Rockets vs Lakers - 1999 playoffs (Game 3)

/ scottie33pippen
Scottie Pippen scores 37 points and adds 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block as the Houston Rockets stave off elimination against the Lakers in the 1999 playoffs.

[@roycck]

Pippen, a hustler for every team. He's got everything a team wanted.

[@mskidi]

Except scoring off the ball or in iso.

[@Nocap69]

ruckus tried to put together a ridiculous superteam lol barkley pippen hakeem and mark price same team

[@gan_rr28]

Ya

[@coreyortiz9913]

@@Nocap69 who tf ruckus? and it would've worked if it was 1994

[@mr.b.9890]

​@mskidi that's not true.

[@Turtleloveerrrrr]

pippen best defensive small forward ever n my favorite player!!!

[@Jesse-zc5pg]

Easy to defend when you are fouling every time.

[@erablaktv]

Seann Cruz mine 2

[@marklucas3900]

Definitely the best defensive wing man ever.

[@ramonstvil]

This was when basketball was ball not glorified shootarounds

[@oneyed98]

kawai

[@jb1nation]

Pip played Jordan every day in practices enough said

[@MrSus-qz9hg]

they still didn't win the series lol

[@mrbigbankbudda7931]

@@MrSus-qz9hg and?

[@MrSus-qz9hg]

@@mrbigbankbudda7931 its just kinda disappointing pippen was so talented but they couldn't pull through for the dub, then again the team they played was amazing so can't say too much about it, pip still a legend regardless

[@pwehDuraSaFace]

@@MrSus-qz9hg both pip and barkley were out of their playoff primes. they had so many battles before that they were not who they used to be. but still good players

[@ghetto-ceethageneralg.f.m.6804]

Prime Pippen to me is the best point forward I ever seen till this day

[@PIP...33]

I START FRANCHISE WITH HIM OLAJUWON OR GARNETT. THEY ARE COMPLETE

[@slanderman3296]

Pippen and Duncan are my 2 favs

[@eboooo]

Man i think Garnett in 2000 can take on anyone ​@PIP...33

[@regkb24mvp]

Why wasn't this called Pippen highlights? Lol

[@gabourizk1]

Pippen was a game changer everywhere he went

[@coreyortiz9913]

not in Houston idiot

[@LAMEXAME]

Pippen was killing Kobe

[@engeldomanielalgebraico4485]

ppipen mató a kobe en esa serie REAL

[@engeldomanielalgebraico4485]

ppipen jugaba mejor que Durant sin jordan lo que pasa que Durant tiene un all star a su lado ppipen resolvia casi solo y era mejor defensa que Durant mil veces

[@engeldomanielalgebraico4485]

y era mas robador de balones k durant aunque durant tiene los brazos mas largos y es mas alto

[@toddjones2245]

You do realize that they they both averaged 18.3ppg in that series right? And kobe averaged more ast more stls more blocks and had fewer turnovers.. And kobe held Pippen to 32% shooting in that series.. So actually kobe locked him down in that series

[@judahmourneth3211]

Todd Jones yeah but Scottie was well out his prime around this time.

[@DALykes]

pippen was a beast n he torched kobe in the post damn

[@mariojhorge23]

Yah i agree with u but remember that Kobe was just too young at that time. Massive respect for Mamba. But Pippen was on fire. Dammm what a player he was. Without him, MJ da GOAT wouldn't win so many titles.

[@asdasdbinaltiapayansa24ora94]

Mário Jorge Caldeira dude mj can win a title obviously not 6 ...dont think mj just a normal player ... ive never seen pippen double team ir triple tram anytine he catches the ball like mj pippen is lucky in his role

[@Eaglevision75]

I am reading posts about Pippens scoring ability. As a person who watched the bulls since there first championship I would say that Pippen's offensive game was more well rounded than that of today's players. He had the post game mid-range game and three pt shot. His game was not to be a scorer but to involve he entire team. All of his teammates said that it was Scottie who got everyone involved

[@erikhopkins9488]

Well said!

[@hotcaramel8288]

Watching an interview of how he scottie would guard harden.. he said something about his 7foot winspan. this be a proof how he be pain in the a in defense.

[@nahor88]

This Rockets team was stacked, but had no chemistry. Aging stars falling out of their prime in Olajuwon, Barkley and Pippen.

