Michael Jordan’s Former Teammate Equates Miami’s Championship Ring to the NBA Summer League Ring for a Motivating Reason

The Chicago Bulls is one of the greatest teams the NBA has ever seen. A cursory look at the team will show you how talented it was. One of the talented players on that roster was a certain Scottie Pippen. He could have been any other team’s first option but at the Bulls, he was the second in command only behind Michael Jordan.

Pippen recently commented on a Summer League game where the Los Angeles Lakers played the Dallas Mavericks. His son, Scotty Pippen Jr. was playing for the purple and gold jersey. Pippen Jr. has impressed everyone recently with how good he is.

Unsurprisingly, Pippen appeared to be very proud of his son while commentating. Pippen also equated the Summer League ring to the 2012 Miami Heat ring. He said, “I think, at the end of the day, it means a lot to you as a player because of what you have to put out to get here. I mean, to be able to play in this Summer League on this hardwood floor. This is dream come true”.?

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Pippen understood the value of a Summer League ring. It arguably forms the building blocks of a young player. To be able to play on an NBA standard hardwood floor with other prospective pros is a big plus for any young talent trying to make it to the NBA.

There was no official Summer League during the era of Michael Jordan and Pippen

Scottie Pippen played in a time when there was no Summer League to talk of. He was drafted fifth overall by the Seattle Supersonics. The Chicago Bulls manufactured a trade where they got Pippen in exchange for eighth pick Olden Polynice and future draft picks. There used to be summer AAU basketball in Las Vegas.

Like today, coaches would meet each other and scout amateur and professional players. Teams went there for off-season minicamps to train their drafted players. But, the NBA was cold on the idea till 2003. NBA agent Warren LeGarie pitched an idea for a Summer League there in 2003 to then deputy commissioner Adam Silver. Silver was very warm to that idea and hence the Las Vegas Summer League was born.

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Michael Jordan’s Bulls never had the Summer League to evaluate their players from but today, the Summer League includes all 30 teams and potential pros could be evaluated thoroughly. If they impress, they could get a position in the main roster of a team during the next NBA season. That’s the greatest opportunity any basketball player could possibly have.