‘What’s a better place to spend watching the Games?’
Scottie Pippen is offering $92 overnight Airbnb stays at his home to Olympics fans
Scottie Pippen is welcoming guests and fans into his Highland Park home to watch the Olympic Games.
Through Airbnb, Pippen is opening his home for three one-night stays for up to four people on Aug. 2, 4 and 6 for $92 per night (plus fees and taxes). The cost is a nod to the year he and his teammates became Olympic gold medalists in Barcelona in 1992. Stays are timed so guests can watch basketball competitions from the group stage to the gold and silver medal games in Tokyo.
“Being a two-time former Olympian, I wanted to really give fans the experience of what it be like to watch the games from my home,” Pippen said. “I’ve got a basketball court and a nice pool. This was an opportunity to give a fan a chance to really live this experience and watch the games from my home and sleep in my bed.”
Pippen will offer a virtual greeting at check-in to guests, who will also have access to the home’s indoor basketball court, movie theater, outdoor pool and television, arcade room and indoor sauna. Booking opened July 22 at noon at airbnb.com/scottiepippen. Bookers must live in the United States for COVID-19 guidelines and safety practices. (Airbnb will offer booking guests a $1,000 Airbnb travel credit if it becomes necessary to cancel stays due to COVID-19.)
Airbnb is also making it possible for Olympic/ Paralympic fans to get in touch with Games history by offering dozens of
virtual experiences with current and former Olympians and Paralympians at different price points. Pippen will host a virtual experience Aug. 5 to talk about his Olympic experiences in 1992 and 1996, and chat about Olympic basketball. Fellow 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball teammates Larry Bird and Patrick Ewing will also host online experiences offering discussions about how becoming a gold medalist was a career highlight. Athletes such as surfer John Florence, skateboarder Sky Brown, and swimmer Yusra Mardini, among others, will share what it takes to perform at the top of one’s sport. To explore more experiences hosted by competing and noncompeting Olympians and Paralympians, visit airbnb.
com/olympics.
“This is an experience with Airbnb just for the Games,” Pippen said. “It’s a great time to do it and what’s a better place to spend watching the Games than in a home of a two-time Olympian?”
We talked with Pippen about his Airbnb endeavor. The following interview has been edited and condensed.
Q: Spectators are not able to experience the Tokyo Games in person because of COVID-19. Do you think the pandemic has changed sports forever? A:
I think once we get through this, we’re going to be OK. I think the problem lies with there’s probably a lot of people that haven’t taken the vaccination. But you can come and stay in
my house. I got a beautiful big swimming pool with a nice big TV outside so you’ll be able to watch the game, rain or shine, sleet. I’m sure there won’t be any snow.
Q: As a two-time Olympian, do you have any advice to offer athletes before they go to their Olympic experience?
A: Believe and trust in your craft. All athletes prepare for this one opportunity so go and take advantage of it.
Q: Are there any sports you’ll be excited to watch more than basketball? A:
I like watching all sports. The games are on all day, so you get a chance to watch a little bit of everything from wrestling, basketball, women’s basketball, to gymnasts and
things like that so it’s an exciting time to really have that attraction going on all the time.
Q: Are you as excited to see Simone Biles as the rest of the world? A:
Yes. I’m excited to see all the athletes. In the past year, there’s been a time for them to do a lot of training, a lot of thinking, a lot of preparation, so I think they will be at their best at the Games. I think a lot of athletes are ready to have a breakout party, so I’m looking forward to it.
Q: We’re looking at our mental health more so these days. Do you think this is a good thing for sports? A:
It’s a difficult time right now, because we don’t know what the future holds with this pandemic.
I think athletes are definitely being a little more cautious in terms of knowing that they’re going to be in an environment that’s probably not going to be the norm. So, yes, you have to be a little cautious and wonder if a lot of athletes will pull away from the game, knowing that the games are not going to be the same.
Q: The new NCAA policy lets college athletes use their likeness to make money. What are your thoughts on that news?
A: I don’t really know how this is going to shake out, but it is a step in the right direction though, really being fair to college players.