[@zylzyl3823]

it wasn't the chemistry , they had it despite what it was said and written about it, the reason behind it all was the bad , bad , bad referring , i was there watching when it happened ... never miss a game, and you know how they show the reviews of plays, well the calls were just awful , also when Pippen was with the Blazers ... very bad , i don't understand it .

[@croplaya]

nahor88 absolutely. how the hell do you not win a ring with those three???

[@alanshellykoshy112]

Olajuwon seems to be the odd one of the group

[@Jimmy_Hopkins15]

nahor88. The big 3 of the Rockets were past their prime

[@leonard9624]

Specially olajuwon and barkley

[@meg-k-waldren]

This is literally why no one could beat the Bulls. Can't have Pippen playing like this on a court with MJ on said court and have even a remote chance of beating them.

[@1khardimon]

Seriously! Like 2 pitbulls looking to kill everything!

[@ebronjeremiah880]

@@1khardimon 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂 Absolutely correct

[@lnd1998]

I mean Jordan didn’t win ish without Scottie. Scottie led the bulls to 53 wins from 55 the year before without MJ. For sure Jordan was the alpha on the team but Scottie was no robin, he was a 1a.

[@AHMAD-2324]

@@lnd1998 Just stop it wit this Dumbshit! Jordan didn't win until they started putting real NBA talent around him instead of a bunch of drug addicts. An those 55 Wins you're referring to were because of a system that was in place an all they're starter's playing 80 Game's or more that season. Because when that exact same team came back in '94-'95 minus Horace Grant they were the 11th seed til Jordan came out of retirement an brought them up to the 5th seed. So who was really responsible for them goin 55-27? I'll wait...

[@neu1113]

That was a veteran pippen playing against a stacked laker team. Imagine on his 91-96 days with jordan the damage they could've done with that laker team with sir charles playing as well. I don't know why nobody talks about how he schooled kobe on that series.

[@juliannevillecorrea]

4:57 no one in the nba had the balls to drive like that on shaq also in another video i seen scottie draw a charge foul on karl malone ... there is no one who can or would do these .. eye of a tiger i say !

[@osas5211]

RODMAN

[@slanderman3296]

Dope

[@noelweru4485]

Scottie Maurice Pippen.... A player for the ages & one of the best defenders to ever play the game. He could change an entire series by his passing, ball-handling & overall team first mentality. We are lucky to have watched such a generational talent strut his stuff on the b/ball court.

[@No-dw5zc]

don't forget that he was one of the best ball stealers at this time

[@TiagoGomez-hb9te]

​@@No-dw5zc Explain please

[@DeserteagleMS]

What a player he was... Never seen Bryant so helpless. He couldn't do anything...

[@LevyVarghese]

yea kobe was 2 year baby in nba. Next year with the blazers, you saw a shift. Kobe crossed his ass up and alley to shaq LOL.

[@tgresh3192]

Watch the next game tho, and get back to me 😂 Round 1 Game 4

[@DeserteagleMS]

@@tgresh3192 still Bryant was in prime and it is normal that in prime you should be better than older player. But still he couldn't guard Pippen as old player.

[@LevyVarghese]

@@DeserteagleMS in prime bro? Kobe was a young pup. Pippen had all the experience. What happened in 2000? Scottie couldn't win with hakeem and barkley. Even jordan said he isn't losing to anyone other than kobe bryant.

[@BooBooDaFoo330]

@@LevyVarghese this was Shaq’s team buddy, the Trail Blazers as a whole choked in 2000. But Kobe was already at his peak by 98, already regarded as one of the best SGs and two way players in the league. Quit making excuses, Kobe struggled one on one against quicker guys and great footwork…

[@saedfeliciano6228]

Koby cant guard pippen

[@lonellallan3588]

Being from Chicago I remember being happy for Scottie but didn’t understand why the Bulls would dismantle the team. Scottie and Mike clearly had one more run in them

[@RaiderGannon12]

Bulls vs Spurs for 99 NBA Finals would have been interesting

[@NYCGERSON777]

give me prime pippen over any over-hyped "super star"!!!!!

[@jimmyfabs78]

Look at Scottie Pippen owning Kobe Bryant. Loving it!

[@lorenllbj88]

jimmy fabs and that’s why kobe crossed his ass up the next year and prevented him from winning a ring without MJ.

