Scottie Pippen is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in NBA history. He was a six-time NBA champion, seven-time All-Star, and ten-time member of the All-Defensive Team. His career spanned 17 years, playing with the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, making him one of the few players to have won multiple championships on two teams.
Pippen’s impact on basketball began when he joined the Chicago Bulls in 1987 for his rookie season. From then until 1998, Pippen helped lead the Bulls to six championships alongside Michael Jordan. The duo formed what is considered one of the greatest duos in NBA history – often referred to as “The Dynamic Duo” or “The Twin Towers” – as they dominated opponents throughout their tenure together.
In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Pippen is also remembered for being an unselfish team player. Despite having immense talent himself, he often deferred to Jordan in order to make sure that the team had its best chance at winning; something which made him even more beloved by fans across Chicago and beyond.
Pippen left a lasting legacy after retirement in 2004; he was enshrined into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010 and 2016 respectively. This article will explore Scottie Pippen’s story from his days growing up in Hamburg, Arkansas all the way through to his post-retirement activities today.
Scottie Pippen – Early Life
Born in Hamburg, Arkansas, Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. was the youngest of 12 children born to Ethel and Preston Pippen. Both his parents were tall – his mother at 6 feet and father at 6 feet 1 inch – with all their children being similarly tall; Scotty being the tallest among them.
Unfortunately, his parents could not afford to pay for college tuition for all their kids, so instead his father worked in a paper mill until he suffered from a stroke that paralyzed his right side and affected his speech. Despite these difficulties, Pippen managed to excel at Hamburg High School where he played point guard and led the team to the state playoffs. He earned all-conference honors as a senior but did not receive any college scholarships.
Scottie Pippen – College
Don Dyer, the head basketball coach of the University of Central Arkansas, discovered Scottie Pippen and gave him the opportunity to play on their team as a walk-on. Despite the fact that Central Arkansas competed in the NAIA rather than NCAA Division I, which garnered more media attention, Pippen’s remarkable talent shone through and he was eventually named Consensus NAIA All-American in consecutive years of 1986 and 1987.
During his time at UCA, he experienced a growth spurt from 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall when he graduated high school to 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m). His amazing per game averages of 23.6 points, 10 rebounds, 4.3 assists and near 60 percent field goal shooting caught the eye of NBA scouts who had been searching for an up-and-coming star.
Scottie Pippen – Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls had their eye on Scottie Pippen before the 1987 NBA Draft, and they made a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics to bring him to Chicago, trading Olden Polynice (the 8th pick) and future draft options for Pippen, selected 5th overall. Pippen was part of a young forward duo with 6-foot-10-inch power forward Horace Grant (the 10th overall pick in 1987), although both were initially coming off the bench behind Brad Sellers and Charles Oakley. On
November 7, 1987, Scottie made his NBA debut in a match against the Philadelphia 76ers, logging 10 points, 2 steals, 4 assists and 1 rebound in 23 minutes of play; the Bulls won 104–94. With mentor Michael Jordan helping to motivate and instruct him, Pippen slowly developed many new skills over his career. The two would often go one-on-one outside of team practices in order to sharpen each other’s offensive and defensive prowess.
As the Bulls reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in over a decade during the 1988 Playoffs, Pippen earned himself a starting position at small forward. By the start of the 1990s, he had established himself as one of the premier forwards in the league, recording then career highs in points (16.5 points per game), rebounds (6.7 rebounds per game), field goal shooting (48.9%), as well as being the third highest steals leader in the NBA (211).
These feats earned him his first selection into an NBA All-Star Game in 1990. Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989 and 1990, the Bulls were eliminated both times by the Detroit Pistons. In Game 7 of the 1990 final, Pippen suffered from a severe migraine headache which affected his play; he made only one out of ten field goal attempts as the Bulls lost 93–74.
In the 1990–91 season, Scottie Pippen emerged as a leader for the Bulls, providing defensive and scoring prowess. Along with Michael Jordan, he continued to develop and achieved his first triple-double on November 23 vs. the Clippers, followed by two more during the season.
On February 23, he scored a career-high 43 points against Charlotte, and in April 4th’s game against the Knicks, he had his third triple-double of 20 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds plus four steals. He earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors that year and helped lead Chicago to their first three-peat (1991-1993). Pippen was recognized with 10 All-Defensive Team nods (8 of them 1st team) over his career.
In the ’93-’94 season, Pippen emerged from Jordan’s shadow and earned All-Star Game MVP honors, leading the Bulls in scoring, assists, and blocks. He was also second in NBA steals per game with 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 32% from 3-point range.
This impressive performance earned him three straight All-NBA First Team selections and third place in MVP voting. Despite this success, controversy struck when Pippen refused to re-enter a playoff game against the Knicks with 1.8 seconds left and the score tied at 102. Coach Phil Jackson had designed the last play for Toni Kukoč instead of him which caused the unsmiling star to remain on the bench as Kukoč hit the game-winning shot.
