Ahead of the All-Star Game, LeBron James Sings Praises of Scotty Pippen Jr’s Inclusion in Elite List of Young Players

The NBA All-Star weekend is right around the corner and the league has started its preparations in full swing. With this in mind, the latest development is that there’s growing traction around the Jordan Rising Stars mini-tournament. Scheduled for the 17th of February, this three-game stint focuses on showcasing the talents of youngsters. As per a report on the NBA website, like every season, four teams will feature in this tournament. With that said, the league announced the list of players selected for the weekend, leaving LeBron James and other NBA fans hyped up about one player.

The rising stars pool consists of 28 players of which 11 are NBA rookies, “10 second-year NBA players, and seven NBA G League players.” Those in the g-league will have a team of their own while the others will be drafted by the head coaches. NBA Legends Paul Gasol, Jason Terry, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams were selected as the head coaches.

LeBron James applauds Scotty Pippen Jr after latest accomplishment

After the list of 28 players was released by the NBA, fans noticed that Chicago Bulls Legend Scottie Pippen‘s son, Scotty Pippen Jr was on the list of G-League players. Scotty, a two-way player with the South Bay Lakers and the Los Angeles Lakers, left the NBA world pleasantly surprised after the accomplishment.

The inclusion of Scotty Pippen Jr left LeBron James thrilled as well. He rushed to Instagram to convey his excitement. While sharing a post about the news, he wrote, “Yeahhh, Lil Pip!!!” and paired it with a bunch of thumbs up emojis.

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This season, Pippen Jr. has flaunted the Lakers colors in five games. With these games in mind, he is averaging 2.3 points per game and has spent an average of 5.8 minutes on the court. Whereas in the G-League, he is averaging 23.1 points, 4.8 assists per game – leaving many impressed with his consistency.

The others on the list

Apart from Scotty, Scoot Henderson, the much touted second pick of the 2023 draft made it to the list. On the other hand, the NBA Rookies who are set to feature in the mini-tournament are Paolo Banchero, Andrew Nembhard, and Jabari Smith Jr. Others on the list include Walker Kessler, Jaden Ivey, AJ Griffin, and more.

Paolo Banchero’s name stood out to many as they believed that he deserved the recognition. In his rookie year, Banchero has been prolific for the Orlando Magic. He is averaging 20.7 points with 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

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The NBA All-Star weekend is set to begin on February 17th in Utah. With the excitement bustling around this festival, what is your reaction to Scotty Pippen Jr’s selection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.