Scottie Pippen Bio: Childhood, Career & Net Worth

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Fans of the NBA need no introduction to Scottie Pippen. Scotty Maurice Pippen is a former American basketball player. He is the perfect example of the proverb “talent has no boundaries.”

However, fame and success did not come easy to Scottie Pippen. This NBA legend had to prove himself before earning a spot on the basketball team.

Likewise, his behind the scene is much more different than his highlighted reel. Pippen started as an equipment manager at the college.

Neither was he offered a scholarship in the college. A six-time NBA champion was seen without “NBA potential” by his coach.

Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen

Moreover, Scottie is the only NBA player who won the NBA title and Olympic Gold medal in the same year, twice in the years 1992 and 1996.

So what makes Scottie so different from the rest of the players? Before digging a little deeper, let’s have a look at quick facts.

Scottie Pippen: Quick Facts

Full Name Scotty Maurice Pippen
Birth Date September 25, 1965
Birth Place Hamburg, Arkansas
Age 59 years old
Nick Name Scottie, No Tippin Pippen
Religion Christian
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American
Alma mater
  • Hamburg High School
  • University of Central Arkansas
Horoscope Libra
Father’s Name Preston Clyde Pippen
Mother’s Name Ethel Lee Pippen
Siblings Billy, Ronnie, Jimmy, Carl, Donald, Barbara, Sharon, Faye, Raye, and Kimberly
Height 6 feet 8 inches
Weight 103 kg
Build Athletic
Shoe Size Not Available
Hair Color Black
Profession Professional Basketball Player
Position Small forward
Jersey number #33 ( Chicago Bulls ), #33 (Portland Trail Blazers )
Affiliation
  • Chicago Bulls (1987-1998)
  • Houston Rockets (1998-1999)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2003)
  • Chicago Bulls (2003-2004)
  • Torpan Pojat (2008)
  • Sundsvall Dragon (2008)
Relationship Status Divorced
Spouse(s) Karen McCollum (m.1988), Larsa Younan Pippen (m.1997)
Children Scotty Jr., Sophia, Sierra, Justin, Preston, Antron, Taylor, and late Tyler Pippen
Career Highlights
  • Six-time NBA champion
  • Two-time Olympic gold medal winner
  • Listed in 50 Greatest Player in NBA History, 1996
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 2010
Social Media Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Merch Autographed Items, Jersey, Basketball Card
Last Update November, 2024

Scottie Pippen | Childhood and Education

Life isn’t easy all the time, neither was it for Scottie Pippen. Scottie was born to Ethel Pippen and Preston Pippen in Hamburg, Arkansas, on September 25, 1965.

He is the youngest child of their 12 children. Scottie did not grow up rich and did not have a lavish home as he has now.

Instead, the Pippens grew up in a two-room house in a small town with 3,500 people. His father worked in a paper mill factory, and they were struggling financially.

Scottie’s parents couldn’t afford to send his children to universities. Then, during his freshman year, things got much more difficult when his father suffered a stroke.

He had no other option but to leave his job as he was placed in a wheelchair until his death.

Shortly after this tragedy, his older brother Ronnie was also placed in a wheelchair following an accident.

Scottie’s only shot in attending a college was through a scholarship. He attended Hamburg High School and dominated his school basketball team.

Likewise, he played as a point guard and led his team to the state playoffs, yet colleges weren’t interested in Scottie’s scholarships.

Scottie Pippen | College Career

After not being offered any scholarship, his high school coach called to favor his fellow friend from the University of Central Arkansas.

He was offered the Basic Education Opportunity Grant. With not many options, he got enrolled in the University of Central Arkansas.

Initially, he was the team’s equipment manager as the coach felt he did not have the upper body strength.

It was only when players left the team; he grabbed the opportunity for the open spots.

Surprisingly, Pippen grew from 6’1″ to 6’6″ before his sophomore year and developed upper body strength.

With his new strength and experiences as the point guard, he became the best player during his sophomore year. Not only did his average point grew, but also his growth spurt shot to 6’8″.

In those four years of college, he played 93 games with an average of 17.2 per game.

You may also be interested in: <<Top 148 Scottie Pippen Quotes >>

Scottie Pippen | Professional Career

Chicago Bulls 

Pippen was drafted in 1987 with the Seattle SuperSonics and was later traded with Chicago Bulls. When he joined the Bulls, he was overshadowed by Michael Jordan. Jordan was already an All-Star.

Following the mentorship of Jordan and his coach Phil Jackson, he further polished his existing skills and developed a new one.

Finally, in 1990, Pippen made his debut in NBA-All Star. After Jordan’s first abrupt retirement in 1993-1994, Pippen led the Bulls to win 55 games.

