Pippen takes to the court in Dubai

Jay Asser 01:25 19/11/2016
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  • Scottie Pippen.

    Former NBA player Scottie Pippen was in Dubai on Friday, speaking about his career before the local basketball community.

    The Hall of Famer, who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls as the sidekick to Michael Jordan, first led a Q&A session at Dubai Future Foundation alongside Nike shoe designer Aaron Cooper.

    Pippen reflected on his time as a player and noted how the game has evolved since he was dominating as one of the league’s best two-way players in history.

    “I think the game has changed tremendously,” Pippen said. “As a player who played on the defence and took a lot of pride in it, I think the game has truly turned from the end of the basketball court. It is focused more on the offence aspect of the game and is more about more scoring, more shooting.

    “The players are more free and it’s not as physical a game as it was in the 80s and 90s. I think the change has been for the better and the physicality of the players are a lot different than it was 20 years ago.”

    Pippen, who was part of the 199596 Bulls squad that won a then-record 72 regular season games and a title, was vocal about that team’s superiority last year when the Golden State Warriors broke the mark with 73 victories only to lose in the Finals.

    Yet Pippen still believes the Warriors, along with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, are the teams to beat this season.

    “When I look at the game and the current players – LeBron (James), Steph Curry, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors are two teams alone,” he added.

    “With the star players they have on their teams, they are going to take the game to new heights. They are definitely two of the best teams anywhere right now and it’s hard to see any other team or individual that raises the bar of the game as they do.”

    Following the Q&A, Pippen took to the court at Satwa Park and interacted with local players and basketball fans.

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