[@NICK-zu2xx]

kobe is like 19 in this or 20 lmao

[@iamtman1]

Kobe was peaking the next yr, while Pip was 35 yrs old Tre.

[@1D4ever]

The NBA needed the Lakers Portland couldn't get a call in 2000, just like the Kings

[@jinlongyu6864]

NICK actually in 1999 Kobe was 21 years old, he already played three years in the league, but pippen was 34years old at that time, pippen was not on the top that time.

[@LaboyMoto]

Pippen over power kobe.... kobe over power most of nba all stars now a days... if pippen play this era removing hand check pip will destroy most of nba all stars this era....

[@RemixN007]

1:27 Scottie Pippen, wow

[@asylum1166]

Watching Pippen vs Kobe was fun to watch pippen knew Kobe was the next man up! People forgot Pippen held it down for a good 2-3 years! If the bulls organization wasent so dumb they could have gotten 4 straight

[@AHMAD-2324]

Had Pippen been 3 Yrs younger, The Rockets would've gotten that Chip. But that wear and tear on Scottie was starting to kick in.

[@jonathanmarable6658]

Ahmad2423 it wasnt that, it was the offense the rockets ran. They totally misused scottie in that offense. They ran the same shit they did wit kenny smjth and vernon max. Throw it to Barkley and hakeem and scottie just stood on the perimeter. If they ran a offense around ball movement that rockets team would hsve competed for a chip. Esp. Since charles and hakeem can shot the ball. Too bad . Oh and barkley wasn't in shape that year

[@TRJ2241987]

They didn't even like each other lol

[@marklucas3900]

If Hakeem and Barkley were younger too . They older than pippen 😂

[@richardjosecampos515]

Pipen The best, betwen 50 all time

[@Se0420_]

Lol pip was shitting on young Kobe!! Why did they have to break up him n MJ.., why!!!!

[@TRJ2241987]

Chicago management thought it would be super easy to find another set of once in a lifetime players to win handfuls of championships

[@atlaslion5128]

Guys this film doesn't lie. This shows how Pippen is better at breaking down defense because he scores from every spot and he is master at just about every area on offense : mid range shots, 3s, dunking, driving in, and post moves.

[@atlaslion5128]

Shut up nerd. No one asked you.

[@marklucas3900]

Exactly pippens is so underrated

[@antoniobridges6209]

@@marklucas3900 this was his only good game, dude shot like 37 percent for this series. Charles played better than both him and Hakeem. At least on offense lol

[@dongray6834]

Atlas Lion And defense Aka......a complete player! Aka champion!

[@omacktube]

Better than who?

[@proudchicano3441]

Those Rockets jersey 🔥🔥

[@nogoogleplus]

4:36 Pippen totally owning Kobe

[@nicholasfilipek7053]

Joe De La Cruz AN OLD PIPPEN

[@TRINI818]

@Joe De La Cruz Another Kobe fan boy. That was Pippen out of his prime, and owning Kobe. Even when MJ was playing baseball, Pippen was considered 2nd best player behind Hakeem.

[@acuenca19]

Could be that 1999 Kobe's rookie year? I can't understand why LA's coach paired Kobe vs Pippen in d-fence. Pippen was taller, pretty more experience, heavier, and in a wide range of basketball skills better than Kobe in 1999. Once, twice, ...20 times posted Kobe without any tactical change by LA's coach. I think could been playing 2 more quarters and Scottie would been playing with Kobe all night long. 😎

[@heasven1]

If only the Rockets had a 93 Chuck with a 95 Olajuwon to go with Pip, that team would have been scary.

[@liareschi]

A past prime Pippen schooling Lakers!!

[@bjornlothbrok2416]

Prime Pippen? Wtf

[@oneadvocate9517]

Still lost the series though

[@oneadvocate9517]

@@bdub1934 You crazy. Pippen is the best second fiddle or Robin in history.

[@TheMrKobeBryant2012]

Kobe is the best second fiddle ever.

[@leemcb7297]

Was his prime before the '96 back surgery?

[@DC5Boss]

Scottie Pippen was so underrated.. If Charles use to work hard in the off season where controlling his weight is concerned and so on this team could have keep more noise. Hakeem was already in his 15th season and had a knee injury so I excused him. I see why Pip went to the blazers the following season though.

[@hartsickdisciple]

Pippen was eating Kobe up.

