NBA great Scottie Pippen started making headlines again last year courtesy of the Michael Jordan-filled docuseries The Last Dance for ESPN, but despite regaining the public’s attention, Pippen still managed to keep a pretty low profile. Since retiring from the NBA, Pippen’s main priority has been dedicating time to his family. Unfortunately, in a year already filled with unexpected moments, he and his family are now in mourning, and the iconic athlete's news about his son Antron's death came as a shock to many. Taking to social media, Pippen paid tribute to his eldest son Antron with a touching message.
For any parent, surviving a first child's death definitely isn’t part of their life plan. Despite being divorced from his first wife and Antron's mother, Scottie Pippen maintained a close relationship with the younger Pippen as he got older and followed in a few of his father's noteworthy footsteps. Unfortunately, Antron Pippen passed away unexpectedly on Apr. 19, at the age pf 33. Pippen took to his Instagram to make the announcement. In a tribute to his late son, the NBA legend started off by saying:
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.
After announcing his son’s passing, Scottie Pippen gave a peek into his son’s health situation, and he also gave him props on his second-generation basketball skills. The retired NBA player coupled those details with kind words about his son’s family. Pippen wrote in his post:
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. 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.
Scottie Pippen’s Instagram post was heartbreaking as he spoke about his son’s potential basketball future. His words painted the picture of a young man with a kind spirit who was loved by everyone, and especially by his famous father. Check out Pippen’s full post with a loving father-son slideshow below:
Losing a firstborn child is no doubt one of the hardest things a person can experience, and being as legendary as Scottie Pippen doesn't help ease that pain. Here's hoping loving messages from fans can help out on that front. As evident by the NBA legend’s Instagram feed, family is especially important to him, and this is an unprecedented life event.
Scottie Pippen wasn’t the only one to pay tribute to his late son. His ex-wife Larsa Pippen took to her Instagram Story to pay her respects to Antron Pippen. Check out her touching post below:
Scottie Pippen, along with Antron’s siblings and other family members, will hopefully be able to mourn in privacy without any direct interference from Last Dance fans. While his son is no longer here physically, Pippen can still hold on to the loving memories he and his eldest son shared for years to come, and our thoughts and condolences go out to the Pippen family during this time.
