Exploring Scottie Pippen’s Net Worth
America’s retired professional basketball player, Scottie Pippen, holds a net worth of $20 million. Over his 17-year NBA career, he earned $109 million solely from his salary, in addition to substantial earnings from endorsements.
During his tenure with the Chicago Bulls, he played a pivotal role in securing six NBA titles and the record-setting 1995–96 season with 72 wins. Pippen, a seven-time NBA All-Star and the 1994 NBA All-Star Game MVP, was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He is among the four players whose jersey was retired by the Chicago Bulls and holds the unique feat of winning NBA titles and Olympic gold medals in the same year twice (1992, 1996).
Insight into Contracts and Salary
Scottie Pippen’s career earnings have sparked discussions on being the most underpaid NBA player. While true to an extent, his 1991 contract extension of 7 years and $18 million shed light on his financial journey. Despite Michael Jordan’s $30+ million yearly salary at the height of the Bulls era, Pippen earned $2.6 million annually out of a desire for financial security, coming from a challenging background.
His frustrations with the contract grew later on, leading to a desire for a revised extension. Interestingly, Pippen’s total NBA earnings surpassed Jordan’s, and a significant portion came from a lucrative contract with the Houston Rockets before the 1998-1999 season, followed by earnings from his final two years with the Bulls.
Endorsement Ventures
Embracing endorsements, Pippen transitioned from Avia sneakers in his early NBA days to developing signature shoes with Nike, particularly the popular Pippen 1 in 1997. Additionally, he secured deals with various brands, including Ameritech Cellular TV, Frito-Lay, Visa, McDonald’s, Right Guard, and Coca-Cola.
Early Years
Scotty Maurice Pippen, born on September 25, 1965, in Hamburg, Arkansas, was the youngest among 12 children of Ethel and Preston Pippen. Featuring a tall lineage, the family’s genetics were prominent in Scottie, who excelled in basketball despite his father’s medical struggles. Pippen’s high school feats led him to the University of Central Arkansas, where his remarkable growth in height and basketball skills paved the way to his NBA journey.
Selected in the early rounds of the 1987 NBA Draft, Pippen’s career trajectory witnessed a transformative phase with the Chicago Bulls, initiating his legacy in one of basketball’s most celebrated franchises.
Professional Endeavors
Scottie Pippen initiated his NBA journey on November 7, 1987, marking the start of a noteworthy career with impactful performances and memorable contributions to the league.
During the 1988 NBA Playoffs, Pippen secured the starting small forward position, aiding the Jordan-led Bulls in reaching the conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade as the Bulls won their season-opening game 104–94. It was in 1990 when Pippen was selected as an NBA All-Star for the first time.
Emerging as the main defensive stopper and a significant scoring threat during the 1990-91 season, Pippen achieved his first triple-double on November 23 against the Los Angeles Clippers, contributing 13 points, 12 assists, and 13 rebounds in a 105–97 victory in just 30 minutes. Awarded NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors for the 1990–91 NBA season, Pippen played a crucial role in the Bulls’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals, leading the Bulls to their first three-peat in 1992 and 1993.
Instrumental in the Bulls’ second three-peat, Pippen clinched NBA championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
After 11 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Pippen, the franchise’s second all-time leader in points, assists, and steals, was traded to the Houston Rockets in 1998. Following his tenure with the Rockets, Pippen played for the Portland Trailblazers from 1998 to 2003 and then returned to the Bulls for a short period.
Pippen briefly returned to professional basketball in January 2008, playing two games for Finnish league team ToPo and Swedish league team Sundsvall at the age of 42.
Renowned for his versatility and agility, Pippen made his mark as one of the greatest defenders in NBA history. His work ethic and athletic prowess enabled him to consistently make highlight-reel plays, including applying defensive pressure, causing turnovers, stealing the ball, and embarking on a one-man fast break culminating in a powerful slam dunk.
In 1992, Pippen joined the original Dream Team for the United States men’s Olympic basketball squad at the Barcelona Olympics. The team secured the gold medal, and Pippen, alongside Michael Jordan, became the first players to achieve an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.
In his personal life, Pippen has been married twice, first to Karen McCollum in 1988, with whom he had a son named Antron in 1987. After divorcing in 1990, he married Larsa Younan, also known as Larsa Pippen, in 1997. The couple had four children: Scotty Jr. (2000), Preston (2002), Justin (2005), and Sophia (2008), before divorcing in 2021.His former fiancée Yvette De Leon is the mother of his daughter, Sierra Pippen (born 1995), and his former girlfriend and model Sonya Roby is the mother of his daughter, Taylor Pippen (born 1994) – Taylor’s twin sister, Tyler, sadly passed away nine days after birth.
His son, Scotty Jr., is a player for the Los Angeles Lakers, while his daughter, Sophia, made an appearance in the first season of “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.”
Financial Issues?
Scottie has faced allegations of financial problems post-retirement. Some reports suggested he was broke a few years after leaving the NBA, but these claims are largely exaggerated or false. Despite this, Scottie has encountered some financial setbacks.
One significant setback involved a former financial advisor named Robert Lunn. In 2016, Pippen filed a lawsuit against Lunn, alleging that the advisor mismanaged $20 million of his funds. In less than a year of working together, Pippen discovered Lunn had engaged in bank fraud and made poor investments, including giving $7 million to a risky real estate project that led to bankruptcy.
Lunn also advised Pippen to spend $4 million on a non-functional Gulfstream private jet, requiring an additional $1 million for repairs to make it usable.
In March 2016, Lunn was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for multiple fraud charges, including forging Pippen’s signature for a $1.4 million loan.
Real Estate
In 2004, Scottie and Larsa Pippen purchased a 10,000-square-foot home on 2.6 acres in Highland Park, Chicago for $2.225 million. After listing it for $3.1 million in 2016, they eventually sold it in late 2021 for just under $2 million.
Additionally, Pippen once owned a mansion in South Florida that was intermittently on the market from 2010, initially listed for $16 million and later offered as a luxury rental for $40,000 a month.
This Venetian-style mansion in Fort Lauderdale’s Harbor Beach area was sold in September 2021 for $10.54 million, boasting canal views and luxurious amenities.
Data is from 2023 and 2024 and forecast data is for 2025 and 2026. We also expand the forecast data to 2027 and 2028.
* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:
Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.
Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.