Scottie Pippen, the Robin of the legendary Chicago Bulls teams, which scooped six NBA titles in the 1990s, announced his retirement.

The 39-year-old, who played with Michael Jordan on the team which was triumphant from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998, called it quits just as the Bulls were about to start their opening practice session for the new season.

"This was a very difficult decision for me to retire from playing a game that has been such a great part of my life," said Pippen.

"My family and I would like to thank the fans and the entire Chicago Bulls organization, especially (owner) Jerry Reinsdorf and (general manager) John Paxson, for bringing me back to where I started.

"I am retiring, but I still plan on being around for training camp to help this team. After 17 years, it's tough for me to just walk away completely."

He played in 1,178 games and averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.96 steals. He was also named among the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all-time in 1996.

His 208 career playoff appearances rank second in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 237.

Pippen's 33 will be raised to the rafters by the Bulls sometime this season.