When the door opened at the Los Angeles Lakers training facility, Scottie Pippen Jr. stood at the foul line, but he didn't say a word to the Lakers rookies.
Shareef O' Neal stood at the foul line and made his shots, but didn't clank them off the rim as his father did.
They are not. The sons of the two NBA Hall of Fame players were included on the Lakers' summer league roster, which began practice for the upcoming California Classic in San Francisco and NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas.
Pippen Jr., who signed a two-way contract with L.A. last week, said there is a different type of camaraderie for guys whose fathers played in the NBA. Since we were little kids, there has always been a different type of pressure on us. There is a different kind of expectation. When your father is so-and-so it's a different type of pressure to play this game.
Pippen Jr. has a better chance of being on the Lakers' roster at the start of training camp.
The Lakers signed Shareef O' Neal to a summer league contract after he was drafted out of UCLA and LSU.
He said last week that he was born into the team. When I was born, my dad won a championship and now I'm wearing the Lakers gear. I didn't know what to say.
The Lakers prospects are not expected to match their fathers' careers. The names on the back of their jerseys have tested them throughout their basketball upbringing. The path that the Golden State Warriors took to win the title with four second-generation NBA players on the roster is just as much competition as it is.
Pippen Jr. thinks people come at him harder because of who he is. It goes for everyone. Everyone has a target on their back, even if they don't have a name. I'm happy with it. Everyone wants to get my best, so I like going to the gym. It is enjoyable for me.
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