“Definitely surreal feeling,” Scottie Pippen‘s son Scotty said about playing in the United Center for the first time. It’s the ushering in of a new era of father-son duos in the basketball world. The children of basketball legends, who once dominated the court or still do, have all grown up. LeBron James and his son Bronny are the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA, a tough record to beat. However, Scotty Pippen Jr. took to score sheets setting a new record with his father, even though it’s been over a decade since Scottie Pippen retired.

In the Memphis Grizzlies’ recent 128-104 win over the Washington Wizards, Scotty Jr. recorded the first triple-double of his career. This achievement made Scottie and Scotty the first father-son duo to each record a triple-double in their careers. Scotty had 11 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in the game.

For the 2023-24 season, Scotty averaged 12.9 points and 4.7 assists per game in 21 appearances last season. His potential, however, was only taken note of in the summer league when he averaged 20.0 points and 8.2 assists in 5 appearances. Not only was he contending for the MVP honors, but he also made it to the 2024 NBA Summer League First Team. Months in, he signed a guaranteed multi-year deal with the Grizzlies and is now competing with the league’s elite. 

By Game 3 this season, Scotty Jr. had 23 assists, pushing him to the third spot, behind James Harden and Cade Cunningham.

Scottie Pippen turns emotional playing United Center for the first time 

No wonder the Memphis Grizzlies‘ general manager, Zach Kleiman, was surprised to see that Scotty Jr. wasn’t named the Summer League MVP. His performance certainly looked like one. He also played with the Lakers, but it was with the Grizzlies that he found his true place.

While Scotty Jr. didn’t have the same experience as Bronny James, playing on the same court with his father, he came close by playing at the United Center, where his dad etched his place in history.

“Still a surreal feeling to me to be here, see my dad’s name in the rafters, so you know I grew up in Chicago, so this is my first time playing here since I have been a little kid. Definitely surreal feeling, just to be in this building coz I remember being a little kid running around here,” Scottie explained. He is currently averaging 11.6 points and 6.9 assists across 26 minutes. 

Following in the footsteps of stars like Pippen and James’ sons, are also Gilbert Arenas’ and Carmelo Anthony’s sons, who are also likely to join the NBA.