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Scottie Pippen Issues Response to Jalen Williams Claim During NBA Finals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 2:46 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the road on Thursday night as they face off against the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City was able to take Game 5 on their home court to grab a 3-2 series lead and they now enter Thursday’s contest looking to clinch the series and a championship with a victory.

Of course, the Thunder saw an incredible performance from their star duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Game 5 on Monday as the two helped lead them to a victory.

For Williams, he ended Game 5 with a playoff career-high 40 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and one steal.

This was an incredible performance by Williams as he continues his breakout campaign and his recent performances have had him compared to an NBA legend.

Recently, Williams has drawn comparisons to Chicago Bulls legend and six-time champion Scottie Pippen.

Pippen responded to these claims ahead of Game 6 on Thursday in an interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“He is pretty special,” Pippen said about Williams. “I see a lot of me in him for sure. I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He's definitely a player that is capable of being able to lead that franchise to multiple championships - him and Shai, of course.”

Scottie Pippen sees “a lot of me” when he watches OKC star sidekick Jalen Williams.

“I don’t even want to put a cap on him to say that he’s going to be me,” Pippen told ESPN. “I see him being greater.”

ESPN story: https://t.co/j8wA31GQkL
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 19, 2025

This is high praise from Pippen and with how Williams has played this season, he does have some key traits Pippen did during his time in the NBA.

Williams is an elite scorer next to Shai but he also brings a ton of intensity on the defensive side of the ball, much like Pippen did during his time with the Bulls alongside Michael Jordan.

While Williams is not yet at the level of Pippen, it is clear that he is turning into a star in the NBA and he and the Thunder now sit just one victory away from capping off their dominant season with a championship.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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