On Pip’s 46th birthday, a video gallery of his sneaker evolution.
by Abe Schwadron / @abe_squad
When the Seattle SuperSonics selected a tall, skinny kid named “Scott Pippen” from Central Arkansas with the fifth pick in the 1987 NBA Draft and traded him to Chicago in exchange for Olden Polynice, fans were mystified. Little did they—or anyone—know what Scottie would become. Over 17 NBA seasons, Pippen racked up seven All-Star selections and three All-NBA first team honors, scored nearly 19,000 points, won six rings with the Bulls and eventually was named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest players to ever play the game. And Pip much more than just a sidekick. In ’94-95, before Michael Jordan returned from his first retirement for the final 17 games of the season, Scottie led Chicago in points, blocks, steals, assists and rebounds.
Today is Pippen’s 46th birthday, and based on his performance at the 2011 Celebrity All-Star game in February, it looks like he’s still got it. In honor of #33′s born-on date, we give you a special Kicksology. Above is a sampling of Pip moments, from commercials to big plays, all broken down by his sneaker choices, which were dope, but constantly overshadowed by a certain Bulls teammate whose shoe game was unmatched. The fact that Nike supported a pair of teammates is proof enough of just how good and how important Pippen was to the game we love. Happy bday, Scottie!


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