BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – Like many of the other fans scattered around the arena, Scottie Pippen was just there to see his son.
It was Aug. 2, and roughly 100 fans would trickle their way into Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez for a Sunday afternoon exhibition game featuring a visiting college and a hodgepodge team of local professional players. The Ohio State men’s basketball team was set to face off against Los Boris 1 as part of the Arroyo Puerto Rico Classic, and that meant it would be the unofficial team debut for Justin Pippen.
Five rows up and a few seats from midcourt, Scottie Pippen folded his 6-foot-8 frame into the blue plastic chairs about 25 minutes before tipoff and waited.
“It’s great,” he said. “You always love the sound of the basketball bouncing
and seeing the kids out here having fun. It’s always great to be in an environment around players that they’re doing something they’re passionate about.”
That includes his son, who transferred to Ohio State after playing his sophomore season at California. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard is slotted to take over the point guard spot for the Buckeyes as part of a rebuilt backcourt alongside junior John Mobley Jr. As Justin Pippen has settled into life with the Buckeyes, his dad said he’s purposefully kept a respectful distance, allowing him to assimilate into the program without the looming specter of his father’s fame following him around.
When it came time to play a game, though, Scottie Pippen said he couldn’t wait to see how his son’s debut would play out.
“It’s part of the journey,” Scottie Pippen said. “I just want to come and take a look at the team and see how they’re playing and how they’re developing physically as well as mentally.”
In Ohio State’s win 115-75 win that day, Justin Pippen finished with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and a team-high five fouls drawn. The next day, against Los Boris 2, he scored 14 points, dished out five more assists and grabbed two more rebounds as Ohio State won 111-73.
His two-game totals: 24 points on 7-of-17 shooting, nine assists, a team-high seven fouls drawn, six rebounds, two steals and one turnover in 38:36 total playing time. And both days, Scottie Pippen was on hand to watch.
“I wanted him to bond, so this is my first time coming out and being around the team,” the dad said. “It’s been great. Justin is built for this. This is what he’s always wanted to do. I think it’s awesome that he’s able to live his childhood dream out.”
While at the arena, Scottie Pippen was the immediate focal point for the majority of the crowd. He posed for photos and shook hands with a stream of fans who noticed him and eventually was moved to a courtside seat opposite from the home team’s bench. There, he held his phone horizontally, filming moments of the game and smiling throughout. Six seats to his right on Aug. 3, a child who roughly looked to be 6 or 7 years old wore a red Chicago Bulls No. 33 jersey with Pippen on the back.
After that game, Justin Pippen said he appreciated getting to see his dad at the game.
“Definitely looking forward to him coming throughout the season, but it’s been good,” he said. “I haven’t seen him a lot this summer, but it’s always a blessing. I’m very grateful my dad is who he is and he always comes to see me play.”
Looking ahead to that first game, the elder Pippen said he was hoping simply to watch his son having fun while also seeing him fitting in with his new team on both ends of the court. About 20 minutes before tip, Buckeyes coach Jake Diebler came over and spoke with him for a few minutes. The two have a relationship that dates back to when Diebler recruited Scottie Pippen Jr., Justin’s older brother, while as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
“He’s been everything Justin needs, someone to push him and keep him in the gym and on the court but also helping him grow and to develop,” Scottie Pippen said of Diebler.
With two wins in their pockets, the Buckeyes wrapped up their exhibition slate and began to start thinking about fall practice and the start of the season. When Ohio State does get the 2026-27 season underway, Justin Pippen will be expected to handle a heavy load on both ends of the floor while continuing to develop his game.
Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, Scottie Pippen said his son will do that on his own terms.
“Justin is paving his own way,” he said. “He’s got a great personality. I think he’s the kind of kid that is very easy to get to know and to bond with. His style of play, the way he plays the game, is something that’s very contagious. It’s going to be exciting to see how all of that happens on the court.”
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What Scottie Pippen said before watching Justin Pippen's Ohio State debut
