Scotty Pippen Jr. opens up on the burden of being Scottie’s son, draws comparison to LeBron and Bronny

Scotty Pippen Jr. delivered a solid performance during the 2024–25 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, despite the team’s early exit from the Western Conference playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in a four-game sweep. The young guard opened up about the pressure that comes with being the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, drawing a parallel to the experience of LeBron and Bronny James.

“I feel like the name might have hurt me more than it helped me sometimes,” said Scotty during a recent interview on Run It Back. “I feel like it was tough just because I feel like I wasn’t given fair treatment. People kind of just overlooked me because of my dad.”

Pippen Jr. went on to discuss how being the son of an NBA legend affected his personal journey in basketball. “I think it’s difficult just because people just put, you know, a perspective on you on how they think you move and how they think you act just because of your dad,” he said.

On the pressure tied to the family name, the Memphis player explained: “I think it’s hard. Everyone puts these expectations on you just because you’re someone’s son. So, I think you just kind of get used to it.”

When asked about others in similar cases, like Bronny James, Pippen Jr. was candid. “I feel like we’re seeing it with Deion Sanders and his son and then, you know, LeBron and Bronny… It’s unfair for us, but at the end of the day, I feel like we’re all doing well.”

Pippen Jr. addresses his father’s controversial takes

In recent months, Scottie Pippen has come under scrutiny for his controversial opinions on LeBron James and Michael Jordan. One of his latest claims was that neither player is the true NBA GOAT, naming Magic Johnson instead.

Asked about his reaction to his father’s comments, Scotty was honest. “I kind of just let him have it, because most of those debates are out of my hands,” said the 24-year-old guard. “I wasn’t really around and I never really seen my pops, I never really seen that era of play. So I don’t really have no say so on those arguments.”

Far from being upset about his father drawing attention—and criticism—for those remarks, Pippen Jr. said he takes it lightly. “When he’s saying stuff, I kind of just see that on social media and people usually send it to me, so I just laugh,” he said. As for whether he’s ever thought of asking his father to stop, the Memphis player admitted with a laugh: “Maybe in my head, I never said it out loud though.”