Scottie Pippen is sounding the alarm on a growing issue in American basketball: the decline of the jump shot.
“A lot of Americans have lost jobs because we haven’t mastered the advantage of shooting the ball like our European counterparts,” Pippen said, per NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
His message wasn’t confrontational, but it was direct—and supported by the game’s evolution.
Over the last decade, the NBA has shifted toward perimeter shooting and floor spacing as cornerstones of modern offense.
Players who can’t consistently knock down jumpers, especially from deep, are finding fewer roles and shorter careers.
Meanwhile, international players like Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama have entered the league with polished jump shots and advanced basketball IQ.
They aren’t outliers—they are products of development systems that emphasize shooting fundamentals early.
In contrast, many American youth programs still prioritize athleticism, isolation scoring, and individual highlights.
This gap in development has contributed to international stars dominating the league’s highest honors.
Each of the last four NBA MVPs—Antetokounmpo, Jokić, Embiid, and Gilgeous-Alexander—hail from outside the United States.
The trend is accelerating with rising stars like Franz Wagner, Josh Giddey, and Wembanyama extending the global pipeline.
Pippen’s critique also underscores a structural divide between development models.
In Europe, young players are embedded in professional clubs where they train with adults and focus on skill execution.
In the U.S., prospects often jump between AAU circuits, high school teams, and NCAA programs with inconsistent coaching philosophies.
While the U.S. still produces elite talents—Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, and Jayson Tatum among them—shooting has become non-negotiable.
The phrase “shoot or sit” has never been more applicable.
Pippen, a versatile two-way force in the 1990s, thrived without relying on the three-point line.
But in today’s NBA, even a player of his caliber would need a reliable jumper to maximize his role.
