NBA legend Scottie Pippen ‘heartbroken’ as his eldest son Antron dies aged 33
NBA legend Scottie Pippen has announced that his eldest son, Antron Pippen, has died at the age of 33. Scottie, a former Chicago Bulls basketball star, shared the news on Monday via Twitter with photos of himself with Antron over the years.
The sports icon said: ‘I’m heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron. The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game. ‘Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would’ve made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though—Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became.’
He added: ‘Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again.’
Antron was the first child Scottie, 55, welcomed with ex-wife Karen McCollum, who he was married to from 1988 until 1990.
Antron is said to have played basketball at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), before going on to play at South Georgia Technical College. It’s also believed that Antron later played with a local Atlanta team. Scottie later married Larsa Pippen and they share four children; Scotty Jr, 20, Preston, 19, Justin, 16, and Sophia, 13.
He and Larsa divorced in 2018 after 21 years of marriage. Scottie’s glowing career was recently explored in the Netflix documentary The Last Dance, which followed Michael Jordan’s journey in leading the Chicago Bulls to the championships.