Scottie Pippen’s Net Worth is $20 Million
Not everyone can go from smalltown kid to NBA big shot and rake in the dough. And yet, that’s exactly what Scottie Pippen did. He accumulated a net worth of $20 million by 2023 and forged a legacy that included six NBA championships.
You might think of Scottie Pippen as the loyal sidekick to the legendary Michael Jordan, on the Chicago Bulls in the late ’80s and ’90s. But the man is a legit superstar in his own right, with a killer career and a loaded bank account that would make anyone green with envy. From pocketing crazy basketball paychecks, trying his hand at all sorts of businesses, and even launching his own brand, there’s hardly a dull moment in Pippen’s world.
| Name | Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. |
| Profession | Retired NBA player, Businessman |
| Net Worth | $20 Million |
| Birthplace | Hamburg, Arkansas, USA |
| Birthday | September 25, 1965 (Libra) |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft. 8 in. (203 cm) |
| Relationship status | Divorced |
From Humble Beginnings to NBA Stardom: Scottie Pippen’s Early Career & Breakthrough
Picture this. It’s September 25, 1965. Scottie Maurice Pippen joined the world in Hamburg, Arkansas on September 25, 1965. He’s the twelfth child in the Pippen clan, with parents Preston and Ethel leading the pack. Though Scottie was into all kinds of sports growing up, basketball was his favorite and the one at which he most excelled. Serving as his guiding star was NBA icon Dr. J, Julius Erving.
Graduating high school was a milestone, but Scottie wasn’t getting showered with basketball scholarships. He was all height and no heft. But he didn’t let that get him down. Instead, he headed to the University of Central Arkansas. During his time at university, Pippen put on 60 pounds and shot up six inches. His transformation got people talking, specifically scouts, and his NCAA career took off.
Soon he was ready for the big time. Scottie got picked by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1987 NBA draft’s first round but was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls. Even as a rookie he became a regular in the lineup, impressing everyone with his all-around skills. He had it all: dominating under the basket, slick with the ball, and shooting like a pro.
Walking into the Bulls’ den, Scottie naturally found himself playing in the massive court presence that was Michael Jordan. But he did not stay in MJ’s shadow long. His epic play made people sit up and take notice, and by 1990, he was in his first All-Star game of seven. That was step one of his A-list career that led to back-to-back-to-back NBA Championships with the Bulls, from 1991 to 1993.
Then, the unthinkable happened: MJ retired. This put Scottie front and center. In the 1993-94 season, Scottie rallied the Bulls to a 55-27 record. He showed the world he could run the show without MJ, becoming the Bulls’ new top dog. And so began the rise of Scottie Pippen, securing his spot in the NBA Hall of Fame.
Scoring Points and Dollars: Pippen’s Income from His NBA Career
In the 1980s, NBA salaries weren’t as sky-high as they are today. Pippen wasn’t an exception to this rule. Cutting his teeth in the NBA, he scored a four-year deal for $2.8 million in 1987. Fast forward to ’91 and Pippen cashed in on a seven-year deal worth $19.4 million—almost chump change by today’s standards though it was a princely sum at the time.
Roll on to the Bulls’ fifth NBA title in the ’90s, and Pippen’s salary of $2.7 million in ’98 looked a little sad next to MJ’s jaw-dropping $30-million paycheck.
Pippen’s fortunes flipped in ’99 when he inked a five-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for $77.3 million. That’s about four times his total dough from his first 11 NBA seasons! Overall, Pippen bagged an estimated $109.9 million during his NBA spree, his fattest check being a $67.2-million deal with the Bulls in ’99.
Diversified Earnings: Pippen’s Income from Alternative Sources
Perhaps Scottie wasn’t earning as much on the court as he should have done, but you could hardly say he starved his bank account. Aside from his NBA paychecks, Scottie drew in the funds by working with some of the world’s biggest brands like Nike, Ameritech Cellular TV and Coca-Cola. He even got in on the sneaker game with the Nike Pippen 1s from ’97.
The guy’s got a shark-like appetite for business too. He’s explored different industries. And while some endeavors failed to pay off, we admire the man who is not averse to taking risks. After all, you have to spend money to make money, right?
Fast forward to 2021, Pippen spiced things up and launched DIGITS Bourbon. Yup, he’s the brains behind his own brand of booze, reflecting his boss-level entrepreneurial energy.
Scottie’s High-End Possessions and Charitable Acts
What’s Scottie Pippen been splurging on after raking in the big bucks from his career?
Let’s talk houses first. Pippen’s got a real estate collection to die for. One of his prized pieces? A 10,000-square-foot property in Highland Park, Illinois, with five bedded rooms. He snagged it back in 2004 with his then-wife Larsa for $2.23 million. And, he’s pimped it out since then – we’re talking a gym, an infinity pool, a waterfall, and, of course, a basketball court.
His garage is just as impressive. That’s where his Mercedes-Benz G-Class and a 911 Porsche Turbo Cabriolet reside alongside an insanely priced Ferrari F458. And in 2002, he splashed out $4 million on a Gulfstream jet, but more on that later.
But Pippen isn’t just about flashy purchases. The guy’s got a heart of gold too. In 2022, he teamed up with the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation’s Sports Matter program for a basketball camp and gear giveaway. The event saw over 700 people from 30 different nonprofit organizations in Chicago, all getting a chance to hang with Pippen.
A Glance at Pippen’s Court: Scottie’s Personal Life
Scottie Pippen’s life off the court is just as colorful and riveting as his time on it. Being the youngest of 12 kids sure gave him a crash course on family hustling.
Scottie has been married twice. First, he tied the knot with musician Karen McCollum. They had a son, Antron, in 1987. They called it quits in 1990, but word is, they stayed on friendly terms.
Love struck again in ’97 when Scottie married future Real Housewives diva Larsa Younan. Together they had four kids: Scotty Jr., Preston, Justin, and Sophia Pippen. Even after two decades of marriage, they split up in 2018.
But Scottie’s tribe doesn’t stop there. He has a daughter, Sierra, with an ex, Yvette Deleone. And with another ex, Sonya Roby, he had twin girls, Taylor and Tyler, though Tyler tragically didn’t survive birth. They’re all carving their own life paths, from Scotty Jr., who’s shooting hoops professionally, to Taylor, who’s acing the finance gig like her mom.
Turbulence Off the Court: Major Events in Scottie Pippen’s Life
Scottie got himself into a tight spot in the early 2000s when he splashed $4 million on a luxury Gulfstream jet. Due to a missed check-up, however, the aircraft needed a $1-million revamp and never took flight. Pippen pointed an accusatory finger at his lawyer, and in 2011, he scored $2.37 million for this rogue deal. When some media outlets started saying he’d gone bust in 2011, he sued them, demanding a million from each for what he called a ‘foul libel.’
And 2020 kept things spicy for Pippen. He featured prominently in the hugely popular Netflix docuseries The Last Dance, about the Chicago Bulls’ dominance in the NBA in the 1990s. Pippen took umbrage with the massive pay gap between Michael Jordan, who scored $10 million for his role in the series, while the rest of the Bulls squad, Pippen included, weren’t remunerated at all.
