Lakers Legend Reveals Why the Team Never Signed Scottie Pippen

Right after the Chicago Bulls finished their second three-peat in 1998, the management made a few big decisions regarding the roster. They were one of the most feared teams in league history. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman made the core of the side, and someone had to leave after execs wanted to change the roster. Jordan left the league. Rodman became part of the Lakers, and Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets. These were great changes, and the team shocked everyone with their decisions.

Pippen didn’t have much success with Houston. He spent a year with the team. Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Pippen made a great trio but the Rockets failed in the first round of the playoffs. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

LA was trying to become a dominant force in the league. The 1998-99 Lakers enjoyed great success. This success lasted in the next three years. The San Antonio Spurs had a big win in the 1999 conference semi-finals, but LA reached the top the very next season.

The Lakers didn’t even think of signing Scottie Pippen

Let’s go back to Pippen. There were so many rumors about Pippen and his role in the NBA. Some said he wanted to join the Los Angeles Lakers. He wanted to go to LA after the 99’ season. Well, this didn’t happen, and the scenario was too good to happen.

Jerry West has something to say about this. He was one of the players on the side when the Lakers went from Minneapolis to LA before the 1960-61 season. He was a real Laker. West spent 14 seasons with the team, and then became an exec in the 80s. West helped the Lakers achieve great success.

In the 90s, West knew pretty much everything about the team. What did he say about the partnership of Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal?

West talked about this during his convo with Bill Oram and Jason Quick.

“There wasn’t one conversation in my mind about him,” West said. “I’ve always admired Scottie Pippen as a player. But listen, we did fine. OK? We did fine.”