Fledgling Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. put in the strongest performance of his NBA career so far as he played a starring role as his team defeated the Miami Heat. The youngster is looking to shake off comparisons with his eponymous famous dad, who etched his name into history by winning six NBA titles.

His Grizzlies team came into the road clash in Florida as underdogs but pulled off an impressive 105-96 win, with Pippen Jr. playing a pivotal role in the victory. The best showing of his NBA career so far came as he scored 15 points, alongside six rebounds and six assists on 71.4% shooting in an imperious performance.

Making good on the Grizzlies’ two-way contract agreement with him – signed in January – the 23-year-old has made a strong start to his two-year deal. Previous to this, the highly-rated guard prospect impressed while representing the G-League’s South Bay Lakers.
During his five games with themn he scored 18.2 points on average per game, while also recording a mean of 6.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers per game on 43.3% shooting, as per SportsKeeda. This is not his first spell in the NBA either, having previously been on the Los Angeles Lakers roster in 2022-23, playing six times.

After first making his mark in his fledgling basketball career while coming through at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles followed by the Vanderbilt Commodores, he is now targeting living up to his famous name. The youngster will be familiar to many as the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Previously, the six-time NBA victor has spoken about his hopes for his boy, who is now looking to kick-start his career on the same stage as his legendary dad following a taste of the elite level with the Lakers previously. Speaking about their relationship, the icon told People: “I’m very proud of him.

“As a father, I can’t continue to lead or guide him on the court. At some point, I took my own wings and went and he will do the same. I tried to talk him through it his whole life, just teaching him the game and making him feel like that’s the path you’re on.”

The 58-year-old, who played 17 seasons in the NBA, continued by outlining his wish for his son to get some luck along the way in his bid for stardom. He added: “You just teach him and hope for the blessing of God and a little luck and things falling in your way, but it’s about preparing him for it and hoping and praying it happened.”

Explaining what it is like to be following in the footsteps of a bona fide hero within his chosen sport, the Memphis Grizzlies starlet admitted that his legendary name comes with pros and cons. He confessed to the Chicago Sun-Times: “It’s a blessing and a curse.

“People will doubt me because of it. They expect me to be something, and they put – I wouldn’t say certain pressure on me – but they think of my dad when they look at me. But my dad’s not out there with me. At the end of the day, it’s my own legacy.”

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