The Last Dance documentary has been an international sensation and was the subject of conversation in April 2020 and will continue to be throughout May. Although six-time NBA Finals MVP Michael Jordan is the central figure in the documentary, his 1997-98 Bulls teammates are highlighted a well.
Hall of Famer Scottie Maurice Pippen, who was the Robin to Jordan's Batman throughout the six championship seasons, was one of the secondary figures featured in The Last Dance . Pippen, now 54 years old, was the fifth overall selection in the 1987 NBA Draft. Although Seattle SuperSonics officially drafted Pippen, the Bulls acquired him in a draft-day trade.
The six-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star played his college years at the University of Central Arkansas. Pippen, who originally was a college walk-on, grew seven inches during college. The growth spurt helped him become a two-time NAIA All-American and average 23.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game during his senior year.
Pippen played 12 seasons in Chicago, 11 of which were with Jordan: from Pippen's rookie season in 1987-88 to The Last Dance 1997-98 season. Pippen owns the sixth-most steals in NBA history, as he was named to eight All-Defensive First Teams.
Then after Jerry Krause made the sign-and-trade deal to send Pippen to Houston in 1999, the Rockets then turned around and traded him the following year to the Portland Trail Blazers. Pippen, who made $67.2 million in the five-year deal, played in the playoffs in all five years away from Chicago, and then returned to the Bulls for his final NBA season. He returned to a team that would eventually be referred to as the "Baby Bulls."
Pippen's legacy was such an impressive one that his No. 33 has been retired by both the Chicago Bulls and the Central Arkansas Bears. He was such an important NBA player, and here are the most valuable Scottie Pippen cards sold on eBay over the last 90 days.
#15
2013 National Treasures Scottie Pippen NBA Game Gear Prime #61 #'d/10
Recent sale: $380
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This BGS 9.5 card had the best offer accepted on eBay. BGS has only graded one of these 2013 National Treasures cards and has never issued a BGS grade of 9.5 or higher. There is no PSA data for this card, which is the only 2013 card on this list.
Although this was one of the highest-selling Scottie Pippen cards, the original list price was reduced by almost one-third. The original list price was $599.99, and the actual price for the card is $380.
The autographed Pippen card has him in his red road Bulls jersey. He has the matching red shorts with the Bulls logo and white background. The tri-colored "game gear" Bulls patch has the white, black, and red colors.
The front of the card cuts off Pippen's right hand and the basketball, while the back of the card includes more of the image of him dribbling down the court.
Pippen's usage percentage ranked in the top 20 in just two seasons, which were not surprisingly the ones Jordan was off playing baseball for the Chicago White Sox system. Meanwhile, Pippen's passing skills vaulted him to the top of the assist leaderboards in the NBA. In the 1990-91 season, he made his first top-20 list with 511 assists. Then the following season, he jumped to a career-high 572 assists, which ranked 10th among all NBA players. Pippen proceeded to make four more top-20 lists in assists, and he has the 33rd-most assists in league history.
#14
1987 Bulls Entenmann's Scottie Pippen RC #33
Recent sale: $430
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Yes, you read that right. Entenmann's, which has been a leader in baking for over a century, had Bulls cards. The Scottie Pippen rookie card value is high for this set.
Pippen is in his home white Bulls jersey for this BGS 9.5 card, which had the best eBay offer accepted. BGS has graded 19 of these 1987 Bulls Entenmann's cards, and there are eight BGS 9.5 grades. The remaining BGS population is below BGS 9.5. There is no PSA data for this card, which is the only one on this list from 1987.
The best eBay offer was accepted for this rookie card. The list price, $599.99, was the same as the No. 15 ranked card. The card was sold for $430.
This rare Pippen card, which has a blank back side, shows him scoring two of his 11 points in the December 22, 1987 contest against the Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Stadium. Pippen, who came off the bench throughout his rookie season, played 28 minutes in the contest but was in foul trouble in the 111-100 loss.
During Pippen's career against the Mavericks, he performed well in one certain category: free throw shooting. Among the 16 teams that Pippen faced at least 40 times during his NBA regular season career, he had his best free throw percentage (.718) against the Mavericks.
