Starting in place of the injured Ja Morant, the younger Pippen had 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ second straight win. It wasn’t a cheap triple-double either, as Pippen was subbed out for good with seven minutes remaining.
His father, Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, finished his career with 17 triple-doubles. That’s more impressive than it seems considering he played the bulk of his prime in the slower-paced, lower-scoring 1990s. The younger Pippen inherited some of the court vision of his father, one of the best passing forwards of all time, but not his height: The older Pippen was 6-foot-8, while his son is 6-foot-1.
The James family may well join the Pippens in the record books someday. So far, Bronny James hasn’t reached double digits in any statistical category in his four career games, besides minutes (13).
The Lakers could have had both superstar sons, but they let Pippen slip away after signing him to a two-way contract his first year in the league. They let him go, Memphis picked him up and now the Grizzlies have a very promising 23-year-old point guard.
Aside from the triple-double, Friday was the fifth straight game Pippen has scored in double figures. The streak started against his former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, now a Milwaukee Bucks assistant, and continued Wednesday when he had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists against his old team.
If you’re wondering why the younger Pippen spells his name with a “Y” when he’s a Junior, it’s because his father changed the spelling so he wouldn’t be called “Scott.” In 2011, the Hall of Famer explained, “It’s really Scotty. But for some reason, when people see it with a y, they shorten it to Scott. That’s how they announced me at the NBA Draft. Scott Pippen. What was I going to do, argue with the commissioner?”
Whether you call them Scott, Scottie or Scotty, the Pippens made history Friday night. And everyone agrees on how you spell “triple-double.”
