Jami Thompson
Scottie Pippen is a retired basketball player from the United States. Scottie also holds the record for being the only NBA player to win both the NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, which he did twice in 1992 and 1996.
Childhood and Education
Scottie Pippen was born on September 25, 1965, in Hamburg, Arkansas, to Ethel and Preston Pippen.
He is the eldest of their twelve children. Scottie did not grow up in a wealthy family or live in such opulence as he does now.
Instead, the Pippens grew up in a two-room house in a 3,500-person town. His father worked in a paper mill plant, and the family was financially strapped.
Scottie’s parents were unable to afford to send their children to college. Then, during his freshman year, his father suffered a stroke, making things even tougher.
He had no choice but to resign from his employment because he was confined to a wheelchair till his death.
Following this tragedy, his older brother Ronnie was forced to use a wheelchair due to an accident.
Scottie’s only chance of going to college was if he got a scholarship. He went to Hamburg High School and was the best basketball player on the team.
Scottie, too, was a point guard who led his team to the state playoffs, but colleges were uninterested in his scholarship application.
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College Career
His high school coach contacted to favor a friend from the University of Central Arkansas after he was denied a scholarship.
The Basic Education Opportunity Grant was presented to him. He enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas because he didn’t have many other options.
He started out as the team’s equipment manager because the coach didn’t think he had the upper body strength.
Only when players left the team did he use the opportunity to fill the unfilled positions.
Pippen went from 6’1′′ to 6’6′′ and developed upper body strength before his sophomore year, which was surprising.
During his second year, he became the best player because of his new strength and experience as a point guard. Not only did his average point increase, but he also grew to 6’8′′.
He played 93 games in four years of college, averaging 17.2 points per game.
Professional Career
Pippen was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1987 and eventually traded to the Chicago Bulls. Jordan was previously a member of the All-Star team.
Jordan and his coach, Phil Jackson, mentored him as he improved his previous skills and developed a new ones.
Finally, in 1990, Pippen made his NBA All-Star debut. Pippen led the Bulls to 55 victories after Jordan’s initial sudden retirement in 1993-1994.
He finally demonstrated to the world that he is more than a sidekick and drew the attention he deserved.
Similarly, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and the first of three consecutive All-NBA First Team selections.
Pippen was a part of the United States men’s Olympic basketball squad in 1992, known as the “Dream Team.”
It was the first Olympic squad in American history to include active NBA players.
He was dealt with the Houston Rockets for Roy Royers after 11 seasons with the Bulls. His deal with the Rockets was for a period of 12 years.
After that, he joined Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, two of his former Olympic teammates.
For the 1999-2000 NBA season, Scottie joined the Portland Trail Blazers.
He was recognized with a video tribute featuring his 11-year highlights while competing against the Bulls in the 1999-2000 season, which Scottie characterized as “emotional.”
They were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers, who went on to win the season after winning the Western Conference Finals.
He also spent the 2000-01 season with the Blazers, appearing in 64 games. Due to his injuries, he was forced to miss 18 games.
He also continued with the Portland Blazers for another two seasons.
Chicago Bulls
After four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Pippen returned to the Bulls. He agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract.
He was hurt several times despite being an expert and a mentor to younger team members.
For the first time in his career, the squad failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2004. Due to his injuries, he announced his retirement in 2005.
The Bulls retired his number 33 jersey, making him the fourth player to have his number retired.
Scottie is the second-most minutes played and points scored in the 2019-2020 season.
Pippen’s playoff stats averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists at the end of his time with the Bulls.
After Retirement
Despite retiring in 2004, he played his final professional game in 2008 with Torpan Pojat and the Sundsvall Dragons.
He then made a comeback at the age of 42 to compete in the Finnish League. For the games, the Dragons had paid him $66,000.
Pippen was designated a senior advisor to the Bulls’ President and COO in 2012, after serving as the team’s ambassador in 2010.
Following his retirement, he appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including Midgets vs. Mascots, Fresh Off the Boat, Chicago Fire, and The Last Dance.
Relationship History
In July 1988, Pippen married his then-girlfriend Karen McCollum for the first time. Prior to their marriage, they already had a son named Antron.
A year after Antron’s birth, the couple married. They broke up after two years together.
Scottie was dating model Sonya Roby in 1993, and she was the mother of Tyler and Taylor’s twins. Scottie first denied any involvement, but a DNA test proved him wrong.
Tyler, on the other hand, died nine days after his birth. He dated and later married Yvette De Leon after quitting his relationship with Roby.
Sierra, the couple’s daughter, was born to them as a couple. After a domestic violence incident, the couple split up.
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Yvette had to fight for her daughter in court, requesting that he financially support Sierra. Scottie eventually lost the case and had to settle for a large sum of money.
Scottie met and later married Larsa Younan of the Real Housewives of Miami in 1995. At the time of their marriage, she was 22 years old, nine years younger than Scottie.
Scotty Jr, Preston, Justin, and Sophia was born to the couple in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008.
The pair announced in 2018 that they were divorcing after 21 years of marriage due to “irreconcilable differences.”
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Net Worth, Salary, Income
He was the team’s most underpaid player during his career with the Chicago Bulls. Despite being the team’s number two, he was just the team’s sixth highest-paid player.
Despite this, he got a contract for $109 million during his NBA career.
Nike, McDonald’s, Right Guard, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Visa, and Ameritech Cellular TV are among his sponsors.
Despite his large net worth, he has had financial problems in the past. He never went broke and never had to file for bankruptcy, but he did have a few financial difficulties.
For example, it was revealed in 2016 that his financial advisor, Robert Lunn, spent $20 million of his money. Lunn was eventually found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
Social Media Presence
When it comes to social media, the NBA legend is quite active. As of 2022, he has over 1.6 million Instagram followers.
He keeps his followers up to date on basketball and his family on a regular basis. Aside from Instagram, he also has a Facebook page with over a million followers.
Pippen is also known for his memes, which is interesting. Scottie has a Twitter account with almost 644,5K followers.
FAQ’s
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Scotty Maurice Pippen |
| Birth Date | September 25, 1965 |
| Birth Place | Hamburg, Arkansas |
| Age | 56 years old |
| Nick Name | Scottie, No Tippin Pippen |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Alma mater |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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