Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were one of the most powerful one-two punches to ever play in the league. The Chicago Bulls superstars won six championships together, but their relationship plunged after Jordan’s Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’ was released. But there is one more controversy that Pippen was constantly associated with in his career.
Several fans and analysts believed the Hamburg native was severely underpaid during his tenure in the league. He played 12 seasons with the Bulls, one in Houston, and four with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The $20 million-worth former NBA player recently decided to auction a few pieces of his memorabilia collection from his time in the NBA, which included Michael Jordan’s game-worn and signed Air Jordan 7 from the 1992 Olympics gold medal game. The high-demand sneakers are expected to go for $1.5-2.5 million.
Fans drew different conclusions from Pippen’s decision to auction his crucial NBA collection, as some connected that to his days in the league, when he was allegedly underpaid for his work. One fan wrote:
“With all his bulls/jordan memorabilia he can cash out more than he made playing for the bulls”
Another reinforced the same argument:
“Good for Scottie he was underpaid”
This user defended the NBA legend and wrote:
“Y’all keep forgetting that Scottie was severely underpaid as a Chicago bull!! He deserves it man, and I highly doubt that this is a slight at Mike!! Scottie is a cool guy!!!”
Another wrote:
“Money tight”
One user even commented on Pippen’s feud with Jordan and criticized his decision to auction:
“Talking all that shit about the man then selling his sneakers for money is nasty”
While fans were divided in their opinions about Scottie Pippen’s decision to sell the exclusive collection, let’s understand why he was underestimated right from his draft.
Why was Scottie Pippen one of the most underpaid superstars?
The University of Central Arkansas forward was not touted as one of the promising youngsters when he first joined the college due to his size. Moreover, he grew up in a poor household with 11 siblings, where his family fought hard to make ends meet. He was drafted fifth overall by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1987 NBA draft and immediately moved to Chicago.
Under the then-Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, Pippen grew into a defensive asset for the team who could make hustle plays on offense. He slowly improved into a solid playmaker who let MJ focus on his shooting. After relentless work, the team won its first championship, and Pippen was looking for a hefty check to get him and his family out of financially difficult days.
Pippen was offered a 7-year, 18 million deal by the Bulls, which looked like decent terms in 1991. However, with MJ’s global popularity and the NBA’s coming of age, the league grew massively, and Pippen’s deal looked like pennies for the second-best player of a team that already won a 3-peat. He was the sixth-highest paid among the Bulls and 122nd in the league.
MJ, on the other hand, was paid more than $30 million per year during the mid-90s. The difference was stark and has often led to criticism from fans.
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