SCOTTIE PIPPEN CAME to mind as Thompson was coming to terms with his decision to eliminate the possibility of returning to the Warriors. Thompson lights up when he talks about when Pippen, a six-time champion as Michael Jordan’s co-star with the Chicago Bulls, signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1999. Thompson was 9 at the time living in Portland, where his father, Mychal, played for the first eight years of his career after the Blazers selected him No. 1 in the 1978 NBA draft. Thompson was ecstatic that the local team had added such an icon, one of his favorite players from childhood. “That was like the best day of my life,” he said. “That was so amazing.” Pippen was 34 at the time, the same age Thompson is now. While Pippen wasn’t able to earn another ring in Portland, his success there serves as inspiration for Thompson. “He did a lot for the Blazers. They were three minutes away from a Finals appearance,” Thompson said in reference to Portland’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers in the 2000 Western Conference finals. -via ESPN / November 12, 2024
