Pippen Wants To Ride Rockets

Scottie Pippen wants to come back for a second season with the Houston Rockets.

"I look forward to it," he told Houston television station KRIV Tuesday night. "Right here is where I feel like is going to be my home. "

"Until that time comes for me to make a decision to do something else, then I'm still a Houston Rocket."

A disappointing season prompted speculation that he was available to be traded.

The Rockets have denied wanting to deal the 12-year veteran but the trade talk heightened last month after Pippen's former coach with the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson, was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers.

There was talk Pippen would be dealt to the Lakers for Glen Rice and former Rocket Robert Horry.

"Well, that's all speculation," Pippen said. "I haven't sat down and talked with the Rockets organization at this moment. ... When the time comes, we both will sit down and will be fair."

Pippen, who will turn 34 in September, was traded from the Bulls at the start of last year's abbreviated season but averaged only 14 points in an up-and-down year as he struggled to fit in. The scoring output was the lowest since his second year in the league.

Scottie Pippen wants to stay in Houston rather than become teammates with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. (AP)

He also ran into trouble with the law, getting arrested in April on a drunken driving charge. The charge eventually was dismissed after prosecutors determined there wasn't enough proof he was intoxicated.

"I'm just looking forward to a better season," Pippen said. "The expectations of last year didn't quite meet the standards that we wanted them to. We look forward to try and do better in the future."

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