battled being unhappy with his contract, injuries with his foot and back to defeat the Utah Jazz to wrap a dynasty that consisted of six NBA championships in eight years.

From the staff of Pippen Ain’t Easy, Scottie we want to wish you a belated happy birthday and many more. If it wasn’t for you, this website wouldn’t have the coolest name at FanSided.

Happy 49th birthday!

Pippen Ain’t Easy’s Editor In Chief…

Ronald Agers.