Antron Pippen, Scottie Pippen’s eldest child and a former player herself, has passed away, the longtime NBA executive said Monday.
Pippen shared the news in an Instagram post, accompanied by several photos of the two from the past few years.
“We both shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game,” Pippen wrote. “Antron was suffering from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I really believe he would have made it to the NBA. However, he never let that discourage him – Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man who he became. “
Antron Pippen was 33. No cause of death was given.
Antron Pippen’s high school career was well-described, and he was once in the top 100 potential clients by his age level. He once acknowledged that sharing the last name of a six-time NBA champion generated extra attention.
“I’m used to expectations,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a high school student in 2006. “When I was younger, it bothered me. I tried to prove to people that I could play. I’m very proud of my dad. But I can only be myself. ”
A 6-foot-2 guard, Pippen played for South Georgia Technical College and also played in three games in the 2008-09 season for Texas A&M-International.
“The Jets family was saddened to learn of the death of one of our former players, Antron Pippen,” tweeted the South Georgia Tech athletics division.
Scottie Pippen, who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls, had eight children. Daughter Tyler died nine days after her birth in 1994.
Antron was the only child from his first marriage to Karen McCollum.
“Please keep his mother, Karen, and all his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers,” Pippen wrote. A kind heart and a beautiful soul have disappeared far too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again. “
This report uses information from Associated Press and Reuters.