National Basketball Association

Scottie Pippen to Join ESPN's NBA Coverage as an Analyst?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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According to a source that has talked with The Big Lead, former Chicago Bulls great will be joining ESPN as an analyst for their NBA coverage.

It’s likely that you’re not going to see Scottie Pippen sitting courtside for Chicago Bulls games for a while due to a new role.

The six-time NBA champion and 1994 MVP runner-up is apparently heading into the studio to join ESPN’s NBA coverage this season, according to a source that spoke with The Big Lead.

TBL stated that a formal announcement is in the works and that Pippen will be joining ESPN for this upcoming season.

Here’s TBL’s Ryan Glasspiegel with more on Pippen heading to ESPN:

Pippen, who won six titles as a player on the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, is expected to be on air for about 50 dates during the upcoming NBA season, mostly on The Jump — the daily NBA show hosted by Rachel Nichols that debuted last season — and on SportsCenter.

The Jump is Rachel Nichols’ NBA-based program that comes on ESPN during the afternoons throughout the season and has had former players like Stephen Jackson, Tracy McGrady and Chauncey Billups on the program. (Jimmy Butler made an appearance on Nichols’ show last season.)

It appears that Pippen is leaving his role as an ambassador for the Bulls organization. (I guess that’s what Horace Grant, Randy Brown and John Paxson are for, right?)

Glasspiegel also mentioned that former Bulls coach Doug Collins is heading for the play-by-play booth as a color commentator this season, so the analyst roles for ESPN NBA Countdown are needing to be filled.

A couple names that were thrown around by TBL’s source: Former Laker greats Earvin “Magic” Johnson (who has already spent some time with ESPN, but appears unlikely to return) and the recently retired Kobe Bryant.