Scottie Pippen is famous for winning six NBA championships, but his family is his proudest achievement.
The former Chicago Bulls player welcomed seven kids — Antron, Taylor, Tyler, Sierra, Scotty Jr., Preston, Justin and Sophia — with his exes Karen McCollum, Sonya Roby, Yvette Deleone and Larsa Pippen.
While promoting his memoir Unguarded in 2021, Scottie told PEOPLE that tragedies in his family taught him to appreciate life more and not take anything for granted.
“I take that [with me] every day. It isn’t just something that I used through sports or anything, but, it’s telling a good friend that you love them, or telling your kids every day that you love them,” he said. “You never know when the last time you may see them again. That’s never something that you can predict.”
Scottie’s father, Preston Pippen, suffered a stroke when Scottie was a kid and passed away in 1990. He was a major inspiration for the athlete in both basketball and fatherhood.
“When I lost my father, it really made me want to be like a father and be like my father,” he told The Chicago Tribune in 1992. “I realized I had to become a more responsible person, and I also realized I could become as good as I wanted to in this game if I put forth the effort.”
Now, Scottie hopes to inspire his own kids to follow their dreams. “You should first believe in yourself,” he told PEOPLE when asked for his advice. “Work hard and continue to work towards those goals.”
Here’s everything to know about Scottie Pippen’s kids.
Antron Pippen
Scottie welcomed his first child, Antron, with ex-wife Karen McCollum on Dec. 29, 1987. He grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and played basketball for South Georgia Technical College and Texas A&M International before playing for the now-defunct World Basketball Association in 2013.
Scottie was clearly very proud of his son. “He’s a late bloomer, like me,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2006. “He’s probably better than I was as a high school player.”
Antron also didn’t mind being compared to his famous dad on the court. “I’m used to the expectations,” he said. “When I was younger, it bothered me. I was trying to prove to people that I could play. I’m very proud of my father. But I can only be myself.”
Sadly, Antron died at the age of 33 on April 19, 2021. Scottie shared the tragic news on Instagram. “I’m heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron,” he wrote alongside touching family photos. “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.”
Scottie asked for thoughts and prayers for Antron’s mom, before finishing the tribute with a message to his firstborn: “I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again.”
In June 2021, Scottie opened up to PEOPLE about his grieving process. “I still have my moments of ups and downs, but I’m good,” he said. “I will continue to gain strength because today there is none … But I’ve managed, and I’ll continue to heal.”
Taylor Pippen, 29
Scottie welcomed daughter Taylor with ex-girlfriend Sonya Roby on July 20, 1994. He initially denied paternity, but after a DNA test proved he was the father, Scottie agreed to provide financial support, according to the Associated Press. Roby maintained full custody of Taylor throughout her childhood.
Like her father, Taylor is also an incredible athlete. She played high school volleyball in Mundelein, Illinois, before joining Southern Illinois University’s volleyball team in 2012. She went on to play professional volleyball in Spain in 2016 for one season.
These days, she has a successful career in finance working as a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, according to her LinkedIn page.
During an interview with Spanish news outlet El Mundo in 2016, Taylor discussed her relationship with Scottie, saying she doesn’t “know what he’s like as a father.”
“He never wanted to meet me. He decided that it [would be] like that and I prefer not to think about the matter too much,” Taylor shared. “I was born and raised near Chicago, you can imagine how many questions I have been asked about my father. I know how much my last name weighs, I know that people expect a lot from me, but, after all these years, I have learned that Pippen is just that, a last name.”
Tyler Pippen
Scottie’s ex Roby also gave birth to Taylor’s twin sister Tyler on July 20, 1994. However, Tyler died in the hospital soon after her birth. Scottie has never spoken publicly about the loss.
Sierra Pippen, 29
Sierra Pippen was born on Feb. 17, 1995. Scottie also denied paternity but was proven to be Sierra’s father in court after his ex-girlfriend Yvette Deleone filed a paternity lawsuit.
According to AP, the two reached a settlement in which Pippen would cover child support, high school and college expenses, insurance, medical expenses and daycare. He also had visitation provisions.
“He’s taking care of the child,” Deleone’s lawyer Richard Rinella said at the time. “He loves the child. He visits with the child on a regular basis; he’s a good father.” Rinella added that Scottie and Deleone were “very amicable” after reaching their settlement.
