"Gonna be sneaky good" "Glad he’s gone": Fans react as Scottie Pippen's son, Justin Pippen commits to Mark Madsen's Cal
Fans reacted as Justin Pippen, the son of legendary Chicago Bulls unit Scottie Pippen, has transferred from Michigan to Cal. The combo guard came to the Wolverines as a four-star prospect ranked 109th in the country. He played for Sierra Canyon in Southern California alongside Bryce James, the son of LeBron James.
At UMMB, Justin Pippen came off the bench in his freshman season, averaging 6.6 minutes alongside 1.6 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.2 steals on 27.3% shooting. Cal was one of the teams that had initially extended Pippen an offer, alongside Texas A&M, Stanford and the 2025 NCAA champions.
Fans reacted to Justin Pippen's transfer on X:
"Jesus what a downgrade," a fan wrote.
"Cal!!! Now that's funny. Damn. That's funny," a user added.
"Glad he’s gone," another commented.
Some fans wished well for the sophomore's new journey:
"So did he realize he wasn't tough enough for the B1G or just didn't want the competition for playing time? Personally I think he made the right decision," a user wrote.
"Best of luck to you Justin, just don't skip town on Cal if they make it to the sweet 16 like you did Michigan. But but of luck and much success.," a fan added.
"Cal gonna be sneaky good next year," another commented.
Justin Pippen entered the portal while Michigan was competing in the NCAA tournament
It's a common practice in Division I basketball that players enter the transfer portal after the last game of the season. Even big names like Ta'Niya Latson, Jada Williams, Olivia Miles, Yaxel Lendeborg and Bennett Stirtz initiated the switch after their teams ended their seasons.
However, Justin Pippen controversially marked his exit as Michigan was preparing for its Sweet 16 game against Auburn on March 28. While the timing of the decision has brewed animosity among fans, the combo guard was already ruled out of games.
Pippen was suffering concussion symptoms and didn't travel to Indianapolis to participate in the Big Ten conference championship. He was also relegated from team activities throughout Michigan's 2025 NCAA tournament run, allowing him to transfer on the opening day of the portal.