Pippen Has Ball in Vindication : Bulls: He has 32 points, 13 rebounds and a personal trophy to remove any questions about last season.

He suffocated the ball between his forearms, holding it like a fullback to protect against fumbling. Then Scottie Pippen, charging down a Forum corridor in celebration, cut left at the hallway, the end in sight.

Once inside the locker room, he let go his emotions, not the ball. That he held onto nearly every second the Chicago Bulls celebrated their first NBA championship Wednesday night at the Forum.

The champagne burned in his eyes in the locker room, which was wall-to-wall humanity. The humidity was worse than on any Chicago summer day.

“This means a lot to me,” Pippen said after the Bulls’ 108-101 victory. “Everybody said that I’m not a big-game player. They can’t say that anymore.”

Pippen had spent the better part of the playoffs, during which time Chicago went 15-2, denying he had anything to prove. Sometimes, though, he contradicted himself and let slip how much it bothered him being trailed by the comments of past disappearing acts, most notably the migraine headache and disaster movie of an afternoon in Game 7 of last season’s Eastern Conference finals against Detroit.

Contradictions Wednesday?

More like a reaffirmation.

“This is reassurance in what he believes about himself,” Chicago Coach Phil Jackson said. “The fact that he is the type of player he has shown to be all playoffs.”

Pippen, an All-Star last season, came into Game 5 having averaged 21 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 50.8% during the postseason. His 41-minute average led the team. His work in the final game--32 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs, and seven assists--merely added to the moment.

The moment that he has thought about for years--more so after the migraine game.

The moment that Jackson had tempted all the Bulls with by waving around his 1973 championship ring, won as a member of the New York Knicks. Waving it under their noses, practically.

“I got a headache from it last year,” Pippen deadpanned.

The moment that should silence all the doubters.

“I thought about this all summer,” he said. “I wanted to get myself back in the position where I failed to produce last season.”

That done, he didn’t waste the chance.

Detroit was dismissed in four games in the rematch in the East. No problem. No headaches, either.

Come the Bulls’ first trip to the finals:

Nineteen points and seven rebounds in Game 1, the lone Chicago loss.

Twenty points and 10 assists in Game 2.

Nineteen points and 13 rebounds in Game 3.

Fourteen points, nine rebounds--four offensive--and six assists in Game 4.

Finally, with such a buildup that television lights were already in place in the Chicago locker room just in case, his best showing of all.

“A lot of reflection,” the product of Central Arkansas said when asked of his emotions as the champagne dreams came true. “A lot of great moments. A lot of great plays.”

And of his own showing?

“I think I adjusted my play,” Pippen said. “I raised it up to compete a lot harder.

“It’s a great feeling. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ll probably celebrate until the season starts again next year.”

The game ball remained his companion almost from the moment the Bulls left the court. He didn’t look as if he was going to let go of that until fall.

Pippen would like to think he had a good grip on things all along, that everyone else had it wrong. Maybe what happened Wednesday--rather, what was completed Wednesday--will be a nice reminder of that.