Scottie Pippen is one of the greatest small forwards to ever grace the National Basketball Association.
Without Pippen, the Chicago Bulls may have never become the titans they are today, and the National Basketball Association may have never reached the same level of international popularity.
Although most modern basketball fans attribute the professional league’s success to players such as Jordan, LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant, Pippen played an equally large role in making professional American basketball the spectacle it is today.
How Many Rings Does Scottie Pippen Have?
Scottie Pippen has 6 rings that he earned during his legendary career from 1987 until 2004, having played for the Chicago Bulls, the Houston Rockets, and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Although Pippen played for multiple teams, all of his championship wins occurred while playing with the Chicago Bulls.
Pippen never lost in the NBA finals and won six rings in an eight-year span.
How Did Scottie Pippen Influence The Chicago Bulls?
Scottie Pippen influenced the Chicago Bulls through the way he acted both on and off the court, leaving an impact on his team and staff that has lasted a lifetime.
His high level of dedication to his team’s performance was fueled by his love for his family, whom he financially supported.
Only a few days after winning the 1998 Finals, coach Phil Jackson asked that each player choose a teammate to raise a toast to.
Jud Buechler chose to toast Pippen, toasting to the hope that Pippen would find a team that would pay him what he deserved.
When Pippen had to have surgery on his foot in 1997, his teammates were gracious and allowed Pippen to take all the time he needed to heal without any shame or guilt.
Pippen was the kind of team member whom his fellow players genuinely respected.
Scottie Pippen’s playstyle embraced the idea of teamwork by being a pass-first and defensive player who was willing to do whatever it took.
This playstyle acted as a balancing act for the leadership style that Michael Jordan brought to the Bulls, even down to the way that each player talked to their fellow teammates.
Not only was Pippen an incredibly talented small forward, but he was also known for being a family man.
After growing up in a small two-bedroom house with 11 siblings, Pippen knew that his family would need the kind of support that only a high-paying job could provide.
When Scottie Pippen played basketball, it wasn’t just for his team or even for boosting his own statistics.
Pippen wanted to win and be a valuable member of his team because he needed the larger contracts to support his family.
What Made Scottie Pippen So Popular Internationally?
Scottie Pippen gained international popularity after his performance as a member of the 1992 United States Men’s Basketball Team, also known as the 1992 Dream Team.
The 1992 Dream Team also included Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, David Robinson, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Christian Laettner, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.
This Olympic basketball team was given its nickname following part of the team’s appearance on the cover of Sports Illustratedwhich featured Barkley, Johnson, Malone, Ewing, Jordan, and Robinson.
the Sports Illustrated magazine cover was the first time that the team had been referred to as the “Dream Team” and has become one of the most iconic magazine covers in basketball history.
The Dream Team also originally included Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons, but Thomas had so bitterly feuded with both Jordan and Pippen that he eventually left the team.
His decision to leave was made even more shocking by the fact that Pistons coach Chuck Daly was leading the Olympic team.
From the start of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, it was clear that the Dream Team was going to win.
During the Tournament of Americas, the United States dominated the scoreboard with margins ranging from 38 points all the way to 79 points.
As the United States team went up against the other 1992 Olympics members, they continued to win by sizable margins that ranged from 32 points to 68 points.
Out of all the members of the Dream Team, it was Charles Barkley who led with an average of about 16.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Watching the Dream Team play at the 1992 Olympics was such a spectacle that the National Basketball Association began to garner more international popularity than ever before.
How Many Kids Does Scottie Pippen Have?
Scottie Pippen has 8 children, 2 of whom have passed away. His children of him have come from the multiple relationships he has had over the years.
Pippen had his first child with his first wife Karen McCollum, whom he married in 1988 and divorced only two years later.
Despite how short their marriage was, the pair remained amicable toward one another for their son’s sake.
In the years following his first divorce, Pippen became engaged to Yvette Deleone.
Despite their daughter Sierra Pippen being born in February of 1995, their relationship would end by the spring of 1995 when they called off their engagement.
Pippen remarried in 1997 after meeting Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa Younan in Chicago in 1995.
Younan was originally from Chicago and was attending the University of Illinois as a Political Science major.
Together, Pippen and Younan had Scotty Pippen Jr., Preston Pippen, Justin Pippin, and Sophia Pippen.
Scotty Pippen Jr. shared his father’s passion and talent for basketball and decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers following his entry into the 2021 National Basketball Association Draft.
The couple would remain married until they filed for divorce in 2018, which took three years to finalize before agreements were met in December 2021.
Nowadays, Younan is busy running her own beauty and lifestyle blog, Life with Larsa.
