A few months ago, Scotty Pippen Jr. was depressed at the South Bay Lakers. Among the best G-League players, after shining at Vanderbilt college, the leader despaired of getting a real chance in the NBA…
“I was ready to leave the G-League, maybe go overseas” he explains like this. “I talked about it with my father. He told me that, perhaps, if it didn't work, I would have to go abroad to try to make my mark there. But I fought, I stayed, I believed in my NBA dreams and I got the call. »
The call came from the Grizzlies, who tested him during a freewheeling end to the season. Enough to stand out and transform your “two-way contract” into a real four-year lease in Tennessee.
A classic contract that he has fully assumed since the resumption of the season, especially since Ja Morant's injury.
“Seeing my father’s name on the ceiling, I dreamed of that moment. It’s a dream that finally comes true, to finally be able to play here.”
This night, in the absence of the holder but also of Marcus Smart, he was in charge against the Bulls, in a match where both teams wanted to run. The perfect opportunity to set your career points record!
It was therefore at the United Center, the land of his father's exploits in the second half of the 1990s, that he reached the 30-point mark, with a superb 13/16 shooting, including 3/6 from distance, to go with 10 assists.
“It's really crazy that I had 30 points and 10 assists in the gym where my dad played. It means so much to me and my family. I talked to my dad this evening about coming here to play. He just told me to come in and smash it, and that's what I tried to do » explains the 24-year-old. “Seeing my father’s name on the ceiling, I dreamed of that moment. It’s a dream that finally comes true, to finally be able to play here.”
Especially by proving that he too has his place in the NBA.
| Scotty Pippen, Jr. | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | LAL | 6 | 5 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 55.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 2.3 |
| 2023-24 | M.E.M. | 21 | 25 | 49.3 | 41.7 | 74.5 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 12.9 |
| 2024-25 | M.E.M. | 16 | 26 | 44.9 | 38.8 | 77.3 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 11.6 |
| Total | 43 | 23 | 47.0 | 40.3 | 74.1 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 10.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
