Scottie Pippen played 11 seasons with the Chicago Bulls and then moved to Houston and Portland. However, not many knew Pippen was angling a path to Los Angeles, not once but twice, after his Bulls tenure.
In his 2001 memoir Unguarded , Pip, a ten-time All-NBA Defensive Team member, revealed he thought about making that move many times. The first time was in the 1998 offseason, after his sixth and final NBA title.
"The Lakers were my first choice," said Pippen. "With Shaq, 26, and Kobe, only 22, they were the team of the future — perhaps, with me providing veteran leadership, the team of the present. None of the Lakers, except for Robert Horry, had earned a ring. Los Angeles seemed perfect for me."
As dominant as Los Angeles was in the regular season, they were swept by an experienced Jazz squad in the 1998 Western Conference Finals. From Pippen’s point of view, they needed somebody who had been there, and he would have fit like a glove. Glen Rice and Rick Fox were the Lakers’ small forwards, but none offered the experience and connective skill set of somebody like the six-time champ.
Second time around
The Bulls ended up dealing Pippen to Houston via a sign-and-trade. According to the reports, it was strictly a financial move for Scottie , who has long overdue to secure the bag. If he signed with the Lakers as a free agent, the most he could get was $45 million over four years. Jerry Krause fulfilled Pip’s wishes by signing him to a five-year, $67 million deal and shipping him to H-Town to form a superstar trio with Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
That said, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The seven-time All-Star butted heads with an over-the-hill Barkley and wanted to leave Houston in the summer of 1999.
"In any case, that summer, I spread the word that I wanted out of Houston — if possible, to hook up with the Lakers, who had recently hired a new coach I was a little familiar with, Phil Jackson," Pippen noted. "At least I knew Phil wouldn't tolerate players showing up out of shape or not working hard enough, as he, as well as Tex Winter, one of L.A.'s assistant coaches, would make sure everyone got involved in the offense."
Of course, that "out of shape" quip was directed to the Round Mound of Rebound. A deal was already in place for Los Angeles, but the Lakers did not want to pick up the last year of his contract. This development forced the Rockets to trade the disgruntled forward to Portland for a haul of players.
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Biggest regret
Back then, Pippen thought the Portland situation was way better in LA because of the Blazers' roster talent. He was also perceived as the missing piece there, with Rasheed Wallace, Arvydas Sabonis, Steve Smith, and Damon Stoudamire as starters. If he had been a free agent that year, Pip added, he would have chosen the Blazers over the Lakers simply because their lineup was loaded from top to bottom.
Apparently, that was one of the Hall of Famer's biggest regrets. Phil Jackson would never have run him to the ground if he had been wearing the Purple and Gold. A 34-year-old Pippen averaged 40 minutes with Portland over 82 games, causing him to wear down in the long run.
What could have been
If Pippen had thought things through and made his way to the Lakers, he would have been seen in a different light. He could have easily added another championship to his résumé, placing him among the NBA's elite. Horry remains the only non-Celtic with seven titles, and Pippen could have joined him in that exclusive club. Just picture him being part of the Lakers' three-peat dynasty.
Related: "The fans don't understand it, they don't wanna understand it" - Scottie Pippen shares what was the lowest point in his career
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