He proved to the world that he is more than a sidekick and finally drew people’s attention as deserved.

Similarly, he earned the Most Valuable Awards and the first of three straight All-Nba First Team.

For Dream Team & Houston Rockets 

Pippen was one of the “Dream Team members,” which was the United States men’s Olympic basketball team in 1992.

It was the first American Olympic team that featured active professional players from the NBA.

After spending 11 seasons with the Bulls, he was traded to Houston Rockets for Roy Royers. His contract with the rockets lasted for 12 seasons.

After that, he joined his former Olympic teammate Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.

During his time with the Rockets, his average score was 14.5 per game, the lowest since his rookie year.

Portland Trail Blazers

Scottie joined Portland Trail Blazers for the 1999-2000 NBA season.

While competing against the Bulls in the 1999-2000 season, he was honored with a video tribute showing his 11-year highlights, which Scottie described as “emotional.”

After winning Western Conference Finals, they were defatted by Los Angeles Lakers, which later won the season.

He played with the Blazers for the 2000-01 season as well and played 64 games. Unfortunately, he missed 18 games due to his injury.

Furthermore, he stayed with the Portland Blazers for two more seasons.

Chicago Bulls 

After playing for Portland for four seasons, Pippen rejoined the Bulls. He signed the contract for two years worth $10 million.

Although being an expert and a guide to new team members, he was injured numerous times.

In 2004, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, which was the first time in his career. In 2005, he announced his retirement due to his injuries.

Scottie Pippen inside the court
Scottie Pippen for Chicago Bulls.

For the 2003-04 season, Scottie played 23 games. His jersey number 33 was retired by the Bulls, making him the fourth player to hang from the rafters.

As of 2019-2020, Scottie ranks number 2 for most minutes played and most points scored.

By the end of his time with the Bulls, Pippen’s playoff stats averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. 

After Retirement

Although he retired in 2004, he played his last professional game with Torpan Pojat and Sundsvall Dragons in 2008.

Then, at the age of 42, he made a comeback to compete in Finnish League. The Dragons had paid him $66,000 for the games.

In 2010, Pippen was the Bulls team ambassador and, in 2012, was named a senior advisor to the President and COO of the Bulls.

After his retirement, he has made appearances in many TV shows movies such as Midgetsvs. Mascots, Fresh off the Boat, Chicago Fire, and The Last Dance.

You may also be interested in 77 motivating Michael Jordan Quotes >>

Scottie Pippen | Career stats

Year
Team
GP
Min
Pts
FG%
3pt%
Reb
Ast
Stl
Blk
2003
Chicago Bulls
23
17.9
5.9
37.9
27.1
3.0
2.2
0.9
0.4
1999
Houston Rockets
50
40.2
14.5
43.2
34.0
6.5
5.9
2.0
0.7
2002
Portland Trail Blazers
64
29.9
10.8
44.4
28.6
4.3
4.5
1.6
0.4
2001
Portland Trail Blazers
62
32.2
10.6
41.1
30.5
5.2
5.9
1.6
0.6
2000
Portland Trail Blazers
64
33.3
11.3
45.1
34.4
5.2
4.6
1.5
0.5
1999
Portland Trail Blazers
82
33.5
12.5
45.1
32.7
6.3
5.0
1.4
0.5
1997
Chicago Bulls
44
37.5
19.1
44.7
31.8
5.2
5.8
1.8
1.0
1996
Chicago Bulls
82
37.7
20.2
47.4
36.8
6.5
5.7
1.9
0.5
1995
Chicago Bulls
77
36.7
19.4
46.3
37.4
6.4
5.9
1.7
0.7
1994
Chicago Bulls
79
38.2
21.4
48.0
34.5
8.1
5.2
2.9
1.1
1993
Chicago Bulls
72
38.3
22.0
49.1
32.0
8.7
5.6
2.9
0.8
1992
Chicago Bulls
81
38.6
18.6
47.3
23.7
7.7
6.3
2.1
0.9
1991
Chicago Bulls
82
38.6
21.0
50.6
20.0
7.7
7.0
1.9
1.1
1990
Chicago Bulls
82
36.8
17.8
52.0
30.9
7.3
6.2
2.4
1.1
1989
Chicago Bulls
82
38.4
16.5
48.9
25.0
6.7
5.4
2.6
1.2
1988
Chicago Bulls
73
33.1
14.4
47.6
27.3
6.1
3.5
1.9
0.8
1987
Chicago Bulls
79
20.9
7.9
46.3
17.4
3.8
2.1
1.2
0.7
Career
 
1,178
34.9
16.1
47.3
32.6
6.4
5.2
2.0
0.8

Scottie Pippen | Personality

10 episode docuseries The Last Dance showed that Scottie was a natural leader with intense determination and was underrated and underpaid.

