El Segundo, CA-When the door opened at the Los Angeles Lakers training facility on Tuesday, Scotty Pippen Jr. was on one court standing in a rebound position on the foul line-but he tweeted the Lakers story of garbage. Rookie Max Christie When Pippen’s father released a free gift as he once did Karl Malone..
And on the adjacent court, Shareef O’Neal also stood on the foul line and fired a shot, but he didn’t remove them from the rim because his father built a reputation for doing so.
Scottie Pippen Shaquille O’Neal is not. However, the sons of the two NBA Hall of Fame players have definitely incorporated an interesting inclusion into the Lakers Summer League roster, which has begun practicing the California Classic in San Francisco and the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas. ..
Pippen Jr., 21, who took a draft from Vanderbilt University and signed a two-way contract with LA last week, said, “I can assure you that the guys whose father played in the NBA have another type of friendship.” rice field. “We’ve been through this whole process from an early age, so we’re always under different kinds of pressure. We have different kinds of expectations. So your dad is playing this game. Tilt my hat to everyone when I’m there. Playing is another type of pressure. “
O’Neill’s dad has a sterling resume in the Lakers organization, but Pippen Jr. could play in the Lakers after winning three championships, three final MVPs, and eight regular season MVPs in the team. It will be higher. A list at the start of the training camp.
22-year-old Shareef O’Neal was also undrafted after three seasons of challenges at UCLA and LSU. The Lakers have signed him a Summer League contract.
“I was literally born into this team,” he said last week following a pre-draft training with the Lakers. “Dad, Kobe [Bryant] I won the championship when I was born, and now it’s that I’m wearing Lakers gear, and I was-it was crazy. I’ve lost my word, a kind of “
Neither Lakers outlook is expected to match their father’s career, but they are more than the curiosity of their close relatives. Both were tested by their opponents through basketball training because of the name behind the jersey.And if the Golden State Warriors championship earlier this month is any sign, four second-generation NBA players will be on the roster to win the title. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins When Gary Payton II -The road is as constant competition as a silver spoon.
“I think people will come to me harder just because I am,” Pippen Jr. said. “But I think that’s true for everyone. Everyone with a name has a target on their back. I accept it. It’s good to go to the gym and everyone wants to do their best. , It’s fun for me. “
