“I gave up more than anybody to get Scottie” – Charles Barkley on Scottie Pippen wanting out of the Rockets in 1999 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In the 1999 NBA offseason, Charles Barkley hit Scottie Pippen with the classic “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” line.
Advertisement
Normally, this is the kind of thing parents say to their children. Chuck used it because he clearly didn’t feel Pippen, who was hell-bent on leaving after just a brief time together, appreciated the effort it took to get him to the Houston Rockets in the first place.
“I am not upset, I don’t hold any grudges, but I gave up more than anybody to get Scottie and for him to just want to leave after one year just disappointed me greatly,” said Barkley, per ESPN.
A superteam on paper
Before the 1998-99 season, with longtime forward Clyde Drexler retired, the Rockets faced a pressing need for a dominant wing. Believing they’d found the answer, they acquired Pippen from the Chicago Bulls in January 1999 through a sign-and-trade that sent Roy Rogers and a 2000 second-round pick the other way.
Advertisement
Creating the salary-cap space for the six-time NBA champion came at a cost. As ESPN reported, Barkley had “sacrificed greatly” for Pippen, who had signed a five-year, $67.2 million contract the previous season.
With Barkley, Pippen, and franchise icon Hakeem Olajuwon on paper, the Rockets looked like a potential superteam. The trio, then playing for Team USA, had won gold together at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and expectations were sky-high.
Ultimately, reality fell short. In the 1999 Western Conference First Round, the team from Houston lost in four games against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Advertisement
Barkley’s sacrifice, Pippen’s exit
After that playoff exit, rumors swirled that Pip then in his mid-30s, was reportedly eyeing a reunion. Phil Jackson, his former Bulls head coach, was on the verge of joining the Lakers, and the Arkansas native seemed poised to follow suit. It was never fully confirmed whether Pip requested a trade to make it happen.
Advertisement
For players on the downward arc of their careers — and he averaged 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists for Houston- was at that stage — such reunions can be the only way to regain momentum. Still, for Sir Charles, the whispers about Pip potentially leaving cut deep.
“I made a great sacrifice to get Scottie in Houston,” the 1993 MVP said. “For him to want to bolt on me after one year, I was very disappointed.”
It wasn’t just about himself, the future Hall of Famer added. The Rockets’ front office had “went out of their way” to acquire the six-time champ, and the fans, who had treated Pippen “so well” despite off-court issues, deserved more in return.
Advertisement
Despite his disappointment, Chuck still defended Scottie, arguing that his on-court struggles were more about roster construction than declining skills. He noted it was unfair to have the former Bulls star handle the ball so often, saying it wore him down. He insisted Pip would shine again once the front office brought in a “legit point guard who knows how to run the fast break.”
The logic made sense, but the Rockets had other ideas. On October 2, 1999, they shipped Pippen to the Portland Trail Blazers, cutting short his Houston stint and leaving behind a bitterly disappointed Barkley.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.