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Scottie Pippen was the brightest star in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. The Chicago Bulls forward won the MVP award after leading the East to a 127-118 win against the West. Pippen finished the game with 29 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block.
In his book Unguarded, which came out in November 2021, the six-time NBA champ opened up about that night:
“So I was a little tipsy. So what? I wasn’t planning on putting much energy into what is nothing more than an exhibition. … The strangest thing then happened. When I got on the court to warm up, my level of concentration was off the charts. I hit every shot, including three-pointers.”
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In the book, Pippen said that he played a card game called Tonk with good friend Michael Clarke before the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. They also had multiple rounds of beers, which made the versatile forward tipsy before tip-off. For some reason, he outshone everyone in the game despite his condition.
The defensive ace added that he did not take All-Star games seriously after he felt he was “snubbed in 1991.” Pippen made it to the annual event in 1990 as a reserve. When the Bulls won their first championship in 1991, he could not get on the team.
Scottie Pippen was recognized again in 1992 and became a fixture in the All-Star game until 1997. He was a starter during that stretch. Pip never made it to the annual event after the Chicago Bulls won its second three-peat in 1997.
Scottie Pippen placed third in the 1994 NBA MVP race
The Chicago Bulls became Scottie Pippen’s team when Michael Jordan decided to fulfill his childhood dream of playing baseball in 1993. Pip rose to the occasion despite the double and triple teams opponents threw at him.
Pippen led the Bulls during the 1993-94 season in points, assists, steals, and finished second in rebounding. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He led Chicago to a 55-27 record and the third seed in the 1994 Eastern Conference playoffs.
For his efforts, Scottie Pippen placed third in the 1994 NBA MVP race, the highest in his career. Hakeem Olajuwon, who carried the Houston Rockets to their first championship won the award. David Robinson, the San Antonio Spurs big man, came in second.
Edited by Dipayan Moitra
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