Unguarded by Scottie Pippen, Michael Arkush, et al.
A Review By: SB
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This unflinching “master class” (New York Times) of a memoir from two-time Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer reveals how Scottie Pippen, the youngest of 12, overcame two family tragedies and universal disregard by college scouts to become an essential component of the greatest basketball dynasty of the last 50 years.
Scottie Pippen has been called one of the greatest NBA players for good reason.
Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners - let alone six - hanging from the United Center rafters. There’s no Last Dance documentary. There’s no “Michael Jordan” as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them.
So how did the youngest of 12 go from growing up poor in the small town of Hamburg, Arkansas, enduring two family tragedies along the way, to become a revered NBA legend? How did the scrawny teen, overlooked by every major collegiate basketball program, go on to become the fifth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft? And, perhaps most compelling, how did Pippen set aside his ego (and his own limitless professional ceiling) in order for the Bulls to become the most dominant basketball dynasty of the last half century?
In Unguarded, the six-time champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist finally opens up to offer pointed and transparent takes on Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Dennis Rodman, among others. Pippen details how he cringed at being labeled Jordan’s sidekick, and discusses how he could have (and should have) received more respect from the Bulls’ management and the media.
Pippen reveals never-before-told stories about some of the most famous games in league history, including the 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks when he took himself out with 1.8 seconds to go. He discusses what it was like dealing with Jordan on a day-to-day basis, while serving as the facilitator for the offense and the anchor for the defense.
Pippen is finally giving millions of adoring basketball fans what they crave; an unvarnished, “closely observed, and uncommonly modest” (Kirkus Reviews) look into his life and role within one of the greatest, most popular teams of all time.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2021
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): JD Jackson
In an answer to “The Last Dance” documentary, Scottie Pippen relays the rise and fall of the 6-time championship team - the Chicago Bulls - from his perspective. The prologue gives the listener insight into Scottie’s motivation for documenting his legacy as he lived it since the aforementioned documentary only provides the viewers a glance of the Bulls team as MJ’s “supporting cast”.
As much I hated the Chicago Bulls during their reign of the basketball courts, I loved reliving this time through Scottie’s eyes. The lack of player dynamics (being teammates did not mean everyone was friends), the acquiesce of a coach to defer to one player, and the drama on and off the court was inspiring and eye opening. At the end of the day, when the Bulls hit the court, it was business as usual. Everyone knew their position and played accordingly, drama be damned. JD Jackson’s narration took this sports autobiography to another level. He brought life to the story even with basketball stats and game play by play action. I would often wonder if he had as much fun recording this book as I did reliving the undeniable basketball dynasty called the Chicago Bulls.
Reading Recommendation? Yes
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? None
