"Flat out hooper": LeBron James gives shout-out to ex- Lakers teammate Scotty Pippen Jr.
LeBron James expressed praise for his ex-LA Lakers teammate, Scotty Pippen Jr., currently playing for the South Bay Lakers. Pippen Jr. showcased an impressive performance in a recent game against the G-League Ignite.
Scotty Pippen Jr had 27 points, six assists, six rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes of play for the Lakers’ G-League affiliate. He shot 11-of-19 from the field.
Pippen Jr. played a huge role in Ignite's 78-point first half, spearheading the team with 20 points, six assists, and two blocks before halftime. South Bay won convincingly, 134-100.
LeBron James gave a shoutout to Pippen Jr. on X (formerly Twitter) for his performance, writing:
“Yeah Scotty!!! Flat out hooper! Let’s Go Young Boi!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾”
Pippen Jr. was part of the Lakers in his rookie season in 2022-23 after being signed to a two-way contract. He averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists in six games.
A week before the 2023-24 season, the Lakers waived Pippen Jr. along with Damion Baugh and Vincent Valerio-Bodon. He resigned for the South Bay Lakers in November.
Pippen Jr. is the son of Hall of Fame basketball player Scottie Pippen, who won six NBA championships during his 17-year career in the league, and media personality Larsa Pippen.
He played college basketball for Vanderbilt University and was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2022.
LeBron James looks back on his Cleveland days
LeBron James and the LA Lakers visited the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, and won 121-115. He had 22 points, six assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes of play.
After the game, James discussed the experience of returning to the Cavaliers' home floor.
“Stepping back on this floor and knowing I was part of pretty much all the banners in this arena, that’s pretty cool” James said (per NBA.com).
LeBron James averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 849 games for the Cavaliers in his career. He was drafted by the team with the first overall pick in 2003.
“It’s very special to be a kid from Akron and to have been drafted here and played 11 years in Cleveland.”
James led the Cavaliers during their 2016 championship run, culminating in a historic victory over the dominant Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series. This achievement marked the franchise's first-ever NBA championship.