Pippen's Number 33 Retired | Interview: Greatest Teammate Gets His DueTribute to Scottie Pippen
As Chicago prepared to retire Scottie Pippen’s number 33, Bulls.com took a look
at the legendary player’s greatest moments.
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May 20, 1994: Bulls 93, New York Knicks 79
Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game SixChicago Stadium | Box Score
In what many fans call their favorite single moment of his career, Pippen unleashed a thunderous slam over Patrick Ewing at the Chicago Stadium in Game Six of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Pippen’s most memorable dunk came in a 93-79 Bulls victory which was also the team’s final game in the old Stadium. Chicago tied the series at three wins apiece, but it shifted to New York for Game Seven and the Knicks prevailed.
For the game, Pippen finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. B.J. Armstrong led Chicago with 20 points and Horace Grant had a double-double, adding 16 and 12. But for the 18,676 fans at the Stadium, it was one play they’ll forever remember.
The action on the court transpired so rapidly, that to this day, Pippen can’t explain things from start to finish.
“I don’t even know how that play panned out,” he said. “All I remember is catching the ball and I don’t know how Patrick even got down there. It was such a weird play.”
It turns out that the play developed when Armstrong brought the ball past half court on a fast break. He fed Pete Myers, who filled the lane to his right, who then dished a touch pass to a streaking Pippen, who came from Armstrong’s left, while Ewing got in place to challenge the shot. The rest was all Scottie.
“That was probably the easiest dunk I ever did,” Pippen remarked only half-jokingly. “I think I must have crossed Derek Harper over at half court, because when I see the picture of it, he’s back [near the top of the key] wondering what happened.”
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Pippen was right about Harper’s look of bewilderment in the photo, but wrong about the cross over. Somewhere along the way, Harper apparently tripped over his own feet as he backpedaled.
Notwithstanding how amazing the dunk itself was, it was that much sweeter to have it come against the Bulls’ most bitter rival.
“It was one of those games where we were playing against the Knicks and we were frustrated and tired of them holding and pulling and doing things of that nature,” Pippen recalled. “I think that after that dunk, I sort of overreacted, almost trying to push [Ewing] into the stands.”
Pippen said that without question, “The Ewing Dunk” ranks as his best slam of all-time.
“That’s probably got to be at the top,” he said. “Any time you dunk over a seven-footer and a so-called shot blocker, it’s something. It’s probably one of the most replayed dunks of mine that you see.”
Knowing most Bulls fans, they’ll never get tired of seeing it.
Report by Adam Fluck