Pippen, Malone top 2010 Basketball Hall of Fame class

Pete Myers discovered Scottie Pippen long before Jerry Krause did.

Trading up in the 1987 draft to select the little-known forward from Central Arkansas may have been the second-biggest coup in Bulls history. While Pippen was toiling at the NAIA school, Myers was just down the road, starring at Arkansas-Little Rock.

"A guy on my team was his cousin, Myron Jackson," Myers said. "That's how I got a chance to meet Scottie because we were roommates.

"Scottie used to work out with us in the summer. He was long, had a skill level. His body wasn't really that strong, but he was playing well with us. So I thought he had a chance."

Myers and Jackson tried to create a Little Rock dynasty. In the 1986 NCAA Tournament, Myers (29 points) and Jackson led No. 14-seed UALR to a first-round upset win over No. 3 Notre Dame. In the second round, Little Rock lost in overtime to Vinny Del Negro's North Carolina State squad.

The tournament run might have lasted longer if Pippen had suited up for UALR.

"We actually tried to get him to transfer," Myers said. "We talked to the head coach about it. I think Scottie would have come for sure. The coach didn't want to do it. He didn't know how good he was."

Pippen was announced Monday for enshrinement in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He'll join Karl Malone, Dennis Johnson, Lakers owner Jerry Buss and legendary high school coach Bobby Hurley Sr.

"He deserves it," Myer said. "People always talk about how he never did anything really great. But he did everything above average.

"He did so much for the championship teams - guarding the best player every night, rebounding the ball, giving himself up to make sure his guys get good open shots."

Kirk Hinrich is the only current Bull who played with Pippen during an injury-plagued comeback season in 2003-04. Luol Deng plays Pippen's position and tried to learn what he could during the broadcasts he'd watch in London as a kid.

"The only team I really saw when I was in England was the Bulls. So I watched Scottie a lot," Deng said. "It's great to see him added to the Hall.