Scottie and Larsa Pippen’s Son Receives Special Shout Out From 3x NBA Champion

With no chance of making the postseason, the Memphis Grizzlies’ current lineup includes a whole host of players trying to find a place in the NBA. This includes Scottie and Larsa Pippen’s son, Scotty Pippen Jr. The 23-year-old, who has been with the Grizzlies for around 3 months, gave a career-best performance against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on Friday and earned a special shout-out from Lakers great, James Worthy.

Despite missing 13 first-team players for the game, Memphis gave LA a proper scare. And Worthy appreciated them for that in the post-game show on Spectrum SportsNet. He said, “It was ugly and something we didn’t expect… Unfortunately, these guys (the Grizzlies) aren’t scrubs. You know just cause you’ve got 13 guys out, these guys were drafted into the NBA and they’ve just been rubbing their hands, waiting for an opportunity.” The 3x NBA champion then specifically pointed out his former opponent’s son.

“You see Scotty Pippen Jr. getting an opportunity and all these other guys that we don’t know of. Those are tough games to play, but you’ve got to take care of business early. You can’t be turning the ball over like the Lakers did,” Worthy stated on FreeDawkins. Pippen Jr. scored a career-high 28 points against the Lakers along with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, and had a +/- of +9 in a defeat. Apart from guard Jordan Goodwin, none of the other 4 starters for Memphis have even played 1 full season combined. But they have managed to make the most of their limited opportunities.

A close game throughout, the Grizzlies managed to take it to the final possession before losing 120-123 against LeBron James & Co. The Lakers came into this contest as the 10th seed in the West but managed to end the night at the 8th spot due to favorable results in the Warriors and Kings games. On the other hand, Memphis remains rooted to the 13th spot, and with injuries to the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and the rest, they will be hoping to bounce back next season.

While these injuries may have curtailed their season, it allowed them to give a chance to lesser-known names. Some of them will surely get a chance to continue with the team heading into the next season and Pippen Jr. will be hoping he’s one of them. But what were his thoughts after the game? “They probably thought we were playing for nothing. But a lot of guys in here are playing for opportunities. So that’s motivation coming to the game.”

Scotty Pippen Jr. is shining with the Memphis!

While he started his NBA career with the Lakers, he didn’t get too many opportunities in LA and was mostly part of their G-League affiliate side, the South Bay Lakers. However, after multiple injuries in the Memphis locker room, he was signed on a two-way deal and instantly made an impact.

In his 20 games with the Grizzlies so far, Pippen Jr. has averaged 18.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. Moreover, the 23-year-old has also shown flashes of his legendary father, Scottie Pippen’s defensive instincts with 2.6 steals per game. Against the Lakers on Friday, one of his hustle plays had the whole arena up on its feet.

Pippen Jr. doesn’t just create havoc on the defensive end but he also turns these defensive plays into transition points. This makes him a perfect fit for Taylor Jenkins’ Memphis roster, as the team thrives off these turnover possessions. While he has been allowed to showcase his abilities on a poor team, it’ll be interesting to see how the former Vanderbilt guard adjusts along with the returning stars. That is also if he continues to be a part of the rotation. What do you think?