#13
2014 Panini Excalibur Scottie Pippen Red White & Blue Jerseys #16 #'d/25
Recent sale: $550
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This 2014 Panini Excalibur USA basketball card is one of the most valuable Scottie Pippen cards and the only 2014 card of this list. The BGS 9.0 Pippen card also had the best eBay offer accepted. The card's original list price was $785, but the card was sold for $550. In the BGS population, there are just two cards, and they are both BGS 9.0 cards. There is no PSA data for this Red, White, & Blue card.
During Pippen's Olympic career, he made two appearances and won two gold medals with the United States Men's Basketball team. His first Olympics was 1992 as a part of the Dream Team, which was coached by Hall of Famer Chuck Daly. Playing alongside Jordan, Bird, Magic Barkley, Malone, and Robinson, Magic, Pippen averaged 9.0 points per game. He also led the team with 5.9 assists per game and 2.9 steals per game. The Dream Team defeated Toni Kukoč's Croatian team, 117-85, in the Gold Medal Game.
With the exception of Jordan, Pippen had similar teammates in 1996, as he was one of the team leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Pippen's Olympic record finished at a perfect 16-0. The 1996 Olympic team, coached by Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, also had an easy Gold Medal Game victory: 95-69 against Serbia and Montenegro.
#12
1997 Fleer Ultra Scottie Pippen Platinum Medallion #55 #'d/100
Recent sale: $565
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The 1997 Fleer Ultra Pippen card, which is BGS 9.0, has a small population in both PSA and BGS. This type of card has been seen by PSA three times, and there have been two PSA 9.0 grades. There is also one BGS card graded, and it is a BGS 9.0.
On the front of the card, Pippen is driving to the hoop against Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway. On the back, a sweaty Pippen is pictured with the basketball along with one impressive advanced statistic: steal to turnover ratio.
The Bulls great faced the father of Tim Hardaway Jr. 30 times over the course of their lengthy careers. Pippen was 16-6 during the regular season and 7-1 in the playoffs against Hardaway. In the Bulls' 110-92 late-season victory over the Heat on April 2, 1996, Pippen went for 33 points. His 33 points at Miami Arena were the most for either Pipper or Hardaway while the latter was a member of the Heat.
Later in 1996, the Bulls swept the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. In the series-clinching 112-91 Chicago win also at Miami Arena, Pippen had his only career triple-double against the Heat: 22 points, 10 assists, and a career-high 18 rebounds. This performance was the 19th of his 21 career triple-doubles.
#11
1996 Skybox Premium Scottie Pippen Autographics #68
Recent sale: $770
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The only 1996 card of this list has a BGS 8.5 grade and an autograph grade of 10. There have been 30 Pippen Autographics cards from the 1996 Skybox Premium set graded by BGS. Of the 30 grades for this type of card, 11 are BGS 8.5. There is no PSA data for this card.
The image of a red-jerseyed Pippen on the front and back is of him dribbling the basketball during a road game. The back of the card includes his statistics through the end of 1995-96. Pippen's 1995-96 season was one of his best, as he was fifth in MVP voting. In the 1996 playoffs, he went on to led the NBA in steals, and he was the best postseason defender in terms of rating and win shares.
After the Bulls swept the Heat in the first round, they took care of the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic, as Chicago lost just one game total in those two series. Then, the Bulls went to their first NBA Finals since 1993. In the 1996 Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics, Pippen averaged 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He also led the Bulls in assists (5.3 per game) and led both teams in steals (2.3 per game). Pippen continued to be a defensive stalwart, as he had the best defensive rating for the Bulls during the 1996 Finals, which Chicago won in six games.
#10
1994 Finest Scottie Pippen Lottery Prize Refactors Test #LP4
Recent sale: $805
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This top 15 list has just one 1994 Pippen card, and it is in the 1994 Topps Finest set. There has been just one card graded among the BGS and PSA populations, and it is BGS 8.5.
