Pippen Jr. knows that, like what his dad did, hard work pays off

Scotty Pippen Jr. #1 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 01, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Justin Casterline / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is eager to make his own mark, using the legacy of his father, NBA legend Scottie Pippen, as inspiration.

Being a second-generation NBA player isn’t a chip on Pippen Jr.’s shoulder, as his father, who is a six-time NBA champion and the chief lieutenant of Michael Jordan at Chicago during the Bulls’ dynastic reign in the 1990s, has been a “resource” for the 25-year-old Grizzly.

“I think people look at it as pressure. I just kind of use that as an advantage and just knowing that I have someone that can help me get to where I need to be and push me,” said Pippen Jr. on Wednesday during his visit in Manila at NBA Store Philippines SM Megamall.

The Vanderbilt product didn’t enjoy the same attention that his father, who was drafted fifth overall by the Seattle Supersonics in 1987.

Pippen Jr. was undrafted in 2022 and had to earn a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

He’s been playing his best so far with Memphis, which acquired him in 2023, and will have a bigger role this season after the end of Ja Morant’s era.

Carving out a bigger role, Pippen Jr. continues to carry the lessons he got from his father.

“I think my dad’s biggest motivation for me was just talking about my work ethic. Just keep working,” he said.

“He just tells me to put my head down and just keep working. And I think even when I was a kid and I was getting overlooked, he always told me, just keep working.”

“He just keeps telling me that my time will come.”

And from how things have developed at Memphis, it seems that the older Pippen is right.