In terms of a basketball family, you could do a lot worse than the Pippens, with one of Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen’s sons, Scotty Pippen Jr., already playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and another son, Justin Pippen, not far behind.
Justin Pippen was the 1 making headlines on Friday when it was announced he was transferring from Cal to Ohio State. It will be his 3rd college in 3 seasons after playing his freshman season at Michigan, although he earned All-ACC honors in his 1 season with the Golden Bears.
“Cal guard Justin Pippen is committing to transfer to Ohio State, per his agents at WME Basketball,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on his official X account on Friday. “He’s a sophomore who averaged 14.2 points per game this year and had 4.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He’s the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen … He played 28 games at Michigan in 2024-25. This year at Cal, he led them to the second round NIT. He projects a combo guard at Ohio State who’ll take a role similar to the departed Devin Royal.”
Greatest Small Forward in NBA History?
It’s not talking out of school to say Scottie Pippen was the greatest small forward in NBA history.
The 6-foot-8 Pippen famously grew 6 inches after enrolling at tiny Central Arkansas and was a 2-time NAIA All-American before he was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Sonics made a draft-day trade to send Pippen to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for No. 8 overall pick Olden Polynice and a future draft pick — a move that would create the greatest dynasty in NBA history.
Playing alongside Michael Jordan, the Bulls won 6 NBA championships in 9 full seasons together — 2 different 3-peats — and Pippen wound up playing 17 seasons for the Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers.
Pippen is widely considered 1 of the greatest defensive players in NBA history — he made the NBA All-Defensive Team 10 times — and won 2 Olympic gold medals as part of the Dream Team in 1992 and again in 1996. He was also a 7-time NBA All-Star, an 8-time All-NBA Team selection, and was selected to the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
What Justin Pippen Brings to the Buckeyes
Justin Pippen, 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is also the son of reality TV star and longtime NBA WAG Larsa Pippen. He was a teammate of Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles and ended up a Top 100 recruit after he averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds as a senior in 2024.
At Michigan, Justin Pippen rode the bench and averaged just 6.7 minutes per game — he even entered the transfer portal while his team was still in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Had he stayed with the Wolverines, he would have been part of the school’s national championship-winning team in 2026, which was their 1st title since 1989.
His older brother, Scotty Pippen Jr., was a 2-time All-SEC selection at Vanderbilt but went undrafted in 2022. He played 1 season for the Lakers as a rookie before developing into a key bench contributor for the Grizzlies over the last 2 seasons.
Former Michigan Guard and Son of 6-Time NBA Champion Transfers to Ohio State