[@utubefanbase]

This is exactly why I laugh when KB fanatics say Kobe could beat MJ one on one. I don't even think he could beat Pippen in a game of one on one. Pippen has the D to at least give KB some problems, and clearly on offense he's too much for Kobe posting up.

[@hartsickdisciple]

Meg butterfly In Kobe's defense- This was only his 3rd year in the league. He wasn't the player that he became a few years down the road. Granted, Pippen was a year or 2 past his prime.

[@BrutallyH0nest]

hartsickdisciple Yeah, Kobe was a young up and coming player mixing good games with horrible games and Pippen was on his gradual decline. Pippen's athletic prime was '94-95 so he was actually 4 years past his prime here. After '96 his body broke down more and more every year requiring multiple surgeries after every playoff run. He had his second back surgery after the '98 Finals which stole a lot of the athleticism he had left. You could tell he wasn't the same player in '99 after that particular surgery.

[@utubefanbase]

hartsickdisciple be that as it may. Even in future years I always thought that KB's Achilles heel was his ability to guard in the post. Over the years we've seen him struggle to guard down there against guys like Bonzi, Patterson, Pippen, Magette, Melo, etc. I mean I understand Pippen and Melo are tough down in the post but guys like Bonzi, Patterson etc? C'mon. Even today this is still evident in his game. Watch out for it this season and you'll notice it. KB is great but I'd be shocked if anyone told me his weakness was something other than his low post D. Of course some might say his leadership but I don't think it's true and even if it were, it's considered an intangible not a tangible skill.

[@gjslaughter]

Yep, Pippen went "grown-ass man" on Kobe.

[@currystephen1476]

RIP Kobe....

[@futuresailorcr]

I was too young to realize it, but the rockets had barkley, pippen, and hakeem on one team. Yes it was later in their careers, but it still would have been fun to watch.

[@weatruckingwa-ca6772]

Kobe had to play the 3 against real small forwards. He had a tough 3 first years. That's maybe why he was such a tough player.

[@MrMuki001]

pippen was real warrior

[@lnchan]

and a real quitter.

[@ziziizi2784]

man he was so athletic for 33 y old, imagine that dude at 28

[@juve4690]

You dont have to imagine. Theres others video of him on KZbin.

[@glennmcgollie5221]

the only game pippen showed up smh..lakers had no business winning this SERIES

[@kane0406]

scottie pippen one of the GOAT

[@MrBkbiceps]

aaron you the man pippen my fav player of all time

[@kane0406]

No doubt bro, I think he is the most complete all round player to ever play the game and that includes mj who is my fave player and let's be fair the best and greatest ever but where mj may have had very slight weakness pip had none.

[@JBBGeek]

+aaron G Honestly, Pippen and Michael are tied for the Greatest in my book. Pip shot better, played better D, and played in the league longer than Mike did. Even in his older years (like in this vid, because Pip had a back surgery before the 1999 season started), Scottie could still torch you if you weren't careful.

[@kane0406]

luke bryce I wouldn't say he was a better shooter but I agree with everything else you say bro

[@JBBGeek]

Thanks, man! As MJ himself once said, not many people will realize how good Pippen was for a long, long time. If he hadn't gotten screwed in 2000, more people might have agreed with us, and maybe, just maybe Pip wouldn't be underrated.

[@mmldtop6005]

How old is Kobe here? Looks like old pippen schooled him. Kobe's defense improve through the years. I remember a 21 year old kid kawhi guarding a prime LeBron in 2013 NBA finals and Miami almost lost. Kawhi clampped LeBron in the next finals though

[@tylongkicks8821]

LeBron still average 28 points a game

[@mmldtop6005]

@@tylongkicks8821 garbage points. He's only scoring when San Antonio was leading by 20+ points. I only saw him score against kawhi twice in the whole finals series

[@silentmajority2028]

This Rockets team should have won the championship.. don’t know what happened..

[@TiagoGomez-hb9te]

They were way too old and had zero chemistry l....

[@JBBGeek]

Not to mention, Scottie should've been the true leader of that team. Rudy Tomjanovich's offense was centered around an aging Barkley and Olajuwon. Pippen had just barely left his prime (and slightly rejuvenated it during the 1999-2000 campaign with Portland) and was fresh off of having the best team in the league to play with. He knew what he was doing; sadly, Rudy T didn't. I mean, why else wouldn't you want out of Houston? Yes, Pippen had a beef with Chuck, but he HAD to have been mad that he wasn't as involved in the offense as he was in Chicago. Thankfully, at least for the 2000 season, Portland got him back there.

