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We might never get to see LeBron James in an All-Star dunk contest, but there’s plenty to choose from his in-game dunks. While it's a spectacle for many, it isn’t so much fun for the players on the receiving end of those thunderous dunks. The latest addition to the list? The son of Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, 23-year-old Scotty Pippen Jr.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, James threw it down on Pippen with 4:21 minutes left in the first quarter. The LA Lakers won the contest 136-124.
Austin Reaves ran the ball up the court before providing an alley-oop pass to James.
It won’t be unfair to say that Reaves enjoyed the moment as much as the Lakers fans did. In a conversation between LeBron James and Reaves in the locker room, the latter quipped:
“You dunked on Scottie Pippen and his son!”
As per Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell, the dialogue was preceded by a conversation in which Austin Reaves said that James looked young during Wednesday's game. James rebutted, “But I’m not!”
While LeBron James is definitely not getting any younger, the intensity of his dunks doesn't seem to be slowing down. The 39-year-old has been dealing with an ankle issue for a while, from before the All-Star break. The injury had kept him out of the LA Lakers’ 128-124 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
Did LeBron James really dunk on Scottie Pippen?
The short answer is no. While Austin Reaves was right in believing that James’ and the Chicago Bulls legend’s career intersected, the two never really played against each other.
LeBron James entered the league in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the most-hyped prospect in game history. Scottie Pippen returned to the Chicago Bulls for the 2003-04 season after spending the previous four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Cavaliers played the Bulls four times that season, a series they split 2-2. While four games should have been enough for James to dunk on someone, or at least try to do so, Scottie Pippen didn’t feature in any of those games.
Injuries kept Pippen out for most of the season, as he played just 23 games, averaging 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Austin Reaves might have gotten this fact wrong, but we give him the benefit of doubt and say that he just used it as an analogy to hail James’ longevity in the NBA. As long as Reaves and LeBron James keep connecting for posters, Lakers fans shouldn’t be too worried about facts.
Guess the Lakers players!
