Scottie Pippen got nostalgic about his first game in the NBA. That game, where the 6x NBA champion played alongside another Bulls rookie, Horace Grant, against the Philadelphia 76ers, brings back many memories. Back then, no one could have predicted that these rookies and the player who had a game-high 36 points would dominate in the 90s and clinch back-to-back glory for the franchise. As Scottie Pippen’s son continues to make him proud with his display in the NBA, the 6x NBA champion shared an old clip that caught fans’ attention.

While it could be for his new documentary on the 1991 Bulls championship and game ball, Pippen has been sharing a lot of tidbits about the beginning of his career. Sharing a clip of his debut game in the league on X, the Bulls legend got emotional and nostalgic and wrote “1987… and it feels like yesterday” with a fire emoji.

Both rookies, Pippen and Horace, were quite tough playing in the season opener game. While veteran players Brad Sellers and Charles Oakley took the lead, Pippen, who had joined the Bulls after getting traded by the Seattle Supersonics, hit 10 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field in 23 minutes of playtime. The other rookie had 3 points in 13 minutes of playtime. MJ, as usual, had his dominant game with 5 rebounds.

The Bulls had quite formidable opponents, who were coming off their 108-95 victory against the Pacers in their home opener game. Against Philadelphia 76ers‘ Charles Barkley, who had 34 points, the Bulls maintained a good pace right from the beginning, ultimately winning the game 104-94. Well, the work ethic and Bulls’ determination could be seen from the beginning. MJ was practicing seriously with the rookie Pippen, who once detailed his NBA Finals game-like practice sessions.

Scottie Pippen recounts first practice session with Michael Jordan

The two undoubtedly clicked very well and quite fast. In his memoir, Scottie Pippen recalled his first practice session with MJ, where he wanted to show that he was capable of what the Bulls needed. He was successful in catching the attention of the 6x NBA champ, while the latter showed little to no mercy to the rookie. Pippen recalled that Michael Jordan was guarding him like the two were in the NBA Finals. Pippen didn’t let that intimidate him and continued to forge ahead. 

“I got his attention, all right, the first time we played against each other. He was guarding me as if it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I weaved into the lane and slammed it home with authority. I knew I couldn’t allow Michael Jordan to intimidate me,” Pippen wrote. Coming from the bench throughout 79 games, Pippen had impressively averaged 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, playing 20.9 minutes in his rookie year.

It seemed that the two had started practicing for the big moment from the beginning. Pippen and Jordan not only had three back-to-back titles twice with the Chicago Bulls but also had a jaw-dropping record of 514-177 whenever they played together in the regular season. Pippen was a key player who led the Bulls to victory, and MJ was aware of that. Speaking in The Last Dance, he praised Pippen as a great teammate.

“I would never be able to find a tandem, another support system, another partner in the game of basketball like Scottie Pippen,” Jordan said. MJ and Pippen remain one of the best NBA duos to date.