Scottie Pippen Net Worth - Salary and Career Earnings
All you need to know about Scottie Pippen Net Worth, his contract, salary and brand endorsements.
American professional basketball player Scottie Pippen was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, on September 25, 1965.
While playing for the Chicago Bulls, he won six NBA titles (1991–1993, 1996–1998).
Despite playing basketball in high school, Pippen was only 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters) tall when he graduated.
But by the time he enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas, he had grown two inches (5 cm), and he managed the basketball team before being selected for the team.
Standing at six feet seven inches (2 meters) tall, he was the team's best player by his senior year.
Pippen was traded to Chicago by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1987 after they had selected him in the first round of the NBA draft.
In his first season (1987–88), he established himself as a fixture in the Bulls starting lineup. Pippen had a very diverse skill set.
His strength and size helped him effectively defend the rim, he shot the ball well and possessed good ball-handling skills.
Throughout his career, Pippen was selected to the NBA's All-Defensive first team eight times thanks to his imposing presence on defense and his quick footwork.
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What is Scottie Pippen's Net Worth?
Scottie Pippen’s net worth is $20 million. Pippen played 17 years in the NBA and his salary alone during that time came to $109 million. Through endorsements, he made tens of millions more.
Scottie Pippen Contract
Many people claim that Scottie Pippen was the most underpaid NBA player. Scottie agreed to a seven-year, $18 million contract extension before the 1991 campaign.
Scottie was making $2.6 million a year during the height of the Bulls when Michael Jordan was making over $30 million.
Later, he would say that he signed the contract to give his family security. Being one of twelve children, he lived in extreme poverty and witnessed his father and brother in wheelchairs.
Pippen would eventually become frustrated with this contract. Subsequently, he believed he made a mistake in signing and was entitled to a renewed extension. It's interesting to note that Michael's $94 million NBA salary was ultimately less than Scottie's $109 million.
Before the 1998–1999 season, he signed a five-year, $67.2 million contract with the Houston Rockets, which provided him with most of his career earnings. In his final two seasons as a player, he returned to the Bulls and earned an additional $10 million.
Scottie Pippen Salary
Year | Team | Salary |
1987-88 | Chicago Bulls | $725,000 |
1988-89 | Chicago Bulls | $575,000 |
1989-90 | Chicago Bulls | $765,000 |
1990-91 | Chicago Bulls | $765,000 |
1991-92 | Chicago Bulls | $2,770,000 |
1992-93 | Chicago Bulls | $3,425,000 |
1993-94 | Chicago Bulls | $3,075,000 |
1994-95 | Chicago Bulls | $2,225,000 |
1995-96 | Chicago Bulls | $2,925,000 |
1996-97 | Chicago Bulls | $2,250,000 |
1997-98 | Chicago Bulls | $2,775,000 |
1998-99 | Houston Rockets | $11,000,000 |
1999-00 | Portland Trail Blazers | $14,795,642 |
2000-01 | Portland Trail Blazers | $13,750,000 |
2001-02 | Portland Trail Blazers | $18,083,564 |
2002-03 | Portland Trail Blazers | $19,727,524 |
2003-04 | Chicago Bulls | $4,917,000 |
2004-05 | Chicago Bulls | $5,408,700 |
Scottie Pippen Brand Endorsements
In his early NBA seasons, Scottie wore Avia sneakers, but like Mike, he eventually switched to Nike footwear. His subsequent releases with Nike included the Pippen 1, which was introduced in 1997.
In addition, he held endorsement agreements with Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Right Guard, Frito-Lay, Visa, and Ameritech Cellular TV.
Scottie Pippen’s Basketball Career and Olympic 'Dream Team'
On November 7, 1987, Scottie Pippen made his NBA debut against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He played 23 minutes on his debut and finished with 10 points, 2 steals, 4 assists, and 1 rebound. Bulls went on to win that match 104-94.
During the 1988 NBA Playoffs, Pippen was a starter small forward position and assisted the Jordan-led Bulls to their first conference semifinal appearance in more than ten years.
In 1990, Pippen was chosen for the first time as an NBA All-Star.
As Pippen’s career move forward in the NBA, he became the team’s main defensive stopper and a major scoring threat in the 1990–91 campaign.
