Scottie Pippen Considers Sitting Out Final 1.8 Seconds Of Bulls-Knicks 1994 Playoff Game One Of The ‘Highest’ Moments Of His Career: ‘I Stood Up For Myself, I Would Never Have Forgiven Myself If I Didn’t’

NBA legend Scottie Pippen sat out the final 1.8 seconds of Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. 

Bulls head coach Phil Jackson drew up the game-winning play for Toni Kukoc and Pippen was furious. 

“For one thing, I do not consider it the lowest moment of my career,” Pippen wrote in his book. “I consider it one of the highest. Believe me or not, I don’t care. During the timeout, in case you don’t know, Phil called for Toni to take the last shot. The same Toni who botched the previous play. I was told to throw the ball in bounds. I was furious and let Phil know it.”

Kukoc hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer for the Bulls, who won by a final score of 104-102.

However, Pippen’s teammates were upset with him. 

“The locker room felt like a morgue,” Pippen wrote. “One would never have imagined that this group had just won a game it desperately needed to get back in the series. According to my teammates, coaches — and, I suspect, basketball fans everywhere — I committed one of the worst sins a professional athlete can ever commit. I quit on my team.”

Pippen apologized to his teammates and helped the Bulls take the Knicks to seven games. New York defeated Chicago in seven games, with Pippen averaging 21.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.6 blocks in the series. 

“People who watched The Last Dance were surprised when referring to the 1.8 seconds incident I said, ‘If I had a chance to do it over again, I probably wouldn’t change it.’ Let me amend that statement: I definitely wouldn’t change it. I stood up for myself. I would never have forgiven myself if I didn’t.”

Michael Jordan returned to the NBA near the end of the 1994-95 season. The Bulls lost to the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 1995 playoffs despite Jordan and Pippen being back together. 

However, Chicago became the top team in the world again in 1996, 1997 and 1998, winning three straight championships. 

One of the best players in NBA history, Pippen played for the Bulls (twice), Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks and made seven All-Star teams, 10 All-Defensive Teams and seven All-NBA Teams.