Were the Showtime (summer league) Los Angeles Lakers a thing?
If we’re talking on-court performance, then the answer is no, but the lineage on the roster was worthy of the moniker.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Shareef O’Neal, sons of NBA Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O’Neal, were on L.A.’s summer roster.
Scotty, a 21-year-old point guard, went undrafted out of Vanderbilt and signed a two-way contract with the G League South Bay Lakers.
For Shareef, 22, it was his second time donning purple and gold, as he spent the past two seasons at LSU before going undrafted and signing a summer league contract.
Both players acknowledged the high bar set by their fathers.
“I would definitely say there’s a different type of camaraderie for guys whose dads played in the NBA,” Pippen said in June. “Because going through this whole process since we were little kids, there’s always a different type of pressure on us, I would say. A different type of expectation. So I tip my hat to all those guys, because playing this game when your father is so-and-so is a different type of pressure to play at.”
“I know it’s always going to be there, the comparison,” O’Neal said in June. “Every kid is going to get compared to their dad who does the same thing as them. So that’s going to be there. It doesn’t bother me.”
Here’s how the duo looked in the Las Vegas Summer League:
July 16
Game result: Lakers win 95-84 against Dallas Mavericks
Stat lines: Pippen — 11 points (5-11 FG), 3 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 19 minutes
O’Neal — 6 points (3-5 FG), 1 assist and 3 rebounds in 9 minutes
July 15
Game result: Lakers win 102-94 against New Orleans Pelicans
Stat lines: Pippen — 11 points (4-12 FG, 2-3 FT), 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in 22 minutes
O’Neal — Did not play
July 12
Game result: Lakers win 83-72 against LA Clippers
Stat lines: Pippen — 8 points (2-7 FG, 3-4 FT), 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 18 minutes
O’Neal — 2 points (1-3 FG), 1 rebound and 1 block in 7 minutes
July 10
SCOTTY PIPPEN JR.’S STEAL ➡️ SHAREEF O’NEAL ? pic.twitter.com/FFOyTRWrFC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 11, 2022
Game result: Lakers lose 89-86 in double overtime to Charlotte Hornets
Stat lines: Pippen — 10 points (4-15 FG, 2-2 FT), 7 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 steals in 30 minutes
O’Neal — 4 points (2-4 FG), 7 rebounds and 1 steal in 15 minutes
July 8
Game result: Lakers lose to Phoenix Suns 104-84
Stat lines: Pippen — 19 points (6-14 FG, 6-10 FT), 4 rebounds in 24 minutes
O’Neal — 7 points (2-6 FG, 3-6 FT), 4 rebounds in 14 minutes
Pippen led the Lakers in points and was just one point shy of tying the game’s leading scorer, Suns small forward Louis King. Pippen also received an assist, albeit off the floor, from LeBron James.
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Shareef O’Neal shakes the basket after he crams down a massive two-handed slam on the break.