[@robertobalthasar2220]

Woowww Scottie Pippen is a great player¡¡¡

[@alvinbee6194]

Anyone that Pippen played for is a contender; he is the only player that will fill the holes on any category as these stats shows.

[@TiagoGomez-hb9te]

Are you sure about that?

[@TheDignam]

Pippen didn't like to be the number 3 behind Olajuwon, Barkley... The Rockets were down 0-2, Pippen said "give me the ball, i'm going to show you, why i won 6 Rings..."

[@AlamoPatriot]

At the end where Barkley is talking to Shaq, he is asking him if would he want to stay over at Barkley's house, since the Lakers checked out of their hotel rooms prior to game 3. LOL

[@ebronjeremiah880]

@Roosevelt Darbey 😁😁😁😁😅😅😅😅

[@ebronjeremiah880]

🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂

[@omacktube]

I remember that.

[@ChrisSuswal-de9tj]

Scottie so ahead of his time. You see here the influence he had and Vince and T-Mac. That long armed- tight dribble mid range game. He was borderline unguardable based on the circumstamce

[@stephenscurlock1447]

I was so happy to have Scottie and it was unfortunate that Dream and Chuck were already past their prime. Rudy T and the System just didn't produce the results we as Houstonians wanted but it is what it is.

[@tagteamenterprise961]

This just in that Scottie Pippen was a great player....maybe Jordan did have a little help....

[@zlovrosr]

the thing is...pippen could do that every game...but scoring was just not his game or interest...Kobe or sombody else doesnt matter...Pippen's style was something diffrent.. Kobe is great scorrer and that's it,Pippen was great on every inch of the floor. I hate when people compare Pippen with Kobe or James or whomever..bullcrap..there is only one player like Pippen-and that's himself! Your comparisions are stupid and please stop doing that. Pippen for president.

[@marcusjones1432]

This was a very young Kobe though vs a seasoned very and multiple time champion who played most of his career alongside Jordan in Pippen. AND this was a desperate elimination game for Houston. They ended up losing the series in the next game 3-1. And it's not like Pippen schooled Kobe the whole series. Their stats were actually very similar for Kobe to be such a young player.

[@rxj0765]

Man i really wish scottie had stuck around in huston and barkley was healthy

[@memememememememememe2615]

This houston team would beat today's all star nba team 4 games in a raw with 20 points at least,every game

[@Kig_Ama]

pippen one of my most favorite players of all time

[@trueamerican3522]

I was born in 97, huge NBA fan I never got the chance to see Scotty play but nobody told me he was this good 🔥🔥

[@stephenscurlock1447]

Pippen was amazing and on a different team as we saw the following season on Portland could still have a big impact on the game.

[@323johnnybravo]

Sick of people sleeping on Pip. Game was real nice !!!

[@jlnchun]

I remember prime Penny, Barkley can get thorough pippen's defense. Prime Kobe? Well...

[@alexis-kidd29]

Scottie Pippen 33 The Best 💪🏻🔥🔥🔥 My Favorite Players NBA 🏀

[@ala2417]

Pippen was out there taking Kobe to school! Overall he was out there putting in work! 🔥🔥🔥

[@Rutisija]

Pippen was the best. Pure defender, great arms, legs quick. And Back when NBA still allowed D.

[@NovelteeMusic]

It makes you wonder if pippen could’ve gone to another team after the first 3peat and been the number one guy. He definitely sacrificed his own numbers to help Michael. Of course without Michael no rings for Scottie but you gotta say no pippen means no rings for Michael as well.

[@TiagoGomez-hb9te]

Why do you say this though? Explain

[@wileyjohnson5681]

Scottie Pippen was too big for a young Kobe Bryant

[@dongray6834]

Liberia Spencer Excellent point!

[@omacktube]

Kobe was too fast for pippen.

[@derfdogmcgoonie2956]

Had this Rockets Team stayed in tact for another year it would have been Steve Francis "rookie"Mobley at sg.. Barkley, Hakeem and Pippen.. but Pippen heard from Phil Jackson he was coaching the Lakers next year; so he made some shit up with some fake beef with Barkley that wasn't true! Pippen had a terrible series against the Lakers! He thought he was going to be traded to the Lakers! But Houston wasn't having it and traded his ass to the Blazers instead!