But it received a lot of criticism for failing to show the right side of his. His teammates define Pippen as a kind soul.

Michale Jordan is not an easy man to play with, and thus Pippen was a perfect complement to him. 

Although he is quick-witted and romantic, he hasn’t had much luck with his romantic relation. 

Who is Scottie Pippen’s wife? Spouse(s) and Children

Pippen was first married to his then-girlfriend Karen McCollum in July 1988. They already had a son Antron before their marriage.

The couple married a year later Antron’s birth. They split up after two years. 

In 1993, Scottie was dating a model Sonya Roby who later gave birth to Tyler and Taylor’s twins. Scottie initially denied the responsibility, but the DNA test proved otherwise.

But unfortunately, Tyler died nine days later after his birth. After ending his relation with Roby, he dated and was later engaged to Yvette De Leon.

The couple together gave birth to a girl, Sierra. The couple broke up following a domestic violence incident.

Scottie Pippen with his son
Scottie Pippen with his son Scotty Jr.

Yvette had to fight for her daughter in court, demanding him to support Sierra financially. Scottie eventually lost the case and settled it by paying a considerable sum. 

Scottie dated and later married Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa Younan in 1995. She was 22 years old at the time of their marriage and nine years younger than Scottie.

The couple gave birth to four children Scotty Jr, Preston, Justin, and Sophia, in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008. 

After 21 years of marriage, the couple announced they were filing for divorce in 2018 due to “irreconcilable difference.”

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Scottie Pippen | Net Worth

During his time with Chicago Bulls, he was the most underpaid player on the team. However, despite being the number 2 of the team, he was the sixth highest-paid player on the team.

Nonetheless, during his time in the NBA, he earned $109 million alone as a contract. According to celebrity net worth,

“SCOTTIE PIPPEN net worth is $20 million.”

Moreover, he is endorsed by Nike, McDonald’s, Right Guard, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Visa, and Ameritech Cellular TV.

Despite his impressive net worth, he has faced some financial issues over time. Although he was never broke and never had to file for bankruptcy, he had few financial bumps.

For instance, in 2016, it was reported that his financial advisor Robert Lunn squandered $20 million of his money. Lunn was later sentenced to three years in prison.

Social Media Presence:

The NBA legend is pretty active when it comes to social media. He has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram as of 2024.

He regularly updates his followers about basketball and his family.  Besides Instagram, he also posts on Facebook, which is followed by more than 1 million people.

Interestingly, Pippen is also known for his memes. Scottie also has a Twitter account with more than 644.5K followers. 

Some FAQs:

Are Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen still friends?

There has been some speculation that Jordan and Scottie had some differences after The Last Dance aired.

But Scottie made it clear in Da Windy City podcast that they are still friends and are great, and the docuseries did not change anything.

How much is Scottie Pippen’s rookie card worth?

Scottie Pippen’s rookie card price ranges from $1-$1500.

Are Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen friends?

Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen are far from friends; instead, these two were rivals during 1995. 

Did Scottie Pippen ever wear Nike Uptempo shoes?

Yes, Scottie Pippen wore the Nike Uptempo shoes on his way to his fourth NBA title, sixth All-Star Game, and 1996 Olympic gold medal.

How much did Scottie Pippen earn during his NBA career?

Scottie earned a total of $109,192,430. In fact, he made more than Michael Jordan.

What is Scottie Pippen’s skybox card value?

Scottie Pippen’s skybox card price ranges from $0.69-$13.06.

Why did Scottie Pippen and Larsa Pippen divorce?

Scootie Pippen and Larsa Pippen got divorced due to irreconcilable differences.

What are Scottie Pippen’s famous sneakers?

Scottie Pippen has worn different sneakers inside and outside the court. Some of his famous sneakers are Nike Air Flight ’89, Nike Air Pippen, Nike Air Max Uptempo, Nike Air More Uptempo, Nike Air Pippen 2, Nike Air Maestro, Nike Air Swift, and Nike Air Flight Huarache.

Aaditya Bhatta
Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.

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Aaditya's journey as a writer and sports aficionado began at a young age when he discovered his passion for both pursuits. Throughout his academic and professional endeavors, Aaditya has honed his skills in content creation and sports analysis, immersing himself in the intricacies of the games he loves.

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  1. […] is Scottie Pippen net worth 2020? The player is one of the highest-paid celebrities on the planet. Scottie Pippen net worth is estimated to be around $20 […]

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