Lakers Legend Clears the Air On Why the Team Never Signed Scottie Pippen

Shortly after the Chicago Bulls completed their second three-peat in 1998, the management dismantled the roster. Being one of the most feared teams ever, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman who formed the core of the side, had to leave after the front office wanted a rebuild. MJ left the NBA which everyone saw coming. As Rodman joined the Lakers, Scottie Pippen got his much-favored trade to the Houston Rockets.

Pippen didn’t enjoy much success with the Rockets and he stayed there just for a year. Even with the mighty combination of Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Scottie Pippen, the Rockets fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Lakers were building to become one of the best teams in NBA history. The 1998-99 Lakers team gave birth to the glory that followed the franchise for the next three years. Though the Spurs humbled them in the 1999 conference semi-finals, the team bounced back the very next year.

Coming back to Pippen, there were rumors flying around that Scottie wanted the Rockets to trade him to the Lakers after the 99’ season. However, none of it happened, even though it seems to good to be true. 

Lakers legend reveals the reason for never bringing Scottie Pippen into the team

When you use the word “Lakers legend,” there are at least ten names that would pop into your mind. To be precise, we are talking about Jerry West. He was one of the members on the side when the Lakers moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season. He’s been a Laker inside and out. Apart from his loyal 14-year playing career with the team, West moved into an executive position in the 80s and guided the Lakers to massive success. 

When West was the General Manager of the Lakers during the 90s, there was one theory that always flew past him. Signing Scottie Pippen to partner Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. This is a rumor that many fans must have never come across. However, West made his thoughts clear when he told Bill Oram and Jason Quick of The Athletic that none of it was true. 

“There wasn’t one conversation in my mind about him,” West revealed. “I’ve always admired Scottie Pippen as a player. But listen, we did fine. OK? We did fine.” The 82-year-old seemed to assert that they did just fine without Pippen on their team. But to be honest, they were more than fine. In fact, they were spectacular.

 The three-peat Lakers are still the last team to accomplish a treble in the NBA. And they began the works for it just a year after the Bulls made history.  With just a hypothetical thought of Pippen joining the team, one can only imagine what a wonderful side it would have been. Kobe would have soared with magnificence, having Pippen by his side.