Scottie Pippen also had twin daughters named Taylor and Tyler Roby Pippen with his former girlfriend, Sonya Roby.
However, Pippen didn’t believe that the twins were actually his and has not interacted with them since.
At first, Pippen denied that the twins were his, but he eventually agreed to pay child support for Taylor Roby Pippen (Tyler had unfortunately passed away) and admitted that she was his biological daughter.
What Happened To Scottie Pippen’s Son And Daughter?
Scottie Pippen’s eldest son, Antron Pippen, passed away due to complications related to his asthma, and Pippen’s daughter, Tyler Roby Pippen, passed away only nine days after her birth.
Although Pippen never met his late daughter, he was incredibly close with his eldest son.
Like his father and half-brother Scotty Pippen Jr., Antron Pippen shared a passion for basketball and dreamed of the day that he could continue his father’s legacy.
Sadly, Antron’s asthma kept him out of the professional league his father had once played in.
Antron Pippen was born on December 29, 1987, and passed away on April 18, 2021.
He was 33 years old at the time of his passing.
Like his father, Pippen played basketball in college, but his chronic asthma kept him from being able to perform on a higher level.
Despite his limitations, Pippen was known for being resilient, faithful, and humble.
The basketball legend’s eldest are always remained positive and dedicated to whatever work lay ahead of him.
Two months after the death of his eldest son, Scottie Pippen began to open up regarding the emotions he was feeling.
Pippen claimed that he was having “moments of ups and downs,” but he was working toward gaining strength and continuing to heal.
That year, Pippen chose to host his basketball camp in Arkansas for Father’s Day. Although he was able to speak with his children on the phone, it simply wasn’t the same.
Between the death of his eldest son and constantly being on the road, Pippen felt that their phone calls simply weren’t the same as being able to celebrate with everyone in person.
Luckily, both the Chicago Bulls and their fans have extended their support to the former player, offering him the additional bit of support that he needs.
What Is Scottie Pippen Doing Now?
Scottie Pippen’s most recent project has been publishing his memoir, Unguarded, which follows his life while in the National Basketball Association and the years that followed.
One of the most anticipated parts of this memoir is the personal look that Pippen gives his readers into his relationship with fellow Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
This book even discusses the aftermath of the feud between Pippen and Jordan following the release of Jordan’s Dream Team documentary, The Last Dance.
According to unguarded, Michael Jordan reached out to Scottie Pippen following Pippen’s public dissatisfaction with The Last Dance over text message after not hearing from him for a long time.
Jordan Pippen asked if he was truly upset with him and if the pair could talk it out over the phone sometime.
Pippen knew that their discussion was going to take a while and decided to schedule their call for the following day.
after watching The Last Dance, Pippen felt that the documentary undermined the contributions that he and his fellow Dream Team teammates had made to their success in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Pippen felt that Jordan was to blame since Jordan had been given editorial control by the producers.
Scottie Pippen was able to watch the documentary early and decided to watch it with his three teenage sons, only to find that the first episodes were all about Michael Jordan.
Pippen felt like a prop and knew he was considered nothing more than Michael Jordan’s “best teammate,” eliminating his individual identity.
A few weeks after watching The Last Dance, Pippen decided to reach out to some of his former teammates to find out if they had also felt heavily disrespected.
Some of the players included Horace Grant, Will Perdue, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, and Bill Wellington.
Why Did Scottie Pippen Retire?
Scottie Pippen retired because of the toll that all his injuries were taking on his body long-term, which was becoming more apparent as he aged.
Pippen wanted to be able to walk away from the National Basketball Association while he was still able to walk—something he began heavily considering following knee surgery.
This legendary small forward knew his body had enough when he couldn’t even consider going through another 82-game season.
Although he was physically well enough to function, he was no longer able to compete at his previous level.
When Pippen was asked if he had any regrets from the course of his career, Pippen was grateful to say that he didn’t have any regrets and was able to learn a lot from the experience he had while working as a professional basketball player.
Out of all the experiences that Scottie Pippen had during his time in the National Basketball Association, his favorite memory was the day that he found out that he would be joining the Chicago Bulls despite being drafted by the Seattle Supersonics.
Pippen admitted that he didn’t want to join the Seattle team and was relieved to be sent to Chicago.
Although Pippen stated that he was going to miss the competitiveness and the bond he had with his teammates, he felt that being able to retire would allow him to gain a new perspective on old memories and value them in a new way.
As Scottie Pippen stepped away from the professional basketball courts, he wanted both fans and members of the professional league to remember his career by the way he treated each of his teammates with kindness and respect.
