The Chicago Bulls documentary film "The Last Dance" revealed many things about the six-time NBA champion team, and among them was that Scottie Pippen got less money than what he deserved from the Bulls management. However, Michael Jordan's most trusted teammate got a break after his Bulls playing days and pocketed a career salary higher than MJ's.
Pippen's total earnings on the court totaled to $109,192,430 after 17 years of active duty on the court. Jordan, on the other hand, had amassed over $93 million in his 15 years of stay in the NBA. It is obvious that Pippen had a longer tenure in the league, which explains the lead over his superstar friend.
But make no mistake, Pippen's figures did not diminish the fact that with the Bulls he got the raw end of the deal. The basketball world acknowledged the fact that Jordan and Bulls gained success and in large part because of the contributions coming from Pippen.
As noted in the report by Fadeaway World, Pippen's paycheck with the Bulls reflected a $2.7 million annual salary as his highest take home, which even at that time was grossly at an underpaid level. The Bulls star was considered the team's No. 2 man and in all aspects of the game, he was to the go-to player in the absence of MJ.
NBA stars during his time were paid more and the ESPN documentary highlighted the fact that despite Pippen's stature, his salary with the Bulls was not even in the Top 5 of the team's high earners.
"Pippen is one of the greatest, most underrated players ever and he was vastly underpaid through most of his productive years," said the report.
However, the NBA legend made a killing after leaving Chicago. With the Houston Rockets, Pippen's bank account grew by $11 million after only a season of stay and his deal with the Trail Blazers afterward was even more rewarding.
Pippen played four years in Portland and for his trouble, he got paid $66.3 million. Then the endorsements came in from biggies such as McDonald's, Coke, and Nike. Roughly, the seven-time All-Star is estimated to have collected a fortune north of $120 million but according to Clutch Points, Pippen made bad investment decisions.
Coupled that with the costly divorce proceedings, the Bulls legend now has an estimated net worth of at least $30, which is not a bad thing for a player that endured scandalously low pay playing for Chicago.
It's interesting to note though that Jordan after basketball became a billionaire, meaning Pippen may have earned better on the floor but MJ found gold in retirement. Jordan now boasts of some $2 billion net worth, a mind-boggling fortune that again makes Pippen a distant No.2.
