SAN FRANCISCO — Short on big bodies for training camp, the Golden State Warriors reached out to a familiar name.

Kavion Pippen — nephew of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, a former teammate of coach Steve Kerr — got the call last Thursday. By 5 o’clock Friday morning, he was on a plane from Little Rock, Arkansas, to San Francisco, with a brief layover in Dallas in between. The younger Pippen, 22, impressed in workouts, and the Warriors signed him to a contract.

“The big thing is we’re just so beaten up at the center spot, so we need him to help us get through camp,” Kerr said. “He’s a young and athletic kid. He’s been here two days now, so he’s six or seven days behind, but he’s trying to get acclimated as quickly as possible. We need him because we hardly have enough bodies. It’s great experience for him.”

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Warriors at No. 2: Breaking down how LaMelo Ball’s passing genius would fit Golden State Now the undrafted free agent is trying to make the most of his opportunity. A 6-foot-10 center, Pippen provides some much-needed depth in the front court while Willie Cauley-Stein (foot sprain), Kevon Looney (hamstring) and Alen Smailagic (ankle) recover from preseason injuries.

Kavion went undrafted in 2019 after two seasons at Southern Illinois University, where he averaged 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 blocks in 65 games. He was named to the All-MVC Third Team and MVC All-Defensive Team during his senior year.

After signing a contract, Kavion got a call from his uncle. “He said ‘Focus in. Attain as much knowledge from the veterans here, and just play hard and get better.’”’

Uncle Scottie speaks from experience.

Scottie didn’t receive any scholarship offers out of Hamburg High in Arkansas, and started his collegiate career as a walk-on at Central Arkansas. Of course, Scottie went on to become a top-10 pick.

Kavion, meanwhile, was working out at Central Arkansas, staying in basketball shape, when he got the first call from the Warriors.

Despite his basketball bloodline, Kavion didn’t start seriously playing the sport until he was 12, but hinted that it was inevitable. Kavion was always tall, after all, and his uncle had made it clear.: His nephew was going to play basketball.

“He was a big part of my life,” Kavion said of his uncle. “I looked up to him. Everyone in my area looked up to him. He was like a figure everyone looked up to and wanted to be, so it helped me out and he was kind of the father figure that I looked up to.”

Kavion was recruited by Central Arkansas but instead attended a junior college before playing at Southern Illinois. He said he decided to attend SIU because he wanted to carve out his own path.

“Just be my own person. Not focus on my last name.”

The chances of Kavion landing a regular-season roster spot are slim. The Warriors will be hard-pressed to add any player, given their cap situation, and Kavion is an unknown. But with injuries depleting the frontcourt, the Warriors have talked about adding big bodies to their training camp roster for a few days. Finally, they added Kavion.

“They just told me they needed a big guy, needed a guy with size, and I just try to bring that and compete every day in practice.”

Kavion compares his game to that of Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge, citing the All-Star’s mid-range game. He will try to live up to that comparison, and any other comparisons that may come from his last name, in the next couple of weeks. Maybe he can parlay this experience into a spot on the Warriors’ G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

Either way, he’s donning a Warriors jersey with the name “Pippen” on his back, competing in a brand-new, $1.3 billion arena. It’s a long trip from Little Rock, and one that could involve more layovers still.

“Just to be here is eye-opening. It is so, so amazing. I can’t believe it,” Kavion said. “It still seems like all a dream.”

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