Sierra went on to attend the University of Iowa, though little else is known about her as she maintains a pretty low profile. While it’s unclear whether she has a relationship with Scottie, she had evidently been close with her brother Antron.
In April 2021, she dedicated a touching tribute to Antron on Instagram after he passed. “Took a moment for me to compose this. I can’t help but ask why you? I’d like to hear you laugh again. I’m sad I can’t call you anymore,” she wrote alongside a series of photos of Antron. “The happiest and most humble of us all. Sometimes He wants the good ones too I guess. Father God watch over my big brother, You truly gained someone so special. Keep hooping up there boaaa. You’ll never be forgotten and I’ll make sure of that. I love you Antron🤞🏽💜gone too soon.”
Scotty Pippen Jr., 24
Scottie and ex-wife Larsa welcomed their first child together, Scotty Jr., on Nov. 10, 2000, in Portland, Oregon. He started following in his father’s footsteps early and played basketball at Sierra Canyon High School, the prominent Los Angeles-area school where both Dwyane Wade and Lebron James’ sons also played basketball. He went on to play college ball at Vanderbilt University.
“He had a ball like that probably since he was born. As a father, the ball was around him,” Scottie told PEOPLE in September 2022.
That commitment clearly paid off when Scotty Jr. was declared for the NBA Draft in 2021. “I think he’s done a lot of work on preparing himself for his journey,” the proud father told PEOPLE that June. “I don’t know how far it’s going to take him, but he’s still got three years of eligibility if he decides to go back and get some more experience and develop some more.”
The following year, Scotty Jr. signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers to begin playing basketball professionally. “Dreams come true,” he wrote on Twitter. “Let’s get to work.”
While the father-son duo definitely share a passion for the game, Scotty Jr. admitted to PEOPLE that “having a father in the NBA definitely puts a target on your back.” He added, “I would say there are higher expectations because people expect me to be like my dad, but I don’t really let that get to me because that’s just what people think I should be or should not be.”
The NBA legend told PEOPLE that he’s “very proud” of his son, who is equally as grateful to have his dad’s support. “Even when I was in college, we talked every day,” Scotty Jr. shared. “He went to all my games.”
Preston Pippen, 21
Scottie and Larsa’s second child, Preston Pippen, was born in Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 26, 2002. He was named after his grandfather, Scottie’s late father. Like his older brother, he attended Sierra Canyon High School, where he played on the basketball team. In May 2021, he graduated from high school and posted a series of photos from the milestone day on Instagram, including a shot of him and Scottie embracing.
Preston stays out of the spotlight for the most part and it is unclear what he’s been up to since high school. He does, however, share the occasional TikTok of him and his famous friends dancing. Those friends include Shaquille O’Neal’s sons Shareef and Shaqir, as well as James’ son LeBron Jr.
According to his Instagram, he also enjoys hanging out with his siblings.
Justin Pippen, 18
Justin Pippen, Scottie and Larsa’s third son, was born in California on July 11, 2005.
In addition to playing basketball, Justin has also tried his hand at modeling. In 2016, he appeared in the True Faces of the World campaign featuring kids with different backgrounds and cultures alongside his sister, Sophia.
Justin is very close with his famous father. For Father’s Day 2019, he shared some throwback photos on Instagram and wrote, “Happy father’s day to the best dad in the world. You have taught me so much and I wouldn’t be the same person without u! Love you.”
In April 2024, Justin committed to play D1 basketball at the University of Michigan.
Sophia Pippen, 16
Sophia, Scottie and Larsa’s youngest child and only daughter, was born on Dec. 26, 2008. Kim Kardashian is her godmother.
Though Sophia is still in school, she already has a pretty impressive career. She’s done some modeling and appeared on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors in 2018. During Disney week, Kardashian made an appearance to give her some support, but Sophia was sent home after her performance of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid.
Sophia appears to be very close with her family, and her parents and siblings have made frequent appearances on her social media. On Father’s Day 2021, Sophia dedicated a sweet post to Scottie on Instagram, writing in the caption, “Happy Father’s Day to the best dad ever!! I love you!” The preteen also has a popular TikTok page with more than 90,000 followers, and her dad has even made a few cameos in some of her videos.
In December 2023, Scottie celebrated his daughter’s 15th birthday with an Instagram post. The athlete shared a photo of Sophia now and when she was younger of them embracing at a game. “Happy birthday to my incredible daughter @sophiapippen33! You make every day brighter. Love you more each day! ❤️.” he wrote in the caption.
Read the full article here
