While the Oklahoma City Thunder are moving ahead to the Western Conference semifinals, the Memphis Grizzlies are heading into the offseason with more questions than answers. They dropped their final game 117-115 on Saturday, ending the series in a sweep. But for all the heartbreak, one name stood tall—Scotty Pippen Jr. “Scotty did a tremendous job throughout the end of the season. He was very consistent on both ends,” interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said. And that right there? That’s what made the loss sting a little less for Memphis fans.

Now, digging into the game itself, it was neck and neck for most of the night. Pippen Jr. was locked in, tying his career high with 30 points and pulling down 11 boards. The score stayed tight through three quarters, with OKC holding just an 88-85 lead going into the fourth. At that point, the Thunder were ice cold from beyond the arc—just 4 of 29. But Jalen Williams nailed a triple with under six minutes to go, giving OKC a 10-point cushion. Memphis did fight back, though. Desmond Bane’s clutch three with 7.1 seconds left gave fans hope. But after a missed rebound on a second free throw, that was that.

Still, right after the game, Scotty Jr. dropped a heartfelt video online—and honestly, it hit different. “Super meaningful. You know, I feel like I’ve been working on finishing my whole life,” he shared. “You know, last year I was in the G League, so this will be my first full NBA season. So, yeah, it’s the dream come true.” He wrapped it up perfectly: “Just more to come, more to build on.”

It’s almost surreal, right? To see Scotty Jr. etching his name in the record books alongside his legendary father. I mean, we’re talking about a feat that’s never been done before in the NBA! That kind of history-making moment, with his dad watching, adds a whole other layer to the story.

Naturally, love poured in fast. His dad, Scottie Pippen, reposted the video with a fire emoji and tagged him. Larsa followed suit, writing, “So proud of you my love @spippenjr.” Even siblings Justin and Sophia Pippen joined in with matching fire emojis in the comments.

And it wasn’t just family—Grizzlies teammates Jay Huff and Jaylen Wells showed their support, too. Georgia’s Tyrin Lawrence chimed in, and ex-NBA vet Quentin Richardson dropped multiple fire emojis. So while Scotty Jr. is already thinking about next season’s bounce-back, let’s take a second to appreciate what made this one more special.

Scotty Pippen Jr. made history with his dad watching

When Scotty Pippen Jr. said, “Just making history is always a great thing,” he wasn’t throwing out a cliché. He was talking about something way deeper—a night that forever stitched his name next to his Hall of Fame father’s in NBA history. That unforgettable November moment might feel like old news to some, but for Scotty Jr., it’s something that still hits hard. And now, he’s finally opening up about what it really meant.

Naturally, the season didn’t slow down after that. The Memphis Grizzlies came in hot, and while Ja Morant’s absence left a void, Scotty Jr. didn’t back down. In fact, he ran straight toward the spotlight. “That was crazy. You know, I didn’t really even realize that. After the game, I feel like it was. You know, it’s a real feeling. It’s my dad being in the building and just having to go down just because I never thought I’d even be in the NBA, let alone just making history with my dad and stuff like that. So I just thought it was crazy,” he admitted on Run It Back. 

What made it crazier? That triple-double he dropped on the Washington Wizards—11 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists—locked in a wild stat: the first-ever father-son pair to record triple-doubles in NBA history.

And to top it off, Scotty Jr. wasn’t even alive when his dad was running with the Bulls. Born in 2000, he never saw those playoff battles firsthand. But clearly, he’s carving out his own lane—and doing it with history by his side.

So, yeah, while this season had its tough moments for the Grizzlies, the emergence of Scotty Pippen Jr. provides a major bright spot. He’s hungry, he’s talented, and he’s already making his mark. It’s going to be exciting to see what he does next season. The future looks promising.