When it comes to the NBA postseason, Scottie Pippen knows a thing — or six — about winning. The NBA hall of famer and six-time NBA champion weighed in on the Lakers disappointing season.
“I just felt like, this season, the sacrifice wasn’t there,” explained Pippen, who was a Lakers fan growing up. “The players are obviously very talented. They brought in some players who are very knowledgeable about the game and can still play at a very high level, but I just felt like there wasn’t a lot of sacrifice from the individuals. That really caused that team to have a lot of chaos throughout the season.”
The Chicago Bulls alum said the Lakers lacked “chemistry” this season and compared them to the Golden State Warriors who have “figured it out. ”
“Steph, Klay, Draymond- those guys are leaders on their team,” he said. “Those guys make that team go.”
Pippen knows quite a bit about having an ideal teammate. When asked if he’d ever play with Michael Jordan again, he didn’t hesitate with the answer.
“Yes! I would play with only Michael Jordan,” Pippen said.
It’s been close to 15 years since Pippen retired from professional basketball. While life off the court is a bit different, he’s been keeping himself busy. He’s created his own bourbon called “Digits” with winemaker Dave Phinney on Mare Island, about 35 miles outside of San Francisco. Pippen’s hands are featured on the liquor’s bottle, which is where the drink gets its name.
“We have our own American bourbon here and we think we’ve created something pretty special,” explained Pippen.
You can find Digits Bourbon at Total Wine locations throughout California and at local Hi-Time stores.