After being ejected out of an important game against the Spurs, Scottie Pippen was so enraged that he threw a chair on the court.
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Scottie Pippen is one the most underpaid player of all time. He is considered to be the greatest two-way player, who could score buckets at will and also stop any player on a given night.
He very bravely accepted his role on a Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team and is the best teammate MJ ever had. The result? 6 championships in 8 years, a 72-10 record season and one of the greatest basketball dynasties of all time.
In an as intense league as the NBA, the tempers of the players are no less than volatile. Players tend to get pissed when the calls made by the referees are not in their favor.
Scottie Pippen too, had one such moment, when he let his emotions get the best of him. Back in January 1995, when the Jordan-less Bulls were playing against San Antonio Spurs, Pip was ejected out of the game for the altercation he had with referee Joe Crawford.
“It really hurts me to get kicked out of that game”: Scottie Pippen reflects on his infamous ejection
After being called for a technical foul, clearly, Pip wasn’t happy about it. Showcasing his frustrations, Crawford decided to toss Pippen out of the game. This enraged the 7-time All-Star. He didn’t even hesitate for a few seconds before he tossed a chair on the court, as he kicked a few more things on his way to the locker room.
Rightfully, this irrational decision of his costed him. The league not only fined him $6,000 but also suspended him for the next game without pay. No doubt the loss of their best player affected the Bulls, who lost both the game in the absence of Scottie Pippen.
The then-NBA Vice President-operation Rod Thorn justified the penalty for Scottie:
“When you throw a chair onto the middle of the floor, that’s very serious. They were in the process of putting stuff on the floor (for a timeout promotion). There were little kids nearby.″
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Later that season, Pippen too expressed his opinions over the entire incident:
“It really hurts me to ever get kicked out of a game. But especially that game because it was against a good team with one of the league’s best players. We had a good chance to win and my being ejected hurt my teammates. They didn’t deserve that.”
It surely was one of the darker times in Scottie’s illustrious 17-year career. And definitely, if he could go back, Scottie Pippen would be most likely to undo his actions.
