On May 27, 2026, Ohio State men's basketball head coach Jake Diebler officially announced the addition of guard Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen. While the next generation of the Pippen family makes headlines in college hoops, basketball analysts are still litigating the elder Pippen's legendary, and at times controversial, postseason history with the Chicago Bulls.
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, guest Max Kellerman revisited the famous 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, arguing that "the '90 Bulls were the best team in basketball. Pippen got a migraine in game seven." Kellerman used the historical moment to defend Michael Jordan's immaculate Finals record, noting that Jordan's only playoff losses when surrounded by elite help came "when he had another all-star on his team, even one, was the year he played baseball, came back, and didn't have his legs, and the year Pippen got the migraine against the Pistons." This framing separates the duo's championship runs from their early struggles, placing the blame for the 1990 exit squarely on Pippen's physical setback rather than any failure of Jordan's leadership.
While Kellerman's take frames Scottie Pippen's infamous migraine as a historical asterisk that protected Michael Jordan's undefeated mystique, it also highlights the enduring debate over the Hall of Famer's legacy. Whether Justin Pippen can carve out his own legacy at Ohio State free of his father's complex postseason shadow remains to be seen.