Scottie Pippen was born Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. in Hamburg, Arkansas on September 25, 1965. Discovered as a walk-on, Scottie earned NAIA All-Star honors at the University of Central Arkansas in 1987. This honor brought the attention of NBA scouts, and Scottie was selected fifth in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls recognized his talent and traded its eighth-round draft pick to the Seattle SuperSonics for Pippen. Pippen joined the Bulls not long after Michael Jordan had made his debut with the team.

Scottie Pippen played the small forward position with the Chicago Bulls for 12 seasons. He and teammate Michael Jordan were so close at one time that they used to play one-on-one during downtime to sharpen their skills. In 1995, Pippen made NBA history as he led the Bulls in every statistical category. With teammate Michael Jordan retiring, then returning to the Bulls, it was Pippen’s time to shine, with the Bulls winning multiple NBA championships. Pippen was a seven-time NBA All-Star and helped the Bulls win the NBA championship six times.

In a rebuilding phase, the Chicago Bulls traded Pippen to the Houston Rockets in 1998. However, the 1998 season was shortened by a lockout. Scottie Pippen’s net worth increased by $11 million during this time.

Unhappy with the Houston Rockets, he asked to be traded, and Scottie Pippen went to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1999. Another NBA title would escape Pippen, as he began to suffer injuries that often come with age. For the 2002 season, Pippen returned home to Chicago for his final two seasons. Ready to end his career, Scottie Pippen announced his retirement from the NBA in October 2004. The Chicago Bulls retired his jersey number – 33 – in 2005. Although Scottie Pippen would not win an NBA championship outside of this time with the Bulls, he is considered an all-time great NBA basketball player worth about 20 million dollars.

What is Scottie Pippen’s Net Worth?

Pippen made $725,000 his rookie year and the following three years with the Chicago Bulls. But, by 1990, Pippen’s star was on the rise. He made the 1990 NBA All-Star team, and his salary jumped to $2.7 million a year. He continued to make between $2.2 and 3 million dollars a year with the Bulls. When Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets, his salary increased significantly to $11 million. Pippen continued having multi-million dollar seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers for the next four years. For his final two seasons in the NBA, Pippen saw his salary fall to $4.9 million in 2003 and $5.4 million in 2004. In all total, Scottie Pippen has a net worth of 20 million dollars.

Scottie Pippen’s Net Worth Growth by Year

After his first four years with the Chicago Bulls, Scottie Pippen never saw his NBS salary fall below $2.25 million. With several NBA championships under his belt, no matter what team he played for, his salary requirements were well worth the investment. His highest NBA yearly salary saw Pippen make $19.727 million with the Portland Trailblazers during the 2002-03 season.

In over a decade with the Bulls, Pippen earned 32 million dollars. His Portland Trail Blazer salary increased Scottie Pippen’s net worth by $66 million. He earned $11 million from the Rockets, making his total NBA career salary approximately $109 million.

In addition to his total NBA salary, an endorsement deal with Nike during the 90s added to Scottie Pippen’s net worth. He also had endorsement deals with McDonald’s, Right Guard, and Coca-Cola, which also increased his net worth. For ten years after his retirement, Scottie Pippen served as the team ambassador for the Chicago Bulls.

Who is Scottie Pippen?

Pippen had a tumultuous early life as one of 12 children growing up in a two-room house. But with mom Ethel Pippen being 6′ tall and dad Preston Pippen being 6′ 1″, it was almost assured that Pippen could be a great basketball player if he could learn the finesse of the game. Scottie’s childhood was further marred when Preston Pippen suffered a stroke during his freshman year at Hamburg High School and could no longer work at the paper mill. Not able to afford college, Pippen spent more and more time on the basketball court refining his skills but was always haunted by the fear of injury as his brother Ronnie ended up in a wheelchair after an accident.

Pippen received a Basic Education Opportunity grant that allowed him to attend the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. That grant was given to him as a favor to his high school coach set Pippen on his path to NBA greatness.

Perhaps because of his family’s financial struggles as a child, Pippen is known as No Tippin’ Pippen for being a poor tipper at restaurants. Despite taking care of his finances, Pippen found himself the victim of bank fraud. Fraudulent schemes by highly recommended financial advisor Robert Lunn saw Scottie Pippen net worth drop by 20 million as Lunn was found guilty of stealing the money Pippen had given him to invest. Former financial advisor Robert Lunn was convinced and sentenced to three years in prison.

Scottie Pippen Family Life

In his personal life, Pippen fell in love and married Karen McCollum in 1988. The two had a son Antron Pippen but divorced after only two years. In 1994, Pippen had a second child, daughter Taylor, with his then-girlfriend Sonya Roby. Taylor Pippen had a twin, Tyler, that died at birth. In 1995, Pippen saw the birth of his second daughter, Sierra Pippen, with his then-fiancée Yvette De Leon. In 1997, Pippen married Larsa Younan. The couple has four children: Scotty Pippen Jr., Preston Pippen, Justin Pippen, and Sophia Pippen. Larsa filed for divorce in 2018, and it became final in 2021.

Fun Facts About Scottie Pippen

• Pippen is the only person to have both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal, achieving both in 1992 and 1996.
• Pippen has made several appearances on the small screen (ER, Chicago Fire, and American Dad) and the big screen (Hardwood Heroes, He Got Game, and Midgets vs. Mascots).
• Pippen released his biography, Unguarded, in 2021, and it became an instant New York Times bestseller.