Scottie Pippin Jr. agreed to play for the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming 2022-2023 NBA season. Basketball fans are watching with intense curiosity as the NBA Draft and Free Agency begin to affect their favorite teams. Off-season is a time of great concern for basketball fans as it is a time for teams to either rebuild, retain greatness, or horrendously fail. In short it is great indicator as to how a team might perform in the upcoming regular season.
Rebuilding After Failure
One team that many fans are watching with great scrutiny is the Los Angeles Lakers. The team performed poorly last season. The team led primarily by former MVPs Lebron James and Russell Westbrook failed to make a postseason appearance. What made this sting even worse for fans was the lack of draft picks held by the team, meaning rebuilding options remained limited for the team. However, one legacy asset came to LA today.
The Specifics
Scottie Pippin Jr signed a two-way deal with the Lakers. A two-way deal means that the Vanderbilt player will primarily play on the Lakers’ G-League affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers, but can be brought up to the main team as they see fit. Jr. is the son of Chicago Bulls legend and former Michael Jordan teammate Scottie Pippin. This most certainly is an emotional high for the young player. Not only is he going to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professional basketball player, he is also going to play for his hometown team. The young man is a native of LA.
More Legacies
That was not the only legacy player brought on. The Son of four-time NBA champion and former Laker, Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef O’Neal signed with the Lakers for the upcoming NBA Summer League. Following that he celebrated with a tweet. With the new signings and ongoing rumors of All-Star Kyrie Irving potentially joining the squad it is certainly an interesting if uncertain time for the Lakers and the team’s many fans.
Ryan Fields
