PIPPEN A LAKER? UNBELIEVABLE.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer Scottie Pippen Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965 in Hamburg, Arkansas) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). a Laker? It's probably just a lot of Bull. A Bull blowing a lot of hot air. Pippen, the Chicago Bulls' hobbled All-Star forward, says he wants to be traded to the Lakers or the Phoenix Suns. It's an unlikely possibility but one certain to provide countless hours of fodder for talk-radio nuts. ``I want to be traded. I want to go to Phoenix or L.A.,'' Pippen told the Daily Herald For the Arlington Heights, Illinois newspaper, see . The Daily Herald was a British newspaper, published in London from 1912 to 1964 (although it was weekly during the first world war). It ceased publication when it was relaunched as The Sun. of Arlington Heights Arlington Heights, village (1990 pop. 75,460), Cook county, NE Ill., a residential suburb of Chicago; founded 1836, inc. 1887. Its manufactures include machinery, drugs and medical equipment, and metal fabrication. Arlington Park racetrack is there. , Ill., which printed the comments Monday. The reaction in Lakerland? General manager Mitch Kupchak Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak (born May 24 1954 in Hicksville, New York) is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000-01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization. reportedly got a good laugh when he saw the report Monday before leaving for a Thanksgiving week vacation. No one seems to be taking the statements very seriously. Bulls coach Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. hadn't talked to Pippen about the matter but told reporters, ``I think he's just joking. I think he's just having fun.'' First Sacramento King Mitch Richmond Mitchell James ("Mitch") Richmond (born June 30, 1965 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association. Known as "The Rock," "The Hammer", "The Captain," and "The Scorelord," Richmond was one of the NBA's best pure shooters . Now Pippen. But then, who wouldn't want to join an 11-0 team? But Pippen is probably just blowing off steam. Michael Jordan This article is about the former basketball player. For other uses, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. spent the entire offseason threatening to retire if the Bulls traded Pippen. Ultimately, they didn't, as Bulls management decided to keep the defending champions together at least one more season. ``We know that he's not happy with his contract,'' Jordan said Monday. ``He didn't have to go public, but he did. I'm not shellshocked by anything that happens. This organization is at a crossroads. The future is in front of them. ``Sometimes, decisions get made for business or personal reasons and not basketball.'' General manager Jerry Krause Jerry Krause was a longtime professional basketball scout and General Manager for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year award. , who wanted to trade Pippen for younger talent, wasn't even aware of Pippen's trade demand until the Daily Herald asked him about it. ``He hasn't said anything to me,'' Krause said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. anything about it.'' The Lakers are probably not in the market for any more All-Stars. They held onto Eddie Jones, who could have been traded for Richmond, and have yet to lose a game. It would seem ludicrous by most people's standards to break up the Lakers' young nucleus and mess with mess with Verb Informal, chiefly US to interfere in, or become involved with, a dangerous person, thing, or situation: he had started messing with drugs obviously great team chemistry. Without Pippen, who is recovering from foot surgery and has yet to play this season, the Bulls are off to a slow, 8-5 start. It took them two overtimes to dispatch the lowly Clippers on Friday. Pippen is in the final year of his contract and the Bulls have until Feb. 19 to trade him. Otherwise, Pippen becomes a free agent and should command a salary well over $10 million a year. He has previously listed the Lakers, who are over the salary cap and cannot afford him, and the Detroit Pistons as teams he would like to join. The Bulls won't rule out any trades. Krause told the Chicago Tribune, ``You never close doors. However, we spent a tremendous amount of money to bring this team back intact. . . . It would take a knockout deal for us to trade any key guy on our team. . . . If somebody doesn't knock us out, I'm not going to trade Scottie.'' Krause reportedly heard from another reporter over the weekend that Pippen wanted the Bulls to re-sign him next summer. And then there was this statement from Pippen, who supposedly cannot return to action until late December, and who could not be traded until he's healthy: ``Maybe I'm healthy (now).'' It would seem Pippen, unable to fake out opponents on the court, is doing all his juking with his mouth. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (color) PIPPEN |
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