Justin Pippen is used to teaming with elite players. As a child with 2 siblings, he used to play 2-on-2 in their backyard with his father, Scottie Pippen. Generally, it was Justin against his brothers, with his father on his side most of the time. “All the time,” he says. So, cut to today: going up against a potential top-10 NBA pick and No. 14 North Carolina while playing for California did not faze him at all.

Justin Pippen has already been having a breakout season. Coming into this game, he was averaging 14.4 points, 4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds along with 2.2 steals. However, he still had the disappointment against Duke fresh in his mind. Pippen has scored just 10 points while shooting 2 of 11 from the field. However, Pippen bounced back with a statement performance against UNC, leading the Bears to a major upset win.

Transition dunks, threes from the wing, pull jumpers, and clever distribution, Pippen’s 19-point display had almost everything. He went 5-8 from the field and 3-4 from the three-point line while adding 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal.

The performance was accompanied by a 20-point day from John Camden and 19 points from Dai Dai Ames as the Bears rounded out the 84-78 win.

It was their first top 15 win since 2016. Naturally, such a highlight-worthy performance against a top team, with his father watching from the sidelines, has caught fans’ attention.

Fans Foresee An NBA Future For Justin Pippen After UNC Display

“Bro can hoop,” complimented a fan. Well, he is Scottie Pippen’s son after all. Justin was largely undiscovered as a freshman because he chose to join a stacked Michigan side. They posted 27 victories, tied for second in the Big Ten, and reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

But the team had little opportunity in store for Justin, who averaged just 6.7 minutes a game. In search of more time on the court, he moved to California, where he had been recruited out of high school but chose Michigan instead.

“I was thinking about coming here . . . I made the wrong choice,” He said. “But now I’ve made the right one.” With the Golden Bears under Madsen, he is finally getting the spotlight, and after this performance, some think he might even be NBA-ready.

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“That boy ready,” another fan wrote while one just tagged the official NBA account with multiple side eye emojis, writing, “@nba 👀👀👀👀👀.” However, this draft class is one for the ages.

Prospects like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, and Darryn Peterson are fighting for the top spot, while down the order, Aday Mara, Brayden Burries, among others, are elite as well.

In the latest ESPN mock draft last week, Justin Pippen wasn’t included yet. Maybe he could sneak in as a second-round pick if his current form grows.

“Another Pippen in the league??” Asked one fan. Well, Justin has been fortunate enough to have one of the best basketball players of all time as a father. And Scottie agrees that there are shades of him in his son. “I think he’s just well-rounded, a lot like myself,” Scottie Pippen said. “He’s a guy that can really fill the stats up across the board.

He’s still a young player, and he’s still learning, but he seems to have a good understanding of the game.” You heard the man.

The talent is present, but there is room for improvement. However, this game also showed a different side of Pippen.

“bruh justin pippen about to give us work…” wrote a presumably rival fan. Justin was calm and composed in the clutch moments, making essential plays down the stretch.

Carolina had cut its deficit to 81-78 on a 3-pointer by Henri Veesar with 19 seconds remaining.

But Pippen hit two foul shots with 10 seconds to go to clinch the game.“You could really feel the unselfishness. Justin Pippen is a guy who puts pressure on the rim, can shoot it, and has an uncanny ability to see everything developing on the floor,” coach Mark Madsen said after the game.

It was a game that could set the tone for California and Justin.