In Game 5 of the series, Hubert Davis’ 23-foot shot with 2.1 seconds left sealed the Knicks’ 87–86 victory. Referee Hue Hollins called a foul on Pippen for contact after Davis had released the ball; TV replays showed this to be true. This call sparked controversy, described by Referee magazine as the most controversial moment of Hollins’ career. Garretson initially defended the call but later reversed his stance and called it “terrible,” while Jackson was fined $10,000 for comparing the loss to the 1972 Olympic gold medal game controversy.
In Game 6 of the ’93 Finals, Pippen made his signature play. He drove to the basket with Patrick Ewing defending and fully extended the ball out despite receiving body contact and a foul. His dunk sent the Bulls 17 points ahead; they won 93–79. Despite Pippen’s 20 points and 16 rebounds in Game 7, the Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Houston Rockets in seven games. Trade rumors involving Pippen circulated during the 1994 off-season but he remained a Bull once Michael Jordan returned late in the ’94-’95 season. That year, Pippen led the Bulls in all major statistical categories, joining Dave Cowens as one of only five players to do so.
The Bulls, led by Jordan and Pippen, achieved the NBA’s best regular-season record in 1996–97 (69–13) and went on to win their fifth title against the Utah Jazz. As he had done in 1992 and 1996, Pippen earned an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the Atlanta Olympics that same year. He was also selected among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, while Phil Jackson, the Bulls’ head coach, was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in NBA history. In February 1997, Pippen earned “Player of The Week” honors for his career-high 47 points against Denver Nuggets and later received All-Defensive First Team honors as well as All-NBA Second Team honors. Despite missing key players late in the season, Chicago just missed out on an NBA record 70 wins.
Amid speculation that it would be the last season for Jordan, Pippen and Jackson in Chicago, Pippen delayed off-season surgery to avoid rehab complications. Krause actively sought to trade him, but Pippen rejoined the team without a deserved contract renegotiation and the Bulls went on to win another three-peat, beating the Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. During Game 6 of the series, Pippen made one of his greatest plays: Trailing by two after Kerr’s shot with 5 seconds left, he knocked away Russell’s inbound pass intended for Anderson and rolled the ball over to Kukoč who dunked to give the Bulls a 90–86 lead and clinch their fifth championship.
Scottie Pippen – Houston Rockets
After 11 seasons with the Bulls, Pippen was traded in Jan. 1999 to the Houston Rockets for Roy Rogers and a 2000 draft pick (Jake Voskuhl). This trade created a buzz, including Pippen’s only solo cover of Sports Illustrated. To create enough salary-cap room to acquire him, Charles Barkley sacrificed greatly by signing a five-year, $67.2 million contract before the previous season. However, on-court chemistry issues soon surfaced between Pippen and Barkley.
On April 22, 1999, Pippen was detained by police on suspicion of DWI, though the charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence. Despite averaging a career-high 40.2 minutes per game, his scoring decreased to 14.5 points per game – his lowest since his rookie year – but he still made the NBA All-Defensive first team for an 8th time. After their early playoff elimination, Pippen expressed a desire to be traded and criticized Barkley for being selfish and lacking a desire to win. He eventually ended up with the Blazers in exchange for six players.
Scottie Pippen – Portland Trail Blazers
In the 1999–2000 NBA season, Pippen earned the starting small forward position with the Trail Blazers. Teaming up with new stars like Rasheed Wallace and Steve Smith, Pippen continued to demonstrate his defensive prowess past his prime. On January 3 when Portland faced his former team the Bulls, Pippen was honored with a video tribute honoring his 11-year career. The Trail Blazers finished the season 59–23, clinching the second spot in their division and third in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, they won a close series over the Timberwolves before facing Phil Jackson’s Lakers in the Conference Finals. Despite holding a 15-point lead, Portland lost Game 7, ultimately leading to an LA victory and championship. Despite minor injuries throughout the 2000–01 season, Pippen started in 60 of 64 games, averaging 11.3 points per game, 4.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds. The Blazers were eliminated in the first round of both 2001 and 2003 playoffs. On February 3, 2003, at 37 years old, Pippen had 25 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists in a win against Orlando Magic.
Scottie Pippen – Return to Chicago
In 2003, Pippen returned to the Chicago Bulls, where he had won six championships. John Paxson and the Bulls signed him to a two-year contract and he assumed a veteran role to mentor the young team. Sadly, due to various injuries, Pippen only played 23 games that season and the Bulls failed to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.