The background of the front of this BGS 8.5 Topps card is an interesting one: it has a basketball surrounded by what appears to be a carnival game. Pippen is laying up a basketball in the image on the front. Since Jordan had journeyed off to play baseball, Pippen was by far Chicago's best player for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
Pippen averaged a team-best 22.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. He also had the Bulls' best defensive rating, win shares, and box plus/minus. The 1993-94 Bulls were attempting to four-peat. Pippen's series-best 25.3 points and 3.3 steals per game led Chicago to a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The No. 3 seeded Bulls faced off against the No. 2 Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Pippen had the most steals in the series, and he had a game-high 20 points and team-high 16 rebounds in Game 7 on May 22, 1994. Just two more Bulls had double-digit points in the game though, as Patrick Ewing led the Knicks to the Game 7 victory, 87-77, at Madison Square Garden.
#9
1997 Skybox Metal Universe Scottie Pippen Platinum Portraits #15
Recent sale: $999
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There are several 1997 Pippen cards on this list, and this Platinum Portraits card is one of three PSA 10 cards. There are a total of eight cards seen by PSA. BGS has graded 11 of these 1997 Skybox Metal Universe Scottie Pippen cards, and none are BGS 10 or Black Label.
The front and back of this Pippen card are unique, as he is facing opposite directions in black and white freeform images. This remarkable card showcases Pippen after yet another fantastic season with the Bulls in 1996-97.
On February 18, 1997, Pippen scored a career-high 47 points against the visiting Denver Nuggets. The 46-6 Bulls won, 134-123, in the highly-scored game. Pippen registered 47 points in just 41 minutes, as he made 19 of his 27 field goals. Jordan was in the giving mood for that game, as he had a game-high 12 assists at the United Center.
#8
2005 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Scottie Pippen Limited Logos #LLSP #'d/50
Recent sale: $1,100
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The first of two 2005 Pippen cards in the top 15 is this BGS 9.5 Pippen Limited Logos card. There is no PSA data for this card, but there are 18 cards in the BGS population: five of the grades are BGS 9.5 while the rest of the BGS population is below 9.5. The card includes both the tri-colored patch and an autograph.
The 2003-04 season was the final one of his NBA career. Heading into Pippen's final year, he had averaged double-digit points in every season, except for his rookie one. He averaged just 5.9 points per game in his 23 contests in his final season. On October 5, 2004, Pippen announced his retirement after that final season with the Bulls.
Just one year later, the Bulls retired Pippen's number in a ceremony that featured No. 33, as he celebrated the night with wife and sons. The jersey retirement happened during halftime of a December contest between the Bulls and Lakers at the United Center. Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson, the Lakers head coach at the time, spoke during the ceremony along with Pippen's other former teammates and coaches. Kobe Bryant played in the contest and scored a team-high 23 points. Kirk Hinrich's game-high 26 points were not enough, as the Bulls fell, 93-80. Maybe Pippen should have ditched the suit and played some minutes for that 2005-06 Chicago team that went 41-41 and lost in the first round to the Heat.
#7
1997 Skybox E-X2001 Scottie Pippen Essential Credentials Future #11 #'d/70
Recent sale: $1,526
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The background of this 1997 Skybox card has Pippen in front of a three-toned background. There is no PSA data for this BGS Authentic card, and there have been just two cards seen by BGS: they have 7.5 and 8.0 grades.
Pippen played all 82 regular season games during the 1996-97 season. He had the fifth-highest win shares, and he made the 10th-most shots in the league that season. Then in the postseason, Pippen scored 29 points in the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. He made six 3-pointers en route to Chicago's 100-97 win at the United Center. In the 1997 playoffs, the Bulls lost just four games en route to their fifth championship.
In the 1997 NBA Finals, to most people's surprise, Pippen led the Bulls in rebounding, and he blocked the most shots in the series. Both Pippen and Jordan played a series-high 256 minutes in the 1997 Finals. Chicago won the first two games of the series and after the Jazz tied the series at two wins apiece, the Bulls finished off Utah in six games.
#6
1998 Fleer Tradition Scottie Pippen Playmakers Theatre #13 #'d/100
Recent sale: $2,600
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In this 1998 Fleer Traditional card, Pippen is rising to the hoop for a layup. There is no PSA data for this card, but there have been seven Pippen Playmakers Theatre cards seen by BGS: three of which are graded BGS 9.0.
