Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Pippen talks about regrets in Portland Guard blames team’s problems on GM, also dismisses rumors of playing with MJ, Wizards April 5 — Scottie Pippen’s days with the Portland Trail Blazers could coming to an end and the veteran didn’t hold back when discussing the team or his future. Pippen all but admitted he regrets coming to Portland four years ago, when Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt worked out a deal with Houston. ”(WHITSITT) SAID HE HAD all these warriors, and we were going to get all this stuff accomplished,” Pippen told the Portland Tribune. “I was thinking I was coming in to play with all these guys. He made the trade to bring me here, and he dismantled the team the year after. “That is the one thing I regret about coming to Portland, when he did that. We had nice players here. But I guess he has always done that. Bob is always going on trading sprees.” Pippen, 37, will be a free agent after this season and there is an uncertainty as to where he will land. However, there have been rumors he could wind up in Washington or Los Angeles for a reunion with Phil Jackson, who was Pippen’s coach in Chicago when the pair won six NBA titles. Pippen spoke about the rumors he could go to Washington and play alongside Jordan. “I think Michael is probably done,” Pippen told the newspaper. “That is what he indicated to me.” As for the rumors about going to L.A., Pippen said it would be more appealing if the Lakers don’t win a title this season. Pippen said his relationship with Jackson is great. “He is like a father figure to me,” Pippen told the newspaper. “He always has been. Our relationship has gotten even stronger over the years.” Pippen currently is rehabbing his left knee after arthroscopic surgery on March 19. Pippen had hoped to return next Wednesday against San Antonio, but that date appears unlikely now. Pippen discussed several topics with The Tribune, including the Blazers’ off-court problems. Pippen told the newspaper that he didn’t like how his entire team was being branded as the “Jail Blazers” because of a few players’ actions. “I hope it doesn’t reflect on me (personally), yet we are all members of a team,” Pippen told the Tribune. “It looks bad when players are still getting caught up in the same old bull … You are being watched. You are an icon in this community. People don’t stand for that kind of behavior, and they shouldn’t. You get into your fancy-ass car and start flying down the highway at those kind of speeds. What the (expletive) are they are doing out there on the road? Why even go out to a party? Have your own party. “People see us as a group and it’s like, oh man, those drug heads … ” Pippen blamed most of the problems on Whitsitt. ”(Whitsitt) has no attentiveness to this team,” Pippen told the newspaper. “He doesn’t know what he brought in, how it is responding, what the practice habits are like, nothing.” Pippen said letting Jermaine O’Neal go (to Indiana) and trading for Shawn Kemp “had to be the worst move in pro sports.” Pippen said Whitsitt must not understand the importance of developing relationships and chemistry. “We will win some games,” Pippen told the newspaper, “but when the dust settles, we will be under the dust.” Pippen said he still does enjoy playing the game — most of the time. “Winning championships has a big role in it,” Pippen told the Tribune. “When you are not at the top, it is not as much fun. Most of my career, I have had opportunities to go for winning a title, or at least winning the conference or division. Here it’s not like that. Yeah, we have won games, but except for the first year, we have not made a serious run (at a title). It makes the game not as much fun.” Pippen said he definitely feels some of the same frustrations Jordan does with the Wizards. “Oh, yeah, no question,” Pippen told the newspaper. “I don’t see how he can still be playing, taking a pay cut like he has done (smiles). He has a bigger piece of the pie there than as just a player, of course. But it has to be so frustrating.” Asked about his relationship with Jordan, Pippen told the Tribune: “We are not guys who talk on the phone every day, but we stay in touch. There is a mutual respect. Our relationship is great. We understand what this business is about. He probably appreciates me a lot more now that he plays with those knuckleheads. I appreciate him more because, when you have another guy at your level, you can both bring your teammates up. He is pulling these guys, and I am pulling (other guys) up. When you are the only one up there, it is hard to bring them all up and get them to play at the level you play.”
Mr. Traitor. Now he's complaining in public. It's always okay for him to do it! But not Kwame Brown. Anyways. If he went to the Lakers next season, they could win a championship AGAIN.
As usual, Pippen is well spoken, he hit the nail right on the head. Whitsitt is a pretty terrible GM, I'm suprised that Pip was able to take them all the way to game 7 the WCF in 2000. I am fairly certain that he'll end up going to La next season, and end up winning another title with Phil Jackson. Does anyone know anything about his injury, I put it on my calendar that he'd be back for April 9th but from that article it seems that it'll be a bit delayed.
