The natural tendency for someone whose past is so littered with greatness is to look back or, as the case may be, to look up.
Scottie Pippen has that opportunity each and every day that he goes to work.
He need only glance skyward at the United Center or the Berto Center to see his name on each of the six banners honoring the NBA championships won by the Bulls during a dominant decade.
Pippen, if he so chose, could also let his mind wander back to when he roamed the court with a graceful intensity, able to change a game with his defensive ability or knife down the lane for a slippery dunk.
He could even daydream about one of the most overwrought topics in Chicago sports history, the dismantling of the Bulls’ dynasty, what with the championship trophies gleaming idly on the edge of the practice court.
But Pippen doesn’t work that way. Back in the home of his greatest glories, Pippen looks forward, hoping to add to his impressive run of 16 straight postseason appearances in his NBA career.
Looking ahead
Instead of seeing coach Bill Cartwright, general manager John Paxson and special assistant B.J. Armstrong–teammates, all, from the dynasty days–and reliving the past, Pippen chooses to focus on teammates like Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler and think of the future.
“Even being back here, I’ve put [the dynasty] behind me,” Pippen said, relaxing in a chair after a recent practice. “I have to move on and continue to try to challenge myself each and every day in the game.
“To look back and think about something that’s far behind and something that may never happen in the history of the game again is a waste. I feel good with these new guys around me.”
It’s almost impossible for a casual observer to watch Pippen play–his familiar No. 33, those familiar long, loping strides–and not drift back to those glory days. But Pippen need only look down at the ice packs that swallow each knee to know that such an exercise is pointless.
48,762 minutes
“My game has changed tremendously since that time,” Pippen said. “I’m five years older–and I wasn’t exactly a spring chicken when I left here.
“Athletically, I can’t do things that I used to do. I don’t have the physical stamina that I once did. I can’t be on the court all the time. I’ve got a lot of minutes on my body. It’s taken a toll on me.”
Indeed, Pippen’s 38-year-old legs have logged an astounding 48,762 minutes when you add up the 1,363 regular-season and postseason games that he has played. On a recent fast break during an exhibition game, Pippen finished a lane fill with a layup off the glass rather than a rim-rattling dunk.
Doesn’t the passage of time stink?
“It’s not frustrating,” Pippen said, smiling. “It’s reality. I’m older, but I’m wiser. I know how to get around.
“I have more fun and get more excitement and enjoyment out of the game to be frustrated. I still feel like I’m a huge part of the game and can make an impact on the game. That’s a good feeling when you’re an older player.”
Love for the game
Paxson says that this love for the game is Pippen’s greatest quality.
Forget Pippen’s ability to still play solid defense. Forget his habit of always having his teammates’ back or his selfless nature on offense. Just watch his face as he plays.
“He’s always out there having a good time,” Paxson said. “That’s one of the things that you wish our young guys would understand more than anything. You can work hard and do everything the right way. But if you don’t love playing, it doesn’t matter. Scottie loves playing.”
Talk to most anyone who has played with Pippen and, invariably, the word “teammate,” preceded by a positive adjective, will be spoken.
These people, the ones who have seen Pippen at all times and in all situations, look past the migraine headache against Detroit, the 1.8-second sitdown against the Knicks and the hurled chair on the Chicago Stadium floor.
Prepared to play
“People don’t want to believe this because he has had some incidents, but Scottie is a natural leader,” Paxson said. “He has a way about him in terms of talking to guys of being direct but [also] being supportive. He was one of the best teammates ever.”
Added Cartwright: “I know he got a rap for one situation in one game, but this guy is always prepared to play. He’s always there for you as a teammate. That [1997 NBA Finals] series against Utah, he hurt his back. He had to go in the locker room with our masseuse people. They had to loosen his back up. He was in agony. He came back on the floor and played great.
“He sacrifices himself. It’s easy to support guys when they’re up, but guys need you the most when they’re down and not doing well. That’s what Scottie does well. He’s the ultimate teammate.”
Pippen signed a two-year, $10.3 million contract that will expire when he’s 39. He will have played 18 seasons by then, 13 of them with the Bulls. A season in Houston and four with Portland will always be on his resume, but there’s a reason he chose to return to the Bulls.
Glad to be home
“This is pretty much my home,” Pippen said. “Anytime someone looks at Scottie Pippen, they connect me with Chicago.
“To have an opportunity to come here and play in front of the greatest fans and in a place where I was really bred is a great feeling. To have my family back in the city–my wife is from here–and have them feel very comfortable as I go into the final days of my career is great.
“I feel lucky. When does the season start?”
With those words, spoken one week before the regular-season opener, Pippen smiled. He knew the answer to his rhetorical question.
After all, he’s always looking ahead.
Pippen moments
He came to the Bulls in 1987 as a skinny unknown out of Central Arkansas. Here are five indelible memories from Pippen’s career
June 11, 1997
NBA Finals vs. Utah
Pippen scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed to Michael Jordan for a huge three-pointer late, shortly before Jordan collapsed in Pippen’s arms because a stomach virus had weakened him in this critical Game 5 victory.
May 13, 1994
Eastern semifinals vs. New York
In his most infamous moment, Pippen refused to play the final 1.8 seconds of Game 3 after Phil Jackson designed the final shot for Toni Kukoc. “We exchanged words, and I just took a seat,” Pippen said that night. “I think it was just frustration.”
May 31, 1998
Eastern finals vs. Indiana
Pippen guarded players as disparate as point guard Mark Jackson, shooting guard Reggie Miller and forward Derrick McKey in a dominant defensive performance that helped the Bulls eke out a Game 7 victory at home.
June 3, 1990
Eastern finals vs. Detroit
The most famous migraine in Chicago sports history. In their third try to oust the hated “Bad Boy” Pistons, Pippen scored two points on 1-for-10 shooting as he battled blurred vision and searing headache pain. The Bulls lost Game 7.
March 5, 1993
Regular season vs. San Antonio
Too often, Pippen’s offensive efforts were overlooked because of the sheer dominance of Jordan. Pippen had 39 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in this overtime loss at the Stadium, one of 19 triple-doubles he posted as a Bull.
K.C. Johnson.
