USA - NBA legend Pippen targets comeback

CHICAGO (NBA) - Former Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen is seriously contemplating a comeback in the NBA.

Pippen - one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players who has been retired since the end of the 2003-04 season - has told the Chicago Tribune he wants to return and play for a contender in this season’s playoffs.

He also would like to be a player-coach.

"I'm thinking of trying to come back for the playoffs," Pippen told the newspaper. 

"Something like the last two months of the season, somewhere I can come back and play limited minutes to start, play point forward for someone and build toward the playoffs. It's something I've been thinking about for the last three months."

But even getting a chance would seem like a long shot for Pippen, who turned 41 years old on September. He last played in the NBA in 2003-04 with the Bulls, when he was limited to 23 games due to knee problems.

In his last season, Pippen hardly resembled the player that he was throughout his career. He looked slow and often was beaten off the dribble.

Pippen will be able to show any potential suitor where he is at physically when he teams with Bulls guard Ben Gordon and the Chicago Sky's Candice Dupree in the "Shooting Stars" contest as part of Saturday night's festivities at All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas.

During his 17-year career, Pippen missed the playoffs just once. His 208 career post-season games rank second in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar's 237.

As a point forward in coach Phil Jackson's triangle offence, the 6ft 8in Pippen teamed with Michael Jordan to help the Bulls win six NBA titles in the 1990s. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Bulls.

A seven-time All-Star forward known for his versatility and ability to defend some of the league's top scorers, Pippen went on the play one season with Houston and four more with Portland before rejoining the Bulls in 2003-04. He averaged just 5.9 points in his final season.

Even though he always took a back seat to Jordan, Pippen was still voted as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all-time in 1996. He was named to the All-Defensive Team seven times and earned All-Star MVP honours in 1994.

Pippen has played in 1,178 games and averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.96 steals.

FIBA