Behind The Scenes Of The Life Of Scottie Pippen

One of the cogs that made the Chicago Bulls dynasty click in the '90s was Scottie Pippen. Traded to the Bulls from the Seattle SuperSonics when he was drafted, Pippen blossomed into one of the NBA's most elite players. Prior to entering the NBA, though, life wasn't so good for him. This rough upbringing led Pippen to put family before money during his NBA career, an aspect of his life that was highlighted in the docuseries The Last Dance on ESPN in 2020. Read on to learn all about the "Swiss Army Knife" of the NBA!

Scottie Was The Youngest Of 12 Children

scottie pippen young
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Born in Arkansas in 1965, Scottie Pippen was the youngest of Ethel and Preston Pippen's 12 children. He was also the tallest, standing 6'8" fully grown. With his mother standing six feet tall and his father being 6'1" Scottie was not an outlier in his family.

Tragically, Preston Pippen suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed, forcing him to retire early from his job at the paper mill. He passed away in 1990.

ADVERTISEMENT

Colleges Weren't Interested In Pippen

ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen playing for the chicago bulls
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
ADVERTISEMENT

Despite dominating basketball at the high school level, major college programs weren't interested in offering Scottie Pippen scholarships. Without many options, he enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas. From 1983 until 1987 he played in 93 games with a per-game point average of 17.2.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen's strong college career finally got him the attention he deserved and he declared for the NBA Daft. The Seattle Supersonics struck a deal with the Chicago Bulls to draft and trade Pippen with the fifth overall pick for Olden Polynice and "future draft options."

ADVERTISEMENT

He Led The Bulls To Their First NBA Title In 1991

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen and michael jordan
BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images
BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Playing alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen began to blossom in the 1989-90 season as an elite defender and rebounder. By the next season, the Bulls were ready to take the next step. Coach Phil Jackson was revolutionizing the NBA with his triangle offense and Michael Jordan was unstoppable.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen was used by Jackson that year as the team's top defender as well as a featured offensive player. The team made the NBA Finals and Pippen averaged 21.6 points-per-game. The Bulls beat the Lakers to win the city's first title.

ADVERTISEMENT

Two More Back-To-Back Titles Followed, Along With A Shocking Retirement

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
a close up of scottie pippen
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
ADVERTISEMENT

The next two seasons brought two more titles to the Chicago Bulls. The three-peat was an incredible feat, especially considering the Bulls would pull it off twice. Before starting their second title run, though, Michael Jordan shocked the basketball world by retiring.

ADVERTISEMENT

With Jordan out of the picture, Pippen became the face of the franchise. In his first solo season, Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to 55 wins but failed to reach the NBA Finals. The next season they made the playoffs again and failed to reach the Finals.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen's Selfish Moment On The Court

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen sitting on the bench
Al Bello /Allsport
Al Bello /Allsport
ADVERTISEMENT

Facing the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Scottie Pippen appeared to have a mental lapse, putting himself above the team for the first time in his career. The Bulls were trailing in the series and needed a last-minute shot to keep their hopes alive.

ADVERTISEMENT

Phil Jackson drew up a play to give Toni Kukoc the final shot. The decision infuriated Pippen, and he refused to play the rest of the game. Kukoc ended up making the shot, but the Bulls were not able to bounce back in the series.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The Big Three" Of The Nineties

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
pippen being defended
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Two seasons after retiring, Michael Jordan returned to the Bulls. The un-retirement made Scottie Pippen the second most important player on the team. Bringing Jordan back wasn't the only upgrade the Bulls got -- the team also traded for Dennis Rodman.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rodman, Jordan, and Pippen formed the "Big Three" of the '90s and proved nearly impossible to beat. The next Bulls three-peat officially began in the 1995-96 season. With the success, though, came more turmoil for the often under-appreciated Pippen.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen Was Underpaid

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen money issues
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Early in his Bulls' career, Scottie Pippen signed a seven-year, $18 million extension with the team. At the time the contract seemed fair. In just a few short years, though, Pippen became one of the game's top players and was paid like one of the worst.

ADVERTISEMENT

Always the consummate professional, Pippen stayed quiet about his contract frustrations and even revealed in The Last Dance that when he originally signed his extension, he was more worried about taking care of his family than protecting his future finances.

ADVERTISEMENT

Traded To The Rockets

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen rockets
VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images
VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

At the conclusion of the 1997-98 season, the Bulls' stars were aging and the team was looking to rebuild. To begin the process, the team traded Scottie Pippen to the Houston Rockets.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen stayed in Houston for one season before heading to Portland to play for the Trailblazers. He spent the next four seasons in the Pacific Northwest before returning to the Bulls in 2003 to end his NBA career. His retirement from the NBA would open a new opportunity for Pippen he had never considered.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen Played Overseas In 2008

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen playing in scandinavia
KIMMO MANTYLA/AFP via Getty Images
KIMMO MANTYLA/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Fours years after retiring from the NBA, Scottie Pippen took his talents overseas to play in Scandinavia. The move to an international league came after Pippen announced his NBA comeback attempt in 2007. He wanted to win a seventh ring.

ADVERTISEMENT

When no title contenders offered him a contract, he toured Scandinavia, making appearances with Torpan Pojat in Finland and Sundsvall in Sweden. Once his tour was over, Pippen announced his official retirement from the game of basketball.

