How much is Scottie Pippen worth? We’ve all heard horror stories about financially irresponsible athletes. For every Shaquille O’Neal, who uses his money intelligently, there’s a Mike Tyson or an Antoine Walker. If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, you may have seen Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen lumped in with the former stars who have blown through all their savings. It turns out, however, that you can’t believe everything you read. Despite rumors suggesting the contrary, Scottie Pippen never went bankrupt. In fact, Michael Jordan‘s number two man is still doing pretty well financially. So, let’s look at Scottie Pippen’s net worth and his career and the financial troubles that led to it.

Scottie Pippen’s NBA career

In retrospect, Scottie Pippen is often cast as nothing more than the Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman. While the two did work incredibly well together, that robs Pippen of the credit he deserves.

According to the NBA, Pippen’s road to the pros started at the tiny University of Central Arkansas. While the school was far from a traditional powerhouse, Pippen developed into a star that scouts couldn’t ignore. He started as the team manager and, as a senior, he averaged 23.6 points and 10 rebounds per game.

The Chicago Bulls were impressed by his development and, on draft day in 1987, worked out a deal to acquire Pippen from the Seattle SuperSonics. While the forward didn’t blow anyone away during his rookie season, Michael Jordan pushed him to improve. Before long, Pippen developed into a star among NBA players. He was capable of both stepping up as the Bulls’ number two scorer and shutting down the opposition’s top threat on the defensive end.

While things wouldn’t end happily in Chicago, Pippen spent a total of 12 seasons with the Bulls. According to Basketball-Reference, he averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per night and, more importantly, won six NBA titles. He would also spend time with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, making up for lost time from a salary perspective.

The Chicago Bulls’ small forward never went bankrupt

Every sports fan has heard the tragic tales of professional athletes who wasted their money and went bankrupt. While someone named Scottie Pippen did file for bankruptcy, it wasn’t the NBA player they were talking about, according to the Miami New Times.

In 2011, the former Chicago Bulls forward sued a collection of media outlets, according to Deadspin. His targets ranged from CBS Sports to a college’s student paper for claiming that he had gone bankrupt. “It is a most foul libel indeed to be falsely accused of being bankrupt,” the suit read, according to TMZ. “Scottie never filed bankruptcy and indeed has a substantial net worth, which has not been less than approximately $40,000,000 in the last ten years.”

Pippen did make some poor financial choices over the years. For example, he bought a $4.3 million plane that couldn’t fly and allegedly left some pretty poor tips. However, he didn’t blow through his entire fortune.

How much is Scottie Pippen worth today?

While the Chicago Bulls underpaid him, Scottie Pippen still took home plenty of money during his time in the NBA. Thanks largely in part to a sizable sign and trade deal, the forward earned more than $100 million in salary, according to Hoops Hype.

While it’s tough to pinpoint Pippen’s exact net worth, we do know that he still has plenty of money in the bank. Celebrity Net Worth puts Scottie Pippen’s net worth at $20 million, while The Richest estimates the forward is worth $50 million, which is more in line with the assertion from his 2011 lawsuit.

However, regardless of Scottie Pippen’s exact net worth, one thing is clear. He still might be overshadowed by Michael Jordan, but the forward has plenty of money in the bank.