Being the holiday season and all, Bulls coach Phil Jackson was asked what he wanted for Christmas?
“Everybody would like me to say Scottie Pippen on the court,” Jackson responded. “But it isn’t going to happen. It’s not going to be a New Year’s present, either.”
But it will happen. Eventually.
That’s the impression Pippen gave several children on hand for the Bulls’ annual Christmas party at the Berto Center Thursday, assuring autograph-seekers he would be wearing a Bulls uniform again.
Later, when discussing his situation with the media, Pippen chose his words carefully.
“I’ve made my point about what I wanted to do with my future,” Pippen said. “If something happens, great. If not, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Those words are in stark contrast to his comments last month when he vowed never to play for the Bulls again and demanded to be traded. Pippen apparently has had a change of heart, taking Jackson’s suggestion to ponder what he said and the effects his comments had on the team.
Now the mood surrounding the team is one of growing optimism and hope.
Michael Jordan said he is “certain” Pippen will be wearing his familiar No. 33 Bulls jersey sometime next month when he has recovered fully from preseason foot surgery.
The rest of Pippen’s teammates point to the calmness and relaxed atmosphere around the team, which also contrasts with the chaos and surprise that followed Pippen’s ultimatum.
Earlier this month Jackson urged players to meet with Pippen and air their feelings about his outburst. On Thursday, after shooting around briefly with the team, Pippen explained why he has been circumspect the last two weeks.
“I’m trying to let everything sort of fall into place,” Pippen said. “I’m trying not to disrupt the team. They’re having enough trouble as it is. I don’t think I need to cause any more disruptions to the ballclub. I’m just trying to get myself ready to play.”
Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause reiterated this week that he doesn’t plan to trade Pippen “unless it is a knockout deal.” Krause said he has yet to discuss a trade with Pippen since the All-Star forward first made the comments on Nov. 23 in Sacramento while traveling with the Bulls during their seven-game road trip.
Does this mean Pippen expects to remain a Bull?
“I don’t want to start everything back up,” Pippen said. “I have to get myself ready to play.”
That is what Pippen has been trying to do the last two weeks since revealing that he had hit the wall in his recovery, which was so far ahead of schedule last month he had begun practicing with the team.
Pippen had hoped to be in uniform Christmas Day when the Bulls play host to the Miami Heat, which they faced in last season’s Eastern Conference finals. Now he says he is three weeks away from taking part in practices again.
Instead, Pippen is working closely with the team’s strength and conditioning consultant, Al Vermeil, as part of a six-week rehabilitation to strengthen his foot and his legs.
“We’re just being cautious,” Pippen said. “I’m doing some rehab with Al and I’ve only been working with him for two weeks. After about three weeks, we’ll have a better feel.”
Pippen hasn’t traveled with the Bulls since the first part of the seven-game road trip. He has been on the bench during home games, including those against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers this week–teams to which he said he wanted to be traded.
Pippen mentioned that with the Suns and Lakers in town he thought it was best to keep quiet about a trade. The Bulls won both games and are working on a three-game winning streak.
“I’ve tried to let it die down a little bit,” he said. “I think I was taking a little bit of the focus away from the team. I don’t have any intentions of trying to distract them to any degree. It just happened that way.”
Pippen has noticed the Bulls are playing better since the attention surrounding his initial trade demand has died down.
“I think they’re going to be fine,” Pippen said. “All the stuff surrounding me sort of put them on their heals a little bit. It took their mind off of what they wanted to do or what they needed to do. Now they’re playing much better.”
