92 Scottie Pippen Quotes On MJ, Bulls, Basketball, Work Ethic & Life
Jan 31, 2024
The top Scottie Pippen quotes
Scottie Pippen is a former professional basketball player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest small forwards in NBA history.
He is best known for his time with the Chicago Bulls, where he played alongside Michael Jordan and helped the team win six NBA championships in the 1990's.
Pippen played at Central Arkansas for four years before being drafted 5th overall by the Bulls in 1987.
Pippen was known for his versatility. He was able to contribute in a variety of ways including with his defense, scoring, and playmaking.
He averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game over his career. Pippen's versatility made him a key part of the Bulls' championship runs.
He was also a seven-time NBA All-Star, a member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight times, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Scottie Pippen Basketball Quotes
As a player, Pippen could do it all. He was known as one of the most versatile players of his era.
On his career, he averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
His ability to contribute in multiple areas was a major reason the Bulls were able to be so successful. He was their glue.
1. "There's nothing like the camaraderie of being around the other players."
2. "I'm thankful that I was able to have a long, healthy career for the most part."
3. "I want to do the best I can in the NBA. After three or four years, I want people to know who Scottie Pippen is."
4. "Basketball is a lifelong game. You continue to learn from the game day in and day out, and all along the way, you get better."
5. "I've never seen a player that can dominate a game the way LeBron James can. He don't always have to score. He makes plays for other guys. But when the game is on the line, and you need a shot to be made, he's going to make that play."
6. "I will always be a part of the game."
7. "Basketball is such an escape from a lot of things."
8. "Each season was different and presented its own set of circumstances and challenges."
9. "I was LeBron James before LeBron James."
10. "If I could have written a script of how I wanted my career to be, I couldn't have done it any better."
11. "I have been able to live my dream of playing basketball surrounded by people I love and being cheered on by the best fans in the world."
12. "If I had an opportunity to hand-pick a team that I wanted to play in the NBA Finals, it would probably be the Lakers."
13. "I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game. Because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will, but he keeps everybody involved."
14. "If things work out for you as a team, then there are individual things that happen for you. But if you're not talented enough as a team, its hard for people to give you the recognition."
15. "I want to be a role-model player, someone respected and looked up to."
16. "When you get some easy baskets, the basket definitely looks like it's much larger."
17. "I'll miss the competitive side and the camaraderie of being around the players and competing each and every day."
18. "Most of basketball is in the mind. But it helps to have big hands."
19. "I always dreamed of playing the NBA, but along the way, the road got a little cloudy."
20. "I loved playing against the Pacers and Reggie Miller. Reggie was a great competitor, and I enjoyed playing against competitors."
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Scottie Pippen On Michael Jordan And The Bulls
Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan led the Bulls to 6 NBA championships in seven seasons.
Their ability to gel and feed off one another was a major reason the Bulls had so much success.
Scottie sacrificed more individual glory to take on this role with the Bulls.
21. "Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game."
22. "It's definitely tough to get up and walk away from something you have been a part of for so long. But it's part of life."
23. "Yes, I think the '96 Bulls are the greatest of all time. I think the 72-10 record speaks for itself and the fact that we were able to cap it off with a championship. What it boils down to is we had a dominant style, a dominant defense, and we were a very good offensive team. It was the way we dominated our opponents that separated ourselves."
24. "You look back at the '95 season, and a lot of those guys were getting mega minutes. Michael Jordan was out playing baseball. We were still winning, won 55 games I think, so those guys were all very content and happy with the way that things were going that year."
25. "I never wanted to be Michael Jordan, although I would like to trade bank accounts."
26. "I thought the lanes opened up when Michael Jordan used to drive. I used to be like, 'Wow.'"
27. "I went through ups and downs as a young player dealing with criticism and things of that nature. To finally win that first NBA championship, it was definitely a relief of a lot of pressure and frustration we dealt with as a team. It was great to bring a championship to the city of Chicago."
28. "I love this city and the Chicago fans."
29. "When I say I played with the greatest, let's not forget I also played for the greatest coach of all time."
30. "I remember the night in December 2005 when the Bulls retired my number and will never, ever forget it."
31. "He lifted weights, he rode the bike; he kept himself going before and after games, as well as practices. He always kept himself in top shape and was very determined. You put a relentless Dennis Rodman out on the basketball court, and you better have someone there to match his energy. If you don't, it's going to be a long night."
32. "I love playing in Chicago, and the fans have been great to me."
33. "Playing with Michael Jordan would be a great opportunity for me. I would have someone around I could learn a lot from. I look up to him as a player and as a person, and that would make me a better player and person."
34. "As a player, you experience so many different moments, but you never truly sit back and reflect on them. You enjoy them, but with the championships, we were so busy celebrating with everyone that we didn't really realize what we had accomplished as individuals and as a team."
35. "When I look back at my first few seasons in the NBA, we didn't dominate as a team. There were a lot of nights where we took a beating and got whacked across the head. But we got better along the way, and we started to taste the success. With that came the pressure and expectations to be successful."
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Pippen On His Versatility And Defense
A lot of basketball players (understandably) are really focused on scoring and getting as many points as possible.
What made Scottie Pippen so rare was that he really was focused on making an impact in every area of the game.
His mindset was to help out in any way he could, not just through scoring - whether it was by playmaking, rebounding, or playing defense.
36. "My mentality when guarding a point guard was always to try and disrupt him and take them out of the offense."
37. "Defense is something I take a lot of pride in."
38. "Defense was one thing I was really able to work at and get better."
39. "I went to a small school, so I had to be a jack of all trades and master of few."
40. "I was a guy that had a lot of tools and could do a lot of other things, but my main thing was controlling the defensive end of the court."
