“I kind of just thugged it out.” That was how Scotty Pippen Jr. described his experience in 2024 when he finally got to play for one NBA team. Like many other NBA scions—such as Shareef O’Neal, DJ Rodman, and Bronny James—Scottie Pippen’s son also began his professional career in the G-League. By the time he moved on from that cycle, he had outgrown it. Now, despite being injured, he’s counted as one of the key players in the Grizzlies’ rotation. His time in the G-League has made him grateful for the stability he now enjoys. He’s opening up about how the NBA’s handling of the development league fostered a sense of resentment. Perhaps Adam Silver should take note.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope recently hosted Scotty Pippen Jr. on the Dawg Talk Podcast, and the topic of Scotty Pippen Jr.’s time with the South Bay Lakers from 2022 to 2024 couldn’t be avoided. KCP asked about what a day in the life of a G-leaguer looked like, and the younger Pip didn’t hold back.

“It depends where you’re at. I feel like certain teams treat two-ways a little differently. Like over here [Memphis], they treat them like kind of like regular players. Like, it’s not as bad. When I was in L.A., they kind of just would treat me like a fill-in… Like they bring you up when they need to bring me up. Someone gets hurt, they need me. But like if no one got hurt, I wouldn’t have to come to the game, I wouldn’t have to be around.”

After going undrafted in 2022, Scotty Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and sent to the South Bay team where LeBron James recently scrimmaged. Much like how it’s going on with Bronny right now, Pippen was called up to the Los Angeles lineup, waived, and re-signed to South Bay.

In late 2024, he signed a two-way-contract with the Grizzlies. He was not officially sent to the G-League but Pip tells KCP that the Grizzlies sent him there to get more training and lie in wait.

“So they could kind of have you bouncing around a little bit. So that could be frustrating, too, ‘cuz you’re damn near doing double the work. And then they could cut you whenever; So you really can’t be hurt sometimes because if you’re hurt, they’ll cut you.”

Unlike those days, the 6’1″ guard doesn’t have to worry as he recovers from the sesamoidectomy for a left big toe injury. The Grizzlies are filling in his void with hardship signings, but have his spot open for his return. In the past, he’d probably worry about being cut.

KCP was stunned and admitted he never thought how difficult it would be to essentially be on two teams at the same time and not know which one you would play for. Pippen, too, didn’t like the schedule management of a G-League player.

“I never knew the schedule behind that…. Like, they could call you. I remember one time when I was a Laker, they called me like, ‘Can you get to the plane in 30 minutes?’ You know what I’m saying? So you got to always have your phone on, be ready to go.”

KCP shuddered, imagining himself in Scotty’s place and missing that phone call. Pippen amped up the fear his teammate dreads experiencing.

“It’s messed up… if you don’t go, it’s kind of like you… mess up your opportunity… Because that could be the one game you get in. So you kind of got to always just be ready because you never know when the opportunity… you basically you playing on two teams, too.”

We, of course, don’t know if Scotty ever did. But he was glad to be out of that system, which the NBA is unlikely to fix.

Socttie Pippen wanted to get his son out of the G-League

Within 10 months of signing with the Grizzlies, Scotty Pippen Jr. proved he deserved a standard contract. It was like Christmas for Larsa and Scottie Pippen Sr. when their eldest son got a 4-year, $9.6 million contract. Probably because they knew how much he hated the uncertainty in the G-League.

The Chicago Bulls legend is now a resident of Los Angeles. Larsa resides in Miami. But neither parent could attend his games at the start of his career. That was another grievance Scotty Jr. had about the G-League, he told KCP.

“You can’t even like—have family come visit you because you might tell your family, I got a home game this week, this week, and then they might ship you somewhere else. You know what I’m saying?”

A frustrated Scotty had a heart-to-heart with his dad, who suggested leaving the development league and heading overseas. “But I kind of just thugged it out and stayed and believed in my NBA dreams, and I got the call,” Scotty Jr. said in 2024 when he signed with the Grizzlies.

Due to the change in his son’s contract situation, we now have gems like Scottie Pippen attending his son’s games and having the best reactions.

They also became the first father-son duo to record a triple-double. Scotty Jr. is also embarrassed by Larsa, who acts like a typical mom at his games. She revealed that Scotty doesn’t let her interact with his teammates’ moms.

However, he now experiences the life of a regular NBA player. But nothing much has changed in Adam Silver’s NBA system.

While the injury-ridden Grizzlies make hardship signings and wait for Pippen’s return, Bronny James still goes back and forth between South Bay and Los Angeles. So things really haven’t improved.