How come he is always not part of the problem, and never part of the solution. Sure, he'll go to LA and gravy train on ShaqKobe. What a giant star.
Pippen will very much do his part so that the team will win their 4th or 5th title. If it's their 4th he'll motivate them to that one or if it's their 5th one, he'll keep them sharp. At the age of 37, I wouldn't exactly call him a giant star but just a quality player who gives his team what they need to win.
Why doesn't Pippen quit whining and blaming others (it was Whitsitt WHO BROUGHT HIM THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE). At least he has a job for god sakes. If anything, he should be blaming himself for not playing up to everyone's expectations, regardless of his personal accomplishments. And saying that he hopes LA doesn't win it all this year (jokingly or not) is also very tasteless. He very well could play there next year, and probably won't contribute at all. xiki is right in saying that he will just be on the backs of Shaq and Kobe. If anything, he would bring the team down.
Pippen called out many, many people, and also called the Wizards team "knuckleheads". I no longer hate Scottie, as a matter of fact he along with Ricky Davis and Ron Artest are on my "Most Entertaining" list.
If it was some schmuck like Patterson or Rasheed or Randolph who was coming through with the same public comments, you cats would be starting a "DAMN RIGHT!" thread.
Yeah right, Patteron and Rasheed NEVER get ripped on this message board! Pippen b*tched while in Chicago, b*tched while he was in Houston, and ripped players on the way out, and now is b*tching in Portland. Pippen earned his bashing. Lets see what bandwagon he can ride to another championship.
I'd hardly say he rode a bandwagon, and anyone who knows anything about basketball would agree with this. I think it's been pretty well established that Pippen very much did his part to win those 6 titles w/ MJ. The year that Jordan left, Pippen led the team and took them to the playoffs and lost a tough series against a good team. Pip wasn't able to win alone but the same could be said for Jordan, I think Pippen was the perfect fit for Jordan, I'm certain that Pip would have been able to win with several other players, I'm not sure if I can say the same about Jordan. Artest and Pippen are similar defensively, in that they both play good D, but I would not put Artest's defense on the same level as Pippen's.
AAHHHH!!!! This reminds me of a previous thread. THis thread has nothing to do about Jordan, it has nothing to do about Pippen's playoff (un)success. That IS another thread. This is about Pippen whining. He's not trying to motivate anyone, he's whining. pipdady, how can you not see that he is deflecting blame from himself, as you are deflecting the fact that Pippen is a crybaby?
Obviously this is not about Pip's success and greatness as a player, it's about him telling it like it is. He's not to blame, Whitsitt is at fault in this situation, a good player wins when he has the right supporting cast around him. And Bob simply has not provided Pip with this, trading for Kemp, trading away O'neal, it's pointless for me to go on with his awfulness as a GM. I don't really feel he is whining, if his team has any pride, they'll respond to his comments and do their best to prove him wrong and they might have some playoff success.
Yeah, but going around blaming others doen't help the situation, especially when you're blaming one of your bosses. Regardless how (very) bad Whitsitt does as a GM, and regardless how much that dysfunctional team sucks (although when they're not fighting they play fantastic), blaming others and trying to jump off a sinking ship is cowardly. Well, I would jump off a sinking ship since I have some swimming skillzzz. imo, Portland has morphed into this awful, rotten, bad rep team ever since Drexler was traded.
You're on crack. Pippen is purely a bandwagon player, hell after the bulls he only wanted to go to a winner, a team that has multiple great players so he can go back to his roleplayer role. Game 7 of the 00' WCF showed what 'Pip' was really made of, a roleplayer that can't step his game up unless he he's playing along side the greatest player ever...what a winner. I love how you say "anyone who knows anything about basketball would agree with this." Because anyone that knows anything about basketball knows that MJ was leagues ahead of Pippen in skill, talent, and determination on the court and was the only reason pippen got ANY NBA titles. After MJ, pippen had to jump from title contender to title contender in hopes to ride someone else's coatails to another championship...this article is only about pippen being upset that he chose the wrong group...waaa,waaa,waaa, cry it up loser.
Bullswipe. If Damon or Dudley or Sabonis or anyone else on the Blazers were saying these things, you cats would be coming through with "man, props to him for tellin' it like it is!"
Pippen was a good player, but he should've never been on the hall of fame list. That's an insult to all the other HOF'ers. He isn't a great player nor a leader. He should be on the the 50 b****est humans of all time hands down.
