
I’ve got three boys at home with me, so we’ve been training really hard. That’s interesting to see how they’re going to work the fans into the mix. I was wondering how they were going to do that. And fans can also virtually interact with one another during the game. More than 300 fans each game will be invited to appear live on screen surrounding the court, which will be seen by the players and on television. And they’re going to be bringing some joy to the fans for the return of the NBA, which is why they announced “Michelob Ultra Courtside.” It’s a digital experience that’s virtual it brings fans inside the arena. First of all, I’m a huge fan of Michelob Ultra, and I was very excited to hear that Michelob Ultra is the official beer of the NBA now. Tell us about this promotion you’re doing with Michelob to get us started. We recently caught up with Pippen this week to talk about the NBA’s return, the toughest player he ever had to guard, his second career as a basketball commentator, and much more. Alongside Michael Jordan, Pippen comprised one of the best duos in basketball history, winning six titles in the 90s and, in the process, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats. Pippen grew seven inches over the course of a single summer, and armed with the point guard skills he’d been honing in obscurity, went on to become a standard bearer for future generations of do-it-all, multi-positional wing players. That is, until a fortuitous growth spurt changed the trajectory of his life and career. But beyond that, his prospects were mostly unremarkable. Pippen arrived in Conway equipped with the type of speed, ball-handling, and court vision that endeared him to the coaching staff and earned him a spot as a walk-on. Scottie Pippen, legendary Bulls icon and arguably one of the greatest players of all time, started his basketball career as a 6’1 point guard at the University of Central Arkansas. Fewer still realize that - like so many evolutionary outliers - one of the early prototypes for what we’ve come to consider the contemporary stretch-four was a product of chance and circumstance. Few are able to develop the tool-set required to transcend their natural ability. Many players are blessed with physical gifts. You’d want someone who prioritizes teamwork, who is selfless nearly to a fault, yet capable of taking over and dominating when necessary. You’d want someone who can dribble, pass, shoot, and defend multiple positions. If you were to construct the ideal basketball player for the modern era, you’d start with that coveted combination of size and agility.