The best eBay offer has been accepted for this BGS 9.0 card. The original list price was $4,999.99, but the buyer purchased this card for just slightly over half of the asking price: $2,600.
The back of the card shows a smooth-looking Pippen dribbling the ball down the court. The card describes how the two-man game of Jordan and Pippen began with Pippen playing a point-forward position, one that LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo often play. The Jordan and Pippen tandem won 514 regular season games (.744 winning percentage) and 117 playoff games (.696) together, culminating with that final championship in 1998.
Although the duo performed better during the 1996-97 season than they did in the 1997-98 season, they both were powerful together during all of their championship years. Pippen's 45 steals led the NBA in the 1998 playoffs, marking the fourth and final time he would lead all players in playoff steals as a Bull. Then in the following year, the 1998-99 season would be his last one on the All-Defensive First Team.
#5
1988 Fleer Scottie Pippen RC #20
Recent sale: $3,050
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The 1988 Fleer Scottie Pippen rookie card price was listed at $3,125. This PSA 10 card was purchased at $3,050. There are two other PSA 10 parallels that had even higher asking prices and were purchased within the last 90 days on eBay. Each of the three cards took the best eBay offer accepted, and all would have fallen in the top eight of this list.
This often-seen Pippen card has been graded 6,040 times by PSA and 2,245 by BGS. There are just 217 PSA 10 grades for this Pippen rookie card. There are no grades in the 2,245-card BGS population that are BGS 10 or Black Label.
The classic card has a picture of Pippen way ahead of his defender as he attempts a layup. The simple back of the card has his rookie season statistics. Although Pippen did not start a single game during the regular season, head coach Doug Collins inserted the future Hall of Fame small forward into the starting lineup for six of the team's 10 playoff games. Just one year before Jordan's "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo, the Bulls faced Ehlo's Cavaliers in the first round of the 1988 playoffs. In the series-clinching 107-101 Bulls victory, Pippen scored 24 points and had a team-high three steals at Chicago Stadium.
The Bulls then faced the Detroit Pistons, and Pippen started all five of the games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was in the top five on the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, but Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer were too much for the Bulls, as Chicago lost the series four games to one.
#4
1998 Skybox Premium Scottie Pippen Star Rubies #20
Recent sale: $3,300
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The most expensive card on this list that had the best eBay offer accepted is this BGS 8.5 Star Rubies card. There is no PSA data for this 1998 Skybox Premium Pippen card. Of the seven BGS cards seen, all of them are graded BGS 8.5. For those fans of Skybox Pippen cards, you will be especially interested in the end of the list because there is more interesting Skybox information ahead.
The front of this card features Pippen dribbling the basketball in his home white jersey with black and white Nike sneakers. The back of the card has a close-up of Pippen in his final season with the Bulls.
After the 1998 NBA Finals, Chicago dismantled the roster that won the second three-peat. Krause shipped Pippen off to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Roy Rogers and a 2000 second round draft pick. Pippen then played the 1998-99 lockout-shortened season with the Rockets. He played all 50 regular season games in his only season in Houston. Pippen led the Rockets to their only victory of the 1999 playoffs by scoring a game-high 37 points in the 102-88 Game 3 win against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Compaq Center in Houston. This 1999 Rockets team was the last of seven consecutive playoff appearances for the Hakeem Olajuwon Rockets.
#3
2005 Ultimate Collection Scottie Pippen MVPs Signatures #MVP SP #'d/1
Recent sale: $3,473
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This crisp and unique BGS 9.5 Pippen card, which features him in front of a basketball hardwood background, includes a 9.0-grade autograph as well. There is no PSA data for this MVPs Signatures card. Just one of these 2005 Ultimate Collection Pippen cards was seen by BGS, and it is graded BGS 9.5.
Just like many other valuable Pippen cards, he is pictured attempting a layup. Among his eight seasons of advanced shooting data, Pippen seemingly could not miss from close distance in 1996-97. He also had his second-best single-season 3-point percentage, which was part of the reason his career-best effective field goal percentage came in 1996-97. Also, Pippen's 1997 All-Star Game at Gund Arena in Cleveland was the last of his seven All-Star appearances.
