The oldest son of Scottie Pippen, Antron Pippen, has died. In a series of tweets and an Instagram post shared on Monday, the former Chicago Bulls small forward announced the passing on Antron.
“I’m heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron,” the athlete wrote in the social media post. “The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game. 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’s ex-wife, Larsa Pippen, also paid tribute to her stepson in an Instagram post shared on Monday.
“Some truths in life are hard to accept,” Larsa wrote. “Your memories will never be forgotten! They will always remain with us forever. You are forever in our hearts, we love u and will miss u always Rip Antron.”
Antron was 33 years old. He was Scottie’s oldest son. Born in 1987, Antron was a product of Scottie’s relationship with his first wife, Karen McCollum. The then-new parents tied the knot in 1988 and divorced in 1990.
Despite Antron’s chronic asthma keeping him out of the NBA, he played basketball at the collegiate level. According to Yahoo Sports, he played as a guard for Texas A&M International University and South George Technical College, according to the AJC. In 2013, went on to play for the Upstate Heat in the World Basketball Association. Prior to his untimely passing, he lived in Atlanta and worked as a machine tech.