On November 23, in a 105–97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, he recorded his first triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists, and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes of play.
He was awarded NBA All-Defensive Second Team during the 1990–91 season.
In the 1991 NBA Finals, the Bulls went on to triumph over the Lakers. The Bulls won the next two years, 1992 and 1993, thanks to his contributions, completing their first three-peat.
The Bulls' second three-peat, which included NBA titles in 1996, 1997, and 1998, was made possible because of significant contributions by Pippen.
Pippen, the second all-time points, assists, and steals leader in the history of the Chicago Bulls, was traded to the Houston Rockets during the 1998–1999 NBA lockout-shortened season.
The deal included Roy Rogers and a 2000 NBA draft pick. Pippen played for the Chicago Bulls for 11 seasons.
Pippen was a member of the Portland Trailblazers from 1999 to 2003. Pippen left Portland following the 2002–03 season to sign a contract with the Chicago Bulls. Pippen inked a two-year, $10 million contract with the team on July 20, 2003.
In 2004, Pippen declared his retirement on October 5. At the age of forty-two, Pippen made a brief return to the world of professional basketball in January 2008, traveling throughout Scandinavia and playing two games for the top teams in the Finnish and Swedish leagues, Torpan Pojat (ToPo) and Sundsvall, respectively.
He was a member of the United States men's Olympic basketball team's 1992 Dream Team, which participated in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Pippen and Michael Jordan became the first athletes to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year when the United States won the gold medal.
Scottie Pippen-Michael Jordan beef
In his November 2021 Unguarded memoir, Pippen wrote, "They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates."
Pippen claimed that not enough of their teammates were featured in Jordan's The Last Dance docuseries.
"Michael was mostly to blame for what happened. He was given editorial control over the finished product by the producers. Otherwise, the document could not have been made public. He was both the director and the main character.
Scottie’s Financial Issues
It is fair to say that Pippen’s life off the court wasn’t as rosy as it was on the court.
The Chicago Bulls superstar faced constant financial problems after he took retirement. Many media houses were even quick to report that Scottie had gone bankrupt. However, it turned out to be wrong.
Robert Lunn, a former financial advisor, ripped off Pippen the most. Pippen filed a lawsuit against Lunn in 2016, alleging that the highly regarded advisor—who was recommended by the Bulls—spent $20 million of his money.
After working with Lunn for less than a year, Pippen discovered that the advisor had stolen his money and committed bank fraud.
Lunn allegedly gave a friend with a dubious background over $7 million to invest in real estate. Almost immediately, the real estate developer filed for bankruptcy and took the money with him.
According to reports, Lunn also suggested that Pippen spend $4 million on a private Gulfstream aircraft.
It turned out that the jet was non-operational and required an additional $1 million in repairs before it could be used again.
Lunn was given a three-year prison sentence in March 2016 for several fraud offenses, including forging Pippen's signature on a $1.4 million loan that Lunn utilized to settle personal debts.
Scottie Pippen’s House and Real Estate
Scottie Pippen married Larsa Pippen and purchased a 10,000-square-foot home situated on 2.6 acres in the Lakefront Highland Park neighborhood of Chicago.
However, due to differences in marriage, in 2016, Scottie listed it for $3.1 million on the market. He cut the price to $1.899 million after the property was on the market for three years.
The 2003-built house boasts six bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, a game room, a movie theater, a sauna, a brick wine cellar, and an indoor basketball court that was specially designed with an image of Pippen's Chicago Bulls jersey all over it.
The house was finally sold in late 2021 for slightly less than $2 million.
Pippen was a proud owner of a mansion in South Florida once and it was listed for $16 million. At one point, the home was offered as a luxury rental for $40,000 a month.
Why is Scottie Pippen's net worth only $20 million?
People might feel surprised when Scottie Pippen’s net worth is talked about. Pippen's net worth is only $20 million even though his NBA earnings are beyond $100 million.
The main reasons for this gap between his earnings and net worth are bad financial decisions and child support.
Pippen was scammed by his financial advisor for $20 million before he was sent to jail for three years.
Pippen also lost a lot of money on child support. Pippen, a seven-time NBA All-Star, has fathered eight children by four women.
One of those children died nine days after being born, and another died at age 33 last year. Pippen has paid child support for almost his entire career.
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