[@ebronjeremiah880]

But he played great at Portland

[@wallacesharpe196]

if the bulls stayed intact i can easily see them winning it all in 99,00 and 01 pluse 94 and 95

[@stalkerwalker5325]

wow, really fun watching pippen crush Kobe. I remember watching game. one of few games in career where you will see Pippen being this aggressive offensively

[@Kingjd87]

@Lagrimita24 Dude in 2000 (WCF), Kobe was 22 or 23. Pippen was 34 or 35. Is that really brag worthy for a guy in his physical prime to do well against an old man in sports terms?? Pippen anywhere from 88-98 WOULD SHUT DOWN Mr. Bryant. Kobe is 33 now, in the playoffs Chris Paul broke his ankles left and right. LMAO J Kidd (who's older than Kobe) out played Kobe. So age catches up to everyone...

[@smallk6453]

Wow, after so many years...mad respect for Pip! Real basketball back in the days.

[@palmerstonnorthern3175]

The problem with The Rockets was that they never had Pippen running the point enough! I mean having both Barkley, but especially Olajuwon as your other key players also keeping opposing team in two minds....You'd have to say The Rockets really missed out on a great, but more than realistic opportunity on winning a Championship that season!!!!

[@erwin021777]

If this rockets team were in their prime I don't think anyone would beat them. Not even LeBron's Miami or GSW..

[@Westmillftg]

Pippen killed the Lakers in the playoffs 2 years in a row. Pippen could've had 8 rings.

[@eddie-oh2ir]

I know the rockets has Barkley and Hakeem in the post but I don't know why rudy t waited until the 3rd game of the series to go. Pippen in the post against Kobe clearly kobe couldn't handle him in the post.

[@pyeuneu]

I think pip sacrificed what could have been his last great year to out of prime # 1 option stars in barkley and Hakeem.

[@carlitos3623]

Pippen used to man handle Kobe

[@instrumentalistjade8367]

6 rings pippen vs 0 ring kobe/shaq 😂😂✌️

[@CathedralsRecords]

I love watching both Scottie Pippen AND Kobe Bryant, you can do both you know. 8)

[@NotImportant389]

@tupark82 so it was just a yr after he came close to being mvp in 98 finals. plus 5-13 in gm 1 for 13 pts, 0-7 in gm2 for 0 pts, and in game 4, he went 6-23. i expect him not have zero pts in a playoff game. there's no excuse for that.

[@miltonvonahnen6225]

Even though Pippen lost back to back years in the playoffs to the Lakers with different teams he still owned Kobe in those battles this guy is a legend!

[@slimsolo8171]

That's BS Kobe dominated every series against pippen

[@dianazarate2392]

U high or something hahhahh

[@doddy_bj_miko]

Great names, but bad combination.. What game would be right for the Rockets.. Triangle Pippen, Powergame Barklely, or Dreamshake Hakeem.. Just didnt add up

[@paulojuniooh32]

Magic, jordan, lebron, pippen and Abdull-jabar

[@littlebenjamin5856]

Curry .m.j .KD .Larry .wilt

[@NYCGERSON777]

skip "brainless" from first take gotta get off whatever he's smoking. For him to call pippen over-rated and not hall of fame worthy is absolutely ridiculous. i dont care how great jordan was (and he's my favorite player ever and always will be), pippen's maturity and defensive mindset made it possible for jordan to be a six time nba champ. For people to think that jordan alone would've won all them titles is big time lack of recognition and respect to one of the greatest ever; scottie pippen!!!

[@FilipoSooaUlufale]