#2
1997 Skybox E-X2001 Scottie Pippen Jambalaya #14 #'d/50
Recent sale: $3,550
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This BGS 9.5 oval-shaped 1997 Skybox E-X2001 Pippen card is the most interesting-looking card in this list. There is no PSA data for this card, but BGS has seen 21 Jamabalaya Pippen cards: six of them are graded BGS 9.5 while the rest of the BGS population is below 9.5.
The front of the card has Pippen in a home jersey skying with the ball, while the back of the card has a close-up of him while describing the style of his fastbreak dunk.
Pippen's 1996-97 season included 60 dunks, which is unsurprisingly the most he had in any of the eight seasons with dunk data. The 60 dunks led the Bulls and ranked eighth in the NBA that season. He missed just one dunk in 1996-97.
He dunked the ball 44 times the following year, but a higher percentage of the 1997-98 dunks were assisted. He ranked 26th in dunks in 1997-98, and he was the only player to play small forward or guard and attempt more than 15 dunks that season without missing one.
In the playoffs, he ranked first among small forwards and fourth overall with 19 dunks in 1997. Jordan had 18 dunks that postseason, finishing fifth overall. Then the following playoffs, Pippen once again led all small forwards in dunks and was third overall, behind just Shaquille O'Neal and Dale Davis. Pippen's one-handed slam will be remembered in many highlights as a part of those championship runs.
#1
1997 Skybox Premium Scottie Pippen Star Rubies #242 #'d/50
Recent sale: $3,750
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The top billing on the top 15 most expensive Pippen cards list is another 1997 one. There is no PSA data for this Star Rubies card, which has one of the most interesting backgrounds of any card. The multi-colored background with rubies showcases Pippen shooting the ball on the front of this BGS 9.0 card.
None of these 1997 Skybox premium cards have been seen by PSA. There have been 10 of these cards seen by BGS, and only three of them are BGS 9.0. None of the 10 cards have a grade better than BGS 9.0.
Pippen was a prolific shooter during his lengthy career. He made the 50th-most shots in NBA history and has scored the 60th-most points. He had a top-20 Player Efficiency Rating in seven different seasons.
He also had an impressive shooting performance in the 1994 All-Star Game at Target Center in Minneapolis. Coached by Lenny Wilkens, Pippen shot 9-for-15 from the field and made five of his nine 3-point attempts. He won the MVP award of this All-Star Game by leading all players in points (29), field goals made (nine), 3-pointers made (five), defensive rebounds (11), and steals (four). Pippen's performance from 3-point land was so impressive that he made four more 3-pointers than the entire Western Conference All-Star team.
Conclusion
According to the Value Over Replacement Player statistic, Pippen is the 23rd-best player in NBA history. He was such an amazing NBA player, and he made such an impact on Chicago and the sport of basketball that the Bulls retired his number on December 8, 2005. He joined Jerry Sloan's No. 4, Bob Love's No. 10, and Michael Jordan's No. 23 as the fourth Bulls number retired in the rafters at the United Center. He was then inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Pippen was such a great player and was valued so high in the NBA that the Rockets received a whopping six players from the Trail Blazers in exchange for just Pippen. Of the six players, three of them had All-Rookie team selections on their resumes. In addition, future three-time NBA champion Brian Shaw was in the seven-player trade.
Pippen played four seasons in Portland and made the postseason in all four years, which extended the team's streak to 21 straight postseasons, just one off the NBA record of 22 accomplished by the Spurs and 76ers. The first of those four Blazers playoff appearances in 2000 finished with a Western Conference Finals appearance against the Lakers, who coincidentally signed Shaw 28 days after Portland traded him. The Blazers took the Lakers to seven games, but lost, 89-84, in Game 7.
After Pippen ended his NBA career, he returned to the University of Central Arkansas to complete his college degree. Pippen, who entered college at just one inch taller than six feet, was originally offered a position as the student manager of the Central Arkansas basketball team. Just five years later, he was drafted fifth overall in the NBA Draft. Then less than a decade into his NBA career, Pippen was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Scottie Pippen is one of the best basketball players of all-time, and the value of his cards is on the rise with the release of The Last Dance documentary.
