“Pippen”: (noun). A term used to describe an outrageous statement made by former athletes who are obviously thirsty for some kind of press from today’s national media.
Scottie Pippen was the first to commit a “Pippen”, hence the name. Long story short, he probably regretted making those statements.
Just recently, former Supersonics star Dale Ellis committed a “Pippen” when he made this very bold statement:
“I’m the best shooter of all time,” he said. “I know that from the jump. I set the standard. I gave them something to shoot for. I was the first player in the history of the game to get 1,000 3-pointers. To be able to play on that level, you have to have that attitude about yourself. You can say it’s arrogant or cocky or whatever, but that’s OK. There’s no way you can compete without it. There’s no way you can excel without that confidence level.”
Let’s get things straight here, was Ellis a great shooter and a three-point legend? Without a doubt, most definitely ..
So were guys like Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, and Larry Bird ..
Guys like Chris Muller, Detlef Shrempf, and Allan Houston were also automatic in their prime.
Additionally, you can’t forget guys that played before the three point shot made it to the NBA in 1979. You also have to account for today’s current ballers like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki.
Simply put, there are too many excellent shooters to crown Dale Ellis as the best of all-time. Even Dale Ellis himself knows this. When a group of guys are debating the best shooter of all time, Dale Ellis is far from the first name that comes to mind. He was an excellent player and a superb shooter, but the best? Not exactly.
What Ellis meant to say is that he’s the most underrated shooter of all-time. That’s a more appropriate accolade ..
Either way, he has accomplished his purpose by garnering the attention needed to get him the credit he deserves as an elite scorer.