lynchie137 Looking back at this video, it's safe to say that Scottie Pippen left the Chicago Bulls as a free agent at the end of '97-'98, and signed a 5-year, $67.2 million contract with the Bulls, with the understand that he would be dealt to the Houston Rockets before '98-'99 where he teamed up with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, both of them NBA legends in their own rights. Because of his move to Houston, many NBA fans were expecting Scottie Pippen to evolve into a superstar rather than the complementary player that he always was, now that he was out of Michael Jordan's shadow. But Pippen had too much wear and tear on his body by '98-'99, probably because he had too many deep playoff runs, plus he was a member of the world-famous 1992 Dream Team lineup and the Dream Team III roster in 1996. During his all-too-brief time in Houston, Pippen somehow managed to play in all 50 games ('98-'99 NBA Lockout) averaging 14.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 5.9 assists per game, 2.0 steals per game and 0.7 blocks per game,... ,...all while averaging 40 minutes per game, which is a pretty impressive statistical output for someone who had too much wear and tear, but at the same time, 40 minutes per game looks WAY too dangerous for Pippen, even if he was slightly younger than Olajuwon and Barkley. Pippen playing 40+ minutes with Houston was probably because Rudy T didn't even trust the likes of Rodrick Rhodes, Sam Mack and even longtime NBA veteran Eddie Johnson who had been in the NBA since 1981-82. Also, Scottie Pippen was probably misused in the Rockets' decidedly slow, halfcourt game; miscast as a generic perimeter shooter. Pippen's strengths on offense were ball-handling, dive cuts off the ball, score on slashing, pull-up 3 and post-game, but never force him to be a Robert Horry type spot-up shooter. And on top of all that, Rudy Tomjanovich (Houston's head coach at the time) was a player's coach who already had Olajuwon and Barkley as Rudy T's main go to guys on offense, rendering Pippen to the 3rd Man for the Rockets, and only a somewhat viable go-to-option on offense when Olajuwon and/or Barkley are in foul trouble. Safe to say, many Houstonians blame Scottie Pippen because they think Pip could've won his seventh individual NBA Championship in '98-'99 with Houston, but instead (at least in the mindsets of Houston fans) he chose to bleed money from Rockets' management. But Pippen deserved to be paid $67.2 million as compensation for him being underpaid while with Chicago from '87-'88 to '97-'98, and so his role on all six of the Chicago Bulls' NBA Championship squads proves that Pippen earned his big payday with Houston that he couldn't even get with Chicago during his prime.

[@lynchie137]

Wow. Pip sure had a great game, didn't he? He started off a little slow, missed a few easy buckets, but he kept on plugging away and helped his team to a much needed victory over a powerhouse Lakers squad. My favorite part of this clip was near the 10 minute mark, where Charles Barkley and Shaq are standing next to one another, waiting for the play to resume. Barkley gives him a look as if to say, "What do you think about that, big man?" Priceless. Only Sir Charles could get away with that. Anybody else who would give Shaquille a look like that would most likely have swift and painful retribution coming his way By the way... Who ended up winning the series in the end? Did the Rockets pull off the upset, or did the Lakers come back and snatch the victory away?

[@FilipoSooaUlufale]

lynchie137 The Lakers ended up winning their 1999 Western Conference Quarterfinals (first round) matchup versus the Houston Rockets because Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen were all Houston's superstar players in their mid-30s. Plus, what did you think about the post that documented Scottie Pippen's behind-the-scenes background during his one year with the Houston Rockets in '98-'99? Was he really a good fit for Rudy Tomjanovich's decidedly slow, half-court game?

[@JBBGeek]

+Filipo Sooa I think he could've thrived in Houston's system if he'd been given the time of day, and been placed in his proper role as the primary scorer. The sad thing is that everyone in the 1990s saw him play second fiddle to Jordan, so he was miscast as a secondary player. Portland placed him back in his proper role, but he couldn't get very far after 2000. He should've won that year, but the refs took advantage of Portland's 4th Quarter screwups and missed some fouls (like Shaq knocking down Steve Smith).

[@thunderenriquez255]

theres a lot of similarity in tmac and scotties game.

[@laynestaley4630]

SCOTTIE PIPPEN💪💪💪💪

[@acuenca19]

Could be that 1999 Kobe's rookie year? I can't understand why LA's coach paired Kobe vs Pippen in d-fence. Pippen was taller, pretty more experience, heavier, and in a wide range of basketball skills better than Kobe in 1999. Once, twice, ...20 times posted Kobe without any tactical change by LA's coach. I think could been playing 2 more quarters and Scottie would been playing with Kobe all night long. 😎

[@webeducation]

It's nice to see Pippen taking command of the game, especially with so many people who say without Jordan, Pippen would be nobody.

[@MoeJaxon]

Well pip was trained by jordan. We seen that in the last dance

[@PIP...33]

@@MoeJaxon NO HE WASNT. PIPPEN IS BORN TO BE GREAT. IF JORDAN CAN MAKES OTHERS BETTER HE WOULD DO WITH KWAME. WELL NOBODY CAN MAKES OTHER GREAT IF THEY ARE NOT BORN. PIP IS BORN GOAT LEVEL.

