Phoenix Suns Sign Scottie Pippen's Nephew

A Pip Off His Uncle’s Block

By Steven Koek, Suns.com

In 1987, an unknown forward out of a small college burst onto the NBA scene and wound up with six championship rings and a place among the top players of all time.

The Suns will open training camp next week with an unknown free agent forward from a small college who hopes that history and genetics are on his side.

William Pippen, nephew of Bulls forward Scottie Pippen, went undrafted after a four-year career at Middle Tennessee State University. He has been working out at AWA the last few weeks and has been invited to participate in the Suns’ training camp, which begins September 29.

William made dramatic progress his senior year at MTSU, leading the team with six rebounds a game while averaging 15.5 ppg. He helped propel the Blue Raiders to the finals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament last season, earning all-tournament team honors in the process.

Although a long shot to crack the Suns’ regular season roster, Pippen is grateful for the opportunity to see some preseason action and is looking at the next month as a valuable learning tool in helping him reach his ultimate goal of playing in the NBA.