Pippen a HOF Finalist (+video of Pippen posterizing Ewing)

I am undoubtedly biased, but I think Pippen is the best perimeter defender of all-time. I still remember when the Bulls switched Pippen to defend Magic in Game 2 of the 1991 Finals - it swung the series. He could literally shut down a PG or a power-forward, and still put up impressive offensive numbers. From 1990 - 1998 (the Bulls Dynasty), Pippen deferred to MJ and put up 20ppg, 7.5apg and 7rpg. Even as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Scottie Pippen is under-rated.

If you haven't read Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" - you should at least read the Pippen and Jordan sections, very high praise.

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Former Bull Pippen Named Hall of Fame Finalist

Two-time NBA MVP Karl Malone, six-time champion Scottie Pippen, and two of the great U.S. Olympic champions are finalists for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

The 1992 Dream Team, which Malone and Pippen played on along with superstars such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, is a finalist in the team category. Also up for induction is the 1960 gold medalists, a team led by Hall of Famers Jerry West and Oscar Robertson that won its games in Rome by 42.4 points per game.

“It was great to play with Larry, Michael and all the guys after all those years,” Johnson said at the press conference. “They said there’s no way we could play together. They underestimated us from the beginning. We didn’t care who scored the points or got their name in the paper. All we cared about was bringing the gold back to the U.S.”

The 19 finalists were announced Friday at the start of the NBA’s All-Star weekend. The class of 2010 will be announced on April 5 in Indianapolis before the NCAA championship game.

The Dream Team is perhaps the best and most famous basketball squad ever. The first that included NBA players in the Olympics, the Americans rolled through Barcelona to enormous fanfare with an average victory margin of 43.8.

Basketball Hall of Fame

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today named an elite list of players, coaches and teams as finalists to be considered for election to the Hall in 2010. Gaining the honor of being named a Hall of Fame finalist is one of the true highlights of a career in the sport of basketball. This year’s list includes two-time NBA MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz and Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion as a member of the Chicago Bulls and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, both first-time nominees. They will be considered along with previous finalists, such as legendary high school coach Bob Hurley of St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, N.J., and Cynthia Cooper, who helped the Houston Comets win four WNBA titles and aidied the U.S. to Olympic gold (1988) and bronze (1992) medals.

Also headlining the list for 2010 are three legendary teams, including the gold medalist 1960 United States Men’s Olympic Team, the gold medalist 1992 United States Men’s Olympic “Dream Team” and the All-American Red Heads, a finalist selected by the Women’s Committee. The announcement was made today in Dallas, Texas, in conjunction with the 2010 NBA All-Star festivities.