[@MoeJaxon]

@@PIP...33 Dude KB had no drive and no work ethic. Pip grew under the Phil and mikes watch. I guess you forgot pip was regarded as soft and not tough coming into the league or did you forget

[@PIP...33]

@@MoeJaxon DID U FORGET LEN BIAS IS 500X BETTER THAN JORDAN ?? DID U FORGET JORDAN NEVER WON 35 GAMES IN CAREER OR 1ST ROUND ?? JORDAN IS NOBODY. PIPPEN S GOD.

[@PIP...33]

@@MoeJaxon STOP LIE HERE BY YOUYR OPINION 15 YEARS MORE THAN 200 PLAYERS IN HORNETS AND NOT A SINGLE HAVE WORKING ETHIC. WELL ITS NOT TRUTH. TRUTH IS JORDAN NEVER MAKE ANYONE BETTER. SELFISH PPL DONT DO THAT. THATS WHY PPL GOES TO OLAJUWON PRIVATE SCHOOL TO LEARN. JORDAN TRUE FACE OF HELPING IS KWAME BROWN. PIPPEN IS BORN TO BE GREAT. HE WAS STEAL ON DRAFT. U CANT MAKE A STRONG GUY FROM SOFT PLAYER. PIPPEN IS BORN TO BE STRONG MIND AND BODY AND SKILLS.

[@outlaw4192]

Kurt Rambis can coach the Lakers but Kareem can't?

[@The735Truth]

Pippen without mj.A great run for mvp.1 of 3 people to lead all stats.94 all star mvp.and only 2 more loses without mike.Got to the playoffs.cheated by the refs in game 5 to the knicks.Sounds like a guy who can hold his own.all he needed was some help.but i dont see how people could say he's not a player who could hold his own.

[@mkcandyrocky]

Barkley played great this game too it would have been greater if Barkley’s plays were together especially Barkley’s one on one defenses againt Shaq was amazing

[@et9953]

The last yr pip can still play with his explosive movements ~ when pip is hot ~ he is unstoppable

[@danh367]

"Pippens got 25 he's a flame thrower"

[@felixalonzo2847]

"Pippen is shooting fire from his ass !". Wish he would of sed it that way.

[@crappytourguide226]

I miss those Rocket Jerseys, especially the blue ones!

[@cheng5938]

Pippen is most underrated super star. Everyone talks about offence, but Pippen can do very well in offence and DEFENCE! He can defend from 1 to 4. He is Tall, Fast and Strong with great all around skills! The real Super Star!

[@TiagoGomez-hb9te]

No one treats him like a Superstar...

[@DeryckRimsonMusic]

I see T-Mac's game a little bit by pippen's game just a Little bit! when mcgrady played in houston

[@ericjones499]

Kobe was still a young buck, but there really wasn’t a great deal of separation (in their respective primes) between he and Pip in terms of their effectiveness. I wouldn’t say MJ curtailed Pips greatness (because MJ was just that damn good), but Scottie was vastly underrated by both the fans and his contemporaries. I say all of this to say, time has the effect of clouding objectivity. Stats aside, sometimes you just have to see guys on the court together to really get a sense of who’s who. Pip was the truth!

[@jbeez321]

pippen, barkley and olajuwan... too bad they didnt win anything.

[@tooBlessed847]

This Rockets team was the original "super team" except for that it was clear that both Olajuwon and Barkly where clearly on the declined and Pippen was too spotty (hot or not)....that was another reason why they didn't have home court advantage in this series, which would have been the Rockets had any real shot to win this series.

[@JBBGeek]

This should have been the way the Rockets operated all season, honestly. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten the 6th seed and had to face the Lakers in the first round in what really could or should have been at least a Semifinal matchup.

[@pyramiddesert]

Is this real 34years old PIP？! lol KB couldn't guard PIP What are you talking about CB Maybe trash talking lol

[@stevenfrederick8461]

How that Houston team with all that talent didn't win a title is beyond me.

[@olegunnarsolskjaer337]

They were on the older side of things at that point

[@dlawson688]

he had a very bad back at this point in has career. Plus in was in his mid 30's. and he played well for portland the following years.