41. "When I look at my career, I was really about defending."
42. "I knew I was a player that could break guys down and create for my teammates, and that is how I looked at it."
43. "I feel like I'm a guy who gets other guys shots."
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Scottie Pippen On Success And Winning
Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist, and multiple-time NBA champion: Scottie Pippen had has fair share of success in his basketball career.
44. "To be named as one of the finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 on Friday was a special moment for me. As a player, it's something that you dream about. It's an honor that you have to earn based on your career and the respect from your peers around you."
45. "I take a lot of pride in my first '92 gold medal."
46. "It was truly an enjoyable moment in my life that I will never forget having the opportunity to play for two gold medals. But I think nothing sticks out more than winning a championship in 1991 for me."
47. "Once you get a taste of success, it's a hard thing to turn down."
48. "Chemistry is a very important element for any team that wants to be serious about winning."
49. "If you're not on a team that's winning, it takes a lot out of you as a player."
50. "Every team deals with obstacles throughout the course of the season, and it's as a unit that they need to be worked through. Injuries are part of the game, just like facing tough teams on the road or having one of your best players get into foul trouble."
51. "It's tough to lose and lose and lose and get a little closer, but you still lose."
52. "It doesn't really count as a great year if the team is not doing well."
53. "I know how to win games."
54. "I'd probably say the championships mean more to me, but the gold medal makes you a bit different. It's a special award."
55. "It may sound simple, but both winning and losing can become a mindset, and I won't accept losing - ever."
56. "I don't believe being a Hall of Famer is based on individual accolades. I think winning has a lot to do with it. But perhaps more than that, you simply have to show that you are the best or among the best at what you do."
57. "The odds were against me when I arrived at Central Arkansas. I was barely 6-foot-2 and didn't have a scholarship. But I always felt I could make it to the NBA; it was as if I had foreseen my future, and I knew I would make it."
58. "If you can prove that you're in that elite class on a consistent basis, it speaks volumes about a player's longevity. It also says that as a player, you were steady, stable, and great and that you deserve to be recognized."
59. "It takes locking in on the task at hand and honing in on what you need to do in order to be successful in the NBA postseason."
60. "I want to thank the NBA and U.S.A. Basketball. Words can't describe my feeling. I was a small town kid from Hamburg, Arkansas, and you provided me a platform to live out my passion, the game of basketball, on the world's grandest stage."
61. "For me, getting your number retired is the greatest accomplishment. There is no accolade with more significance that you can receive from an organization or school. Whether it was my four years at Central Arkansas or all my seasons with the Bulls in Chicago, it's a sign of respect for what I have done."
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Pippen On Work Ethic
Scottie went to Central Arkansas, a small school. Without a scholarship out of high school, he really had to work his way to the top.
62. "You continue to compete against the very best every day, and you will get better, or you'll be embarrassed."
63. "Your job, what you do every day, I think it takes a high priority over anything. That was something I dedicated myself to throughout my career."
64. "I wasn't given a scholarship out of high school, and that allowed me to learn what hard work was early on."
65. "Things for me really started to click right after my third year in the league. I sort of figured out that there were a few things that I needed to do if I wanted to get better - I needed to gain some more weight and add some strength."
66. "You've got to have a commitment to your craft."
67. "It had been a long journey for me just to get drafted. I had to work very hard as a collegiate player just to get recognized, being at a small school."
68. "When you suffer a few losses in the playoffs, it forces you back into the gym early on."
69. "You just go out and try to always play at your best."
70. "As a young player, I always thought I was doing everything I could. But the longer you play, the more you learn, and the better you're prepared for what this game throws at you."
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Scottie Pippen Quotes About Family And Life
As much as he loved basketball, family was also really important to Scottie.
71. "I just like to be around family."
72. "It's always been a passion of mine to come out and share some of my knowledge about basketball and the experiences I've had with the younger generation."
73. "I don't really have any regrets."
74. "We grew up in a small house with four bedrooms. I shared a bedroom with three brothers. But I enjoy the way that I was brought up. It kept me hungry. It kept me humble."
75. "I'm a family man, and I couldn't be happier. My wife and I have been blessed with an incredible family, and my kids are my life."
76. "Everything was a lesson learned and a step forward for me."
77. "It's an honor to have kids. It's a responsibility."
78. "It's not always about getting better on the basketball court. This game teaches you how to become a better person as well. It pushes you into the team concept."
79. "I'm never going to leave my family hanging out to dry."
80. "I've played basketball all of my life, and I've had things happen on the court that you eventually have to move on from. It's part of some of the obstacles that you meet in trying to reach your pinnacle."
81. "The things that have happened for me, to me, have helped me grow up. Especially the passing of my father. That was something that took me to another level of growing and maturing. That's whan I started to be more of a man."
82. "I always help take care of my family."
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Other Scottie Pippen Quotes
83. "Don't disrespect me, lie about it, and then come smile in my face and act like nothing's wrong."
84. "I think I learned a lot from a lot of experiences that I dealt with over my career."
85. "Fans are demanding. They want to win. They want it now. If you have an injury, they want you back the next day."
86. "I'm a guy who is easy to get along with, and I'll put up with a lot of things. But not dishonesty."
87. "I'm able to run and jump and do all the things I can do. I'm blessed."
88. "The influence of a high school coach can be so powerful."
89. "I was lucky to play with guys who were not only good players, but great people."
90. "There are a lot of people from my Central Arkansas days that I owe a lot of thanks to for how they helped me over the years."
91. "It's not common for your best player to also be your most unselfish player."
92. "I think when you come from a small college like I did, then you have to use every opportunity available to you."
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