On October 5, 2004, he officially retired from the NBA. In 2005, the Bulls honored him by retiring his jersey number 33. Seven years later, Pippen attempted an NBA comeback with hopes of getting his 7th championship ring. Heat captain Dwyane Wade welcomed the idea: “To add Scottie Pippen to the mix, that would be crazy.”
Scottie Pippen – Scandinavian League
In January 2008, Scottie Pippen returned to professional basketball at the age of 42 with a Scandinavian tour. He first played two games for the Finnish team Torpan Pojat (ToPo), scoring 12 points in a 93–81 victory over Porvoo, then nine points and nine rebounds in a 98–85 win against Honka. For his third game, Pippen signed on with the Swedish team Sundsvall Dragons, where he recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals in a 102–74 win over Akropol of Rinkeby. In exchange for his appearance, the Dragons paid Pippen an impressive $66,000.
Scottie Pippen – National Team
On September 21, 1991, Pippen was selected as one of eleven players to join the United States men’s Olympic basketball team. Two additional players were later added, resulting in a total of thirteen. In 1992, Pippen and teammate Michael Jordan became the first players to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year when they competed with the Dream Team at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Four years later, Pippen played on ‘Dream Team III’ which secured another gold medal for the U.S.A.
Scottie Pippen – Executive Career
On July 15, 2010, Pippen returned to the Chicago Bulls organization as a team ambassador. Two years later in 2012, he was appointed senior advisor to Michael Reinsdorf, the Bulls’ president and COO. Nevertheless, on April 16th, 2020 Pippen announced that he had been let go from his role as public relations ambassador for the Bulls in February of that same year. According to NBC Sports Chicago, no consensus could be reached between the parties concerning compensation and allowing him to keep his job making regular television appearances on ESPN’s The Jump. He jokingly remarked “I didn’t really want it to be out in the public but I’m no longer employed by the Bulls. Probably is a good thing, right? I like to associate myself with winning.”
Scottie Pippen – NBA Legacy
Pippen is remembered as one of the greatest defenders in basketball history and a highly versatile player. He was gifted with extraordinary athleticism and skills that enabled him to clog passing lanes, make passes around defenders, block shots, and grab seemingly out-of-reach rebounds. His long arms (with a 88 inch wingspan) and jumping agility helped him make highlight-reel plays.
He was also an unselfish team player, often leading the Bulls in assists and blocks. During the 1990 Slam Dunk Contest, Pippen demonstrated his leaping ability with a dunk from the free throw line. He was also an excellent perimeter shooter for his era, taking 3000 three-pointers in his career and making almost 1000 of them.
Pippen was honored with a bronze statue by the Chicago Bulls organization in 2011 during a halftime ceremony at the United Center, commemorating the 20th anniversary of their first NBA Championship in 1991. Several NBA players have named him as part of their all-time starting lineups.
Scottie Pippen – Personal Life
Scotty, famously known as Scottie Pippen, has been married twice in his life. He tied the knot with Karen McCollum in 1988, with whom he had a son, Antron (December 29, 1987 – April 18, 2021). However, the pair got divorced two years later. Later on, Pippen married Larsa in 1997 and together they have four children: Scotty Jr. (b. November 10, 2000), Preston Pippen (b. August 26, 2002), Justin (b. July 11, 2005), and Sophia (b. December 26, 2008). While Scotty Jr. plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and Sophia appeared on the first season of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors; Larsa went on to star in Real Housewives of Miami.
Pippen also has two other children – Sierra (b. February 17, 1995) with his former fiancée Yvette De Leon and Taylor (b. July 20, 1994) with his former girlfriend Sonya Roby – apart from Taylor’s twin sister Tyler who sadly died nine days after birth.
After retiring from professional sports career, Pippen faced an unexpected financial crisis when he discovered that his adviser Robert Lunn was sentenced to three years in prison for bank fraud which included forging Pippen’s signature on a loan worth $1.4 million used to pay off personal debts amounting more than $20 million.
Scottie Pippen – Net Worth
Scottie Pippen is an NBA star who has an estimated net worth of $20 million. He earned his wealth from his years of playing in the NBA, as well as his endorsements and investments. Pippen has been able to accumulate this wealth over the course of his career and continues to be involved in business activities.
Are Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen still friends?
In his recently published memoir, “Unguarded”, Pippen opened up about his relationship with Jordan, claiming it was never close off the court. The former Bulls star publicly criticized the GOAT for his ‘condescending’ attitude, and felt slighted for not receiving any payment for taking part in a documentary about the team’s success. Pippen made sure to capitalize on this situation by openly blasting Jordan whenever he had the chance during his book promotion tour.
Is Scottie Pippen a Hall of Famer?
Scottie Pippen is a two-time inductee into the renowned Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first for his impressive individual achievements and then as part of the iconic “Dream Team”. On August 13, 2010, he was simultaneously recognized for both contributions to basketball in an exceptional ceremony.