ADVERTISEMENT

He's Been Married Twice

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen and once of his former wives
Bennett Raglin/WireImage
Bennett Raglin/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

One year after making his NBA debut, Scottie Pippen married Karen McCollum. The couple had one son, Antron Pippen, before divorcing in 1990. Seven years later Pippen married his second wife, Larsa Younan.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen and Younan had four children together: Preston, Scotty Jr., Sophia, and Justin. In 2017, the couple divorced. Pippen also has two children out of wedlock, one with a former fiancee and another with a former girlfriend.

ADVERTISEMENT

He's A Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen team usa
TIM ZIELENBACH/AFP via Getty Images
TIM ZIELENBACH/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Scottie Pippen won his first Olympic gold medal as a member of the Dream Team alongside Larry Bird and Michael Jordan in 1992. The team eased their way through the tournament, proving just how American-focused the sport of basketball was.

ADVERTISEMENT

The international basketball competition grew stronger over the next four years, but the 1996 Olympic team, with Pippen taking the lead, still proved unbeatable. Nearing the end of his career in 2000, Pippen was not a member of the next Olympic team.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Might Be The Greatest Defender Of All Time

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
jordan and pippen
VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images
VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

During his 17-year career, Scottie Pippen was named to the NBA's all-defensive team 12 times. He averaged two steals a game before retiring and was a dominant playoff defender often tasked with shutting down the opposing team's most dangerous scorer.

ADVERTISEMENT

In comparison, KobeBryant made eight all-defensive teams. Bruce Bowen made the all-defensive five times, and other notable defensive players never earned the honor. Without Pippen on the Bulls, it's possible they would have never won six titles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Was He A System Player?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
chicago bulls holding championship trophies
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It has been argued that if Scottie Pippen never played in Chicago under the leadership of Phil Jackson, he never would have reached his full potential. Pippen was known more as a defender before Jackson introduced the Triangle Offense and turned Pippen into a scoring machine.

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite being inducted into the Hall of Fame, there will always be doubters who will say Pippen was a system player. To defend their argument, they will point to his career outside of Chicago as proof.

ADVERTISEMENT

Michael Jordan Helped Him Make The Dream Team

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
19992 dream team
Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Heading into the 1992 Olympic games, Scottie Pippen was coming off one all-star season and seemed to be an odd choice for the men's basketball team. Isiah Thomas was still in his prime and would have made more sense.

ADVERTISEMENT

Reportedly, Michael Jordan refused to play with Thomas, though, meaning he was never in consideration to make the team. The two had a rivalry that could not be put on hold for Olympic glory. Pippen also expressed concerns about Thomas' attitude publicly.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Bulls Retired His Number In 2005

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen giving a speech
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In 2005, the Chicago Bulls honored Scottie Pippen's career with the team by retiring his number. The ceremony happened at halftime during a game against the Lakers and reunited Pippen with Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Horace Grant, and Dennis Rodman.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen's number was the fourth to ever be retired by the franchise. The first three retired numbers belonged to Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, and Michael Jordan. The Bulls have not retired another number since.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Has A Statue Outside United Center

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen smiling
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Six years after retiring Scottie Pippen's number, the Bulls revealed plans to build a bronze statue in his honor. The statue was unveiled one month later, with Pippen saying:

ADVERTISEMENT

"Words really can't express my feelings. It's something you dream of as a kid growing up, but you can never foresee those childhood fantasies becoming reality. You see statues of individuals who have done great things and made their mark on history, but as a basketball player, you never really think about arriving at this point. It's an amazing honor for the Chicago Bulls to do this for me."

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen Said LeBron James Is Better Than Jordan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
lebron james lakers
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In 2011, Scottie Pippen drew the ire of Bulls fans when he said, "Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to ever play the game. I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game."

ADVERTISEMENT

Horace Grant, one of Pippen's former teammates, responded, "Wow, Pippen's my man, and we'll always be close, but I totally disagree. LeBron is going to be one of the top players to ever play the game, but Michael Jeffrey Jordan, who we bumped heads at times, is I think, the best basketball player I've ever seen."

ADVERTISEMENT

His Name Is Scotty, Not Scottie

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippe name
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

On his birth certificate, Scottie Pippen's name is actually spelled Scotty. Early on, Pippen found out that if he went with the original spelling of his name, people would shorten it simply to "Scott."

ADVERTISEMENT

To avoid this from happening, he started spelling it Scottie so people would assume it was his proper name. Since today he is known as "Scottie" Pippen and not "Scott" Pippen, it's safe to say he was correct.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pippen Had His Own Video Game

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scottie pippen video game
Sega
Sega
ADVERTISEMENT

At the peak of his career with the Bulls, Scottie Pippen participated in the creation of the video game Slam City with Scottie Pippen. The game is considered one of the first interactive movie games and allowed players to work their way through a narrative.

ADVERTISEMENT

When it was released, the game was met with negative reviews, with GamePro remarking that the limitations of the narrative made it feel repetitive. Other critics blamed the poor control mechanics for the overall failure of the game.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Is Notoriously Frugal

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
barkley and pippen
Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

During his career, Scottie Pippen was notoriously frugal when it came to going out for food. According to Sports Illustrated, restaurant workers even nicknamed him "No Tippin' Pippen" because of how bad his tips were.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the same article, the magazine named Pippen one of the leagues' biggest "skinflints" alongside Shawn Kemp and Kevin Garnett. NBA Legend Charles Barkley even weighed in on the matter in 2014, telling Conan O'Brien "There's nobody cheaper than Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan."