KoriEllis
09-23-2004, 05:12 AM
Pippen set to retire
By The Associated Press
Thursday, September 23, 2004
CHICAGO -- Cue the honorary ceremonies and begin the countdown for the Hall of Fame.
Scottie Pippen is telling friends he will follow through on his plans to retire after a 17-year career that featured six NBA championships, seven All-Star games, two Olympic gold medals and inclusion as one of the league's 50 greatest players.
The only details left to work out are whether Pippen agrees to forfeit a portion of the $5.3 million the Chicago Bulls owe him, and the timing of the official announcement.
Pippen could make his plans public before Oct. 4, when Bulls training camp begins.
All $5.3 million of Pippen's guaranteed salary will count against the NBA salary cap. If Pippen were to agree to forfeit some money -- a long-shot possibility -- it could help the Bulls' payroll for purposes of the luxury-tax threshold.
Pippen has met with former teammate and general manager John Paxson this off-season to discuss such details. Management has budgeted Pippen's entire salary into next season's plans but is seeking flexibility in terms of roster spots because of the number of guaranteed contracts the team has.
Pippen first dropped hints of retirement Dec. 10 as he faced yet another knee surgery. He stated his intentions more emphatically after playing his best game of the season on Jan. 31 in Portland, saying, "I can assure you that was my last trip to the Rose Garden."
The Portland game marked Pippen's final appearance last season. Chronically sore knees limited him to 23 games and six starts after he signed a guaranteed two-year deal.
He will retire with career averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.96 steals per game. His 208 career playoff games rank second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 237.
Pippen also made 10 straight NBA All-Defensive teams.
By The Associated Press
Thursday, September 23, 2004
CHICAGO -- Cue the honorary ceremonies and begin the countdown for the Hall of Fame.
Scottie Pippen is telling friends he will follow through on his plans to retire after a 17-year career that featured six NBA championships, seven All-Star games, two Olympic gold medals and inclusion as one of the league's 50 greatest players.
The only details left to work out are whether Pippen agrees to forfeit a portion of the $5.3 million the Chicago Bulls owe him, and the timing of the official announcement.
Pippen could make his plans public before Oct. 4, when Bulls training camp begins.
All $5.3 million of Pippen's guaranteed salary will count against the NBA salary cap. If Pippen were to agree to forfeit some money -- a long-shot possibility -- it could help the Bulls' payroll for purposes of the luxury-tax threshold.
Pippen has met with former teammate and general manager John Paxson this off-season to discuss such details. Management has budgeted Pippen's entire salary into next season's plans but is seeking flexibility in terms of roster spots because of the number of guaranteed contracts the team has.
Pippen first dropped hints of retirement Dec. 10 as he faced yet another knee surgery. He stated his intentions more emphatically after playing his best game of the season on Jan. 31 in Portland, saying, "I can assure you that was my last trip to the Rose Garden."
The Portland game marked Pippen's final appearance last season. Chronically sore knees limited him to 23 games and six starts after he signed a guaranteed two-year deal.
He will retire with career averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.96 steals per game. His 208 career playoff games rank second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 237.
Pippen also made 